Electronic select-a-watt HQI setting same as M80?

[whatcaneyedo]

Share what you find out on here. I was curious about this too when I saw the lumatek for sale at Progressive Reef.

[fkshiu]

I highly doubt that the Select-a-Watt ballasts are true M80s.

Firstly, they're marketed as "electronic". An M80 is a magnetic ballast.

Secondly, have you ever picked up an M80? It weighs a freakin' ton because of the huge transformer. The listed shipping weight of a Select-a-Watt is 6 lbs - much lighter.

That said, I haven't seen any performance numbers, but I strongly suspect that it will behave like any other electronic ballast meaning that you'll draw a true amount of wattage and it will underdrive HQI-spec'd bulbs like the Radium (i.e. lower PAR). Radiums on electronics also tend to appear far more blue than they do while driven by a true M80.

[lastlight]

I have a feeling you're right. I'll be buying a blue wave 7 unless someone can convince me otherwise.