PFO 250 Watt Dual EYE Metal Halide Ballast

SJ Bushi · #1 12/31/2004, 08:21 AM

Has anyone used these ? it seems to be a cost effective alternative to the ice cap ballast at under 200.00 for a dual set up heres a link to info

http://www.marinedepot.net/pfo-250-w...t--ballas.html

Thanks

BLANKENSHIP76 · #2 12/31/2004, 09:04 AM

If you look on ebay there is a company that has a similar product a little cheaper, but the shipping is heafty!!!!

bigben · #3 12/31/2004, 06:49 PM

i've used it==rock solid products by PFO. you won't have any worries, and the heat isn't as bad as you might think. they are heavy, though, so yes, shipping may suck a little. enjoy!

APynckel · #4 12/31/2004, 06:53 PM

i'm using a double and a single EYE ballast made by PFO. If you're in the market, we're looking to sell.

SJ Bushi · #5 12/31/2004, 07:02 PM

Why are you looking to sell ?? just curious and I am in the market

golfish · #6 12/31/2004, 07:20 PM

The PFO EYE is a mercury vapor ballast, or at least it used to be. I think there's something wrong at MD if their listing that as an electronic balast.

dave2184 · #7 12/31/2004, 07:27 PM

Yes it is Mercury Vapor, it's magnetic, and only fires Iwasaki bulbs.

Bpynckel · #8 01/01/2005, 02:28 PM

Wrong on the "only fires Iwasaki bulbs"

we have them running Ushio 10K's right now like a champ

dave2184 · #9 01/01/2005, 09:15 PM

Quote from Electric130s which balast is which thread.

EYE ballasts are mercury vapor ballasts. they are similar to a probe start ballast, but the only bulb you can run on these are Iwasaki 6500K bulbs (because these are actually MV bulbs, not MH bulbs like most think). the ballast will damage MH bulbs if you try to run one on it.

SuperNerd · #10 07/10/2005, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bpynckel
Wrong on the "only fires Iwasaki bulbs"

we have them running Ushio 10K's right now like a champ

How can it fire anything other than an Iwasaki bulb? I thought that the EYE ballast doesn't have an ignitor (it's in the bulb instead). And if neither the bulb nor the ballast have ignitors how does your setup work????

APynckel · #11 07/10/2005, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Andraska
How can it fire anything other than an Iwasaki bulb? I thought that the EYE ballast doesn't have an ignitor (it's in the bulb instead). And if neither the bulb nor the ballast have ignitors how does your setup work????

Ushio 10k's are also mercury vapor bulbs.

Froggy · #12 07/10/2005, 01:10 PM

The Marine Depot catalog lists PFO Eye ballasts as being designed to only fire 6500 K bulbs. I have no personal knowlege or experience with them but that is what is listed in the product description.

APynckel · #13 07/10/2005, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Froggy
The Marine Depot catalog lists PFO Eye ballasts as being designed to only fire 6500 K bulbs. I have no personal knowlege or experience with them but that is what is listed in the product description.

well i can tell you right now that they work w/ 250w Ushio 10k's. We've been running Ushio's for over 2 years now w/o any problems w/ lack of bulb life or anything of the sort.

Froggy · #14 07/10/2005, 04:39 PM

Sounds like you have personal experience then.

SuperNerd · #15 07/10/2005, 06:47 PM

WHY DO YOU WANT TO SELL?
I thought they give the best par and thus best coral growth?

clkwrk · #16 07/11/2005, 12:03 AM

My dual Pfo 250 eye setup also ran ushios, coralvues and of course Iwasaki. I have since went with DE setups

SuperNerd · #17 07/11/2005, 12:34 AM

That's pretty interesting that the EYE can run those to.
But...how?????
The ushios don't have an ignitor in the bulb and the EYE ballast doesn't have an ignitor inside...

Did you see better growth from the EYE ballast than with your current setup?
I'm in the process of deciding which way I want to go.

Overdriving SEs with an HQI ballast didn't work for me (literally) for some reason so now I'm looking for a good alternative with the potential to give the most growth.