14K phoenix bulbs

[whatcaneyedo]

Do you have a true magnestic ballast or are you using a select-a-watt electronic ballast? Mine are magnetic, I've got a dual ballast from Sunlight Supply and a single from Hamilton. I may actually be higher than what I said before. Just now I shut off everything on the powerbar except the hamilton and it was 3.3 amps for that light alone. If watts = amps x volts I guess thats 396W unless I understand that wrong.

[viperfish]

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

Do you have a true magnestic ballast or are you using a select-a-watt electronic ballast? Mine are magnetic, I've got a dual ballast from Sunlight Supply and a single from Hamilton. I may actually be higher than what I said before. Just now I shut off everything on the powerbar except the hamilton and it was 3.3 amps for that light alone. If watts = amps x volts I guess thats 396W unless I understand that wrong.

Mine is an Aqua Medic dual ballast, not electronic. I did the same as you and I was at 4.8 Amps for both.

[lastlight]

4.8 for two? Doesn't sound like M80? The 3.3 sounds bang on.

[viperfish]

Originally Posted by lastlight

4.8 for two? Doesn't sound like M80? The 3.3 sounds bang on.

It certainly is. It's the Aqua Medic M ballast, made by Tridonic in Germany for Aqua Medic.

[lastlight]

Is it somehow more efficient? you'd think it'd be closer to 2 x 3.3?

[viperfish]

That would put the wattage at 396 watts, I've read a Phoenix 14K on an M80 should be around 310 watts. All I'm saying is what I read on the Apex.

[whatcaneyedo]

I just did the same thing with my dual ballast. I shut everything else off to see what it was drawing and I got 6.2 amps. I always thought ballasts would be more consistent. Maybe this topic deserves its own thread?

[viperfish]

Very interesting. I have another controller, maybe tomorrow I'll test it out and see what it reads.