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#1
03-27-2011, 11:05 PM
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MH bulbs PAR readings
I got a MH fixture from EBay the other day (in this thread). I would like to know if the MH bulbs (15K, 250W) come with the fixture are any good. They look white but what are the PAR of these bulbs. This is a little experiment I did to compare XM bulb running on my other tank with ebay bulb.
Setup XM bulb set up: PFO probe start MH ballast 250W (M58), XM 10K 250W SE, unkown reflector (read: inefficient). Bulb is 3 month old. Ebay bulb set up: Ebay 250W electronic ballast (seems to be icecap clone), ebay 15K 250W DE bulb, stock reflector in fixture, glass shield below bulb. Brand new bulb. Equipment I built my quantum meter from a apogee SQ-120 light sensor connecting to a Fluke 7 multimeter. Testing method Turn on MH, wait for 30 minutes before measuring. Place sensor 6" directly under a bulb, and above water. Results: XM bulb: 1600 Ebay bulb: 1450 Summary At first glance, ebay bulb is comparable to XM bulb in term of PAR. XM bulb is 3 month old and may loose a little bit of PAR but ebay bulb is behind a glass shield. This is the first time I use ebay bulb. I heard that they can loose PAR and shift spectrum quickly. I will have to re-test them after 3 months. This is a very quick and dirty test. I don't want everyone rushing out and buying ebay bulbs and all your corals turn brown. Do your own DD (due diligent). 
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#3
06-14-2011, 04:42 AM
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Just a note - Any bulb behind a glass shield (DE bulbs) will always (and obviously) lose more PAR than the SE bulbs. I've seen a lot of par measurements taken or compared without the glass shield... its great to see you made note of the inclusion of the shield in your comparison.
Cheers, Chris
__________________
No more tanks  - Laying off the ReefCrack for awhile!Cheers, Chris
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#4
06-14-2011, 10:30 AM
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I bought a set of these in SE, 14K 250W. I found they dropped off in intensity pretty quickly and could see it without measuring. I went back to my ushio bulbs (which now seem very yellow and irritate me) which are way more intense. Even after only 10 days of the ushios I'm seeing better colors than with the 14K bulbs (which colored up the corals in the first month or so of use).
__________________
Christy's Reef Blog My 180 Build Every electronic component is shipped with smoke stored deep inside.... only a real genius can find a way to set it free.
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#5
06-14-2011, 01:00 PM
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yes how about a par reading.
__________________
180 starfire front, LPS, millipora Doesn't matter how much you have been reading until you take the plunge. You don't know as much as you think.
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