[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Rick_B

I recently purchased 2 2' 250W 20K mogul style retros. The ballast that came along with the units were HQI ballasts or M60 ballasts. A standard mogul style unit should use a M58 ballast. In talking with Hamilton, they claim that if I use the HQI ballast with the mogul bulb I will get a couple of results.

1) A more intense and brighter bulb -> a good thing
2) A hotter color spectrum -> since I like blue, a good thing
3) A shortened bulb life, only 9-12 months compared with 18 months -> a bad thing.

Has anyone experimented with different bulb and ballast types? I am really interested in knowing if I can use this combo and still use the bulbs beyond the 12 month mark with sauces

Rick

well a couple untruths here. a 250 Watt HQI ballast is an M80 (was the M60 a type o?)

1, yes you will get an increased output very good thing.
2, won't be noticeable
and 3, the most common mis belief is a M80 will shorten bulb life. well this is a hard one to explain sense a M80 still puts out the proper amount of power for a 250 watt bulbs it is just applied differently Voltage and Amp are in different proportion, CCF is different, and because of the pulse start of the M80 it is actually easier on the bulb in that respect. I ran my AB's for 2+ years on the M80 and they still had useful life left in them. so it is hard for me to understand how it shortens the life of the bulb and the only explanation I can come up with is that they assume because the Son Argo overdrives bulbs and stresses them that the M80 must do the same. at any rate if I had to do it again I would go with M80 ballasts and Mogul bulbs in a heart beat.

Steve