Electronic and Magnetic??

[STsONpERs]

Which one to go with on my tank i am planning??

75 gallon sps.

Whats the difference with these two??

which one is the overall best to go with

thanx guys, i wanna do this tank right

[meschaefer]

There are so many different variables, look at this page. It will let you compare different bulbs with different ballasts.

http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/

[jdieck]

Pros and Cons:

Electronic:
Pros:
Ability to use European as well as US bulbs (Pulse, Probe and most DE types)
Run Cooler
They smaller are not heavy
Use less power (more efficient)
No Flicker
No Buzzing noise
Adjusts automatically to maintain the bulb light ouput as the bulb ages

Con:
Price
Some may fail soon so look for a brand with good warranty and service (IceCap is my chice)

Magnetic:
Pro:
Low Price

Cons:
Limited to one bulb type
More power consumption
Heavy and run hot requireing larger colling boxes and fins
Some people may notice flicker
Some brands may buzz
Usually maintain constant voltage and current along the bulb life

[moonpod]

Key variable: what type of bulb you are going to run.

For SE MH, I prefer electronic for many of the reasons cited above.

For DE MH, I prefer mag HQI, as the electronics underdrive these bulbs.

[smcdonn]

affordable lighting has electronic ballasts for a very good price. They also have a 5 year warranty with them.

[HippieSmell]

I was going to say what moonpod said. A DE bulb on a magnetic 'HQI' ballast is a hard bang/buck ratio to beat.

[STsONpERs]

Cool guys , thank alot that helped for sure.

On the PFO ballast are they electronic??

Im thinking of a dual pfo of a blue wave 2 form sunlight supply

[LBCBJ]

I prefer the IceCap electronic ballast, they have higher up-front cost, but are much better overall than magnetic. I'm not sure I agree with them underdriving bulbs, one study found that it increased DE bulb output by 140% compared to magnetic ballast.

[moonpod]

Eh? That's bong talk. This the thing. The ballast that DE bulbs are "specified" to run on is the "HQI" M80 and M81 (250 and 150w respectively). If you look at the hard data, the "effeciencies" or PAR/watt is essentially the same for the M80 and the variety of electronic ballasts. The difference being the M80 will generally run about 20% more electricity through the bulb and generate that same 20% more light. There are individual differences, but painted with a broad stroke, the M80 ballast is just as effecient as an electronic and runs the DE bulbs to specification--remember electronic ballasts are not part of the specification. The M80 ballast is.

PFO is a brand name. Just as Sunlight Supply is a brand name. For 250w DE MH you want the PFO 250w "HQI" ballast or a Sunlight Supply 250w Bluewave III or VII (the VII is a dual ballast). PFO and Sunlight Supply both market "packaged" ballasts in heat sink enclosures. The PFO is cheaper, the Sunlight Supply is a bit nicer in terms of the box and plugs. Functionally they are the same. They both also market "packaged" icecap electronic ballasts.

[LBCBJ]

Haha, I haven't seen a bong since I left Jamaica.

[moonpod]

Upwards of 20-40% effeciency improvements can be seen on particular SE MH bulbs run on probe and pulse start ballasts vs electronics, but you don't see it vs the "HQI" ballasts.

HHMMMM....so exactly what were you doing in Jamaica surveying bongs?????:bum:

[smoknreefrs]

did someone say jamaican bong.........

[LBCBJ]

nice smiley, haha