Been a long time sence we had a lighting fact thread - Page 2

Aquattro · #11 12-10-2002, 10:08 PM

Tony, it comes with the ignitor as a package. Also, this is the same ballast used in the PFO 400w HQI box, so I know it works fine.

Delphinus · #12 12-10-2002, 10:14 PM

That I knew -- it's just that I thought the ignitor was something separate (ie., not standard), because the PFO HQI is described as "Son Agro ballast with ignitor" ... that is why I thought it might not be standard with the ballast.

Thanks for the info.

StirCrazy · #13 12-10-2002, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

PFO HQI is described as "Son Agro ballast with ignitor" ... that is why I thought it might not be standard with the ballast.

Thanks for the info.

read it again.. sounds a lot better for sales and to try justify a higher price eh

Steve

reefburnaby · #14 12-11-2002, 04:06 AM

Hi,

HPS ballasts slightly overdrive the Radiums and reduces their lifetime by a smidge. Electronic HQI ballasts are closer to the real spec.

Stircrazy,

Are these new bulbs or have they been running for a while ?

For comparison, my tank (90G) has 2 6500K T8s overdrive 2x and one VHO actinic (total power = ~160W and bulbs are 6 months old):

100-120 uE/(m^2*s) @ 24" - 6" air and 18" water
180-200 uE/(m^2*s) @ 19" - 6" air and 9" water

- Victor.

Aquattro · #15 12-11-2002, 04:32 AM

Victor, the left bulb is new, the right one is about 3 months old.

StirCrazy · #16 12-11-2002, 04:40 AM

Victor, redo your test at 12" from the bottom of the bulb to the top of the sensor, trying to compare anything else is useless as there are to many factors that affect it and even 1" difference can be a lot.. and his readings at 27" were about tripple what your readings at 24" , but what I would expect with your lighting is a very high short distance reading with a rapid fall off in intensity..

this is what my results were with overdriving. my daylight tubes put out more power than my PC's at 6" but at the bottom of my tank thye PC's were twice the level of the overdriven tubes. this is the big reason I decided not to overdrive, even though you an increase the power.. the intensity and potential for penatration isn't there.

I am trying to standerdize all my testing to 12" (thats between bottom of the bulb and the top of the sensor), I feel this is far enuf to get away from the over heating from the bulb and is a depth that is easaly obtainable in most tanks.

To me 3" is a useless measurment as well as 20ish " I just did thoes on Brads tank for a comparason of his bubs as they age.. I think his bulbs were fairly new.
the older one was 3 months I think.

Steve

reefburnaby · #17 12-11-2002, 05:40 AM

Hi,

Okay,

200-250 uE/(m^2*s) @ 12" - 6" air and 6" water

The numbers are really for information purposes since some reefers were interested in the numbers. The numbers vary because of my actinics -- they are mounted at the centre of the canopy and surrounded by two 6500K T8s. Since my PAR meter has less sensitivity with blue light, the PAR numbers have a double peak as I sweep my sensor from the front of the tank to the back of the tank.

Honestly, I didn't think my lamps would compare to a 2x 430W HQI. Keep in mind that although the lamps produce 1/3 of the Stircrazy's measured output, the lamps burn less than 1/3 of 860W. On the other hand, I am sure the specturm is much better on the HQI -- especially the blue bands.

- Victor.

StirCrazy · #18 12-11-2002, 05:46 AM

thanks Victor.. now I can see how they compare.. even though the numbers are not a real study and are for information, the reason I want to try keep some sort of standard is so people can make semi-realistic comparasons.. and see what they can expect.. I spent the last two years wadeing through conjectur and personal preference when trying to come up with info on lights and if I can make it easyer for some one else.. I will.

Steve

StirCrazy · #19 12-12-2002, 09:17 PM

Well I went to Adams today and did some measurments on his lights today.

His set up is the 400 watt Radium 20K and three 30 watt NO actinic bulbs

12" distance = 343.09 PAR
18.5" (bottom of tank) = 269.9 PAR

I think it was 4" of air and 8" of water (Adam can you conferm this? I need to know how far it was from the bottom of your bulb to the water)

Steve

Delphinus · #20 12-12-2002, 09:56 PM

Hmmm, so ... what I gather from this is that at 12" the 10000K bulb was better than the Radium even without the SonAgro ballast on the 10000K, and that is even taking into account the 10000K was further from the water surface??

But at further depth, the Radium seemed to "attenuate" (for lack of a better term) less than the 10000K, ie., the deeper into the tank, the better the Radium got over the 10000K?

??? :? ???

From what I understand, PAR = growth, but higher-K = coral colour, so I guess one neat experiment to try, would be take two frags of the same coral and see how they compare after a month, several months, one year, etc. ... ?