150HQI vs 175 Mogul

[fkshiu]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

don't forget also that most electronic ballasts under drive bulbs. we did a test on a DE bulb powered by a electronic Icecap ballast and the same bulb powered by a M80 ballast and the M80 put out about 23% more PAR. now this was a 250 watt HQI but it is something to put in the back of ones mind.

Ok so where can I find more info on the Iwasaki's? I never realized there were people using them anymore as you never hear about them.

Steve

That's the wierd thing about the Iwasaki 175W 15K bulb - it actually spits out more PAR with an electronic than a TAR ballast while using less juice according Sanjay's results which are backed up by user observations like Son of Skyline. What is also impressive is that its colour comes exactly as advertised which is a lot more than can be said for most bulbs.

With respect to HQI ballasts, you have to factor in the extra electrical usage that an M80 uses over and above a 250W electronic ballast (+330W vs 250W) - that extra light you're getting with an M80 comes at the cost of more electricity. That said, certain bulbs like the Radium 20K are spec'd for the M80 and would be a waste on an electronic. It comes down to user preference: Is the extra PAR you get worth the extra electricity you're going to use? Of course let's not forget magnetic/TAR ballasts which will fall in the middle somewhere.