Lumatek Dimmable Ballast !!! any good??

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W

Wretched

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has there been any problems with these ballast are the quality or is there defect i should worry about looking to bump up from my mag ballast was wondering about the dimmable's ballast mainly the lumatek 400w dimmable ATM..


any one got and good info!!

much appreciated!!:friday:
 
Z

zipflip

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if your lookin at keepin the equivalent of a 400 if your goin with a dimmable i woudl go with a 600 watt balalst then ya just dimm it down a notch.
and also this way if ya ever wanan expand ya area etc, you'll have taht 600watter ready to roll.
 
W

Wretched

62
6
well im currently running a 250w mag ballast iv been running for about 1 1/2 years want to upgrade to digital..

and ive beem loooking at these 2 balasy

600w/400w switchable ballast NextGen from CAP
or the 400w Dimmable Lumatek...which can run 250w 275w and 400w bulbs both mh and hps

the reason im leaning towards the Lumatek is due that the fact i dont want to be using too much where its noticeable .. i need a bunch of opinions please much help needed dont want to make a bad decision.. the nexgen seems cool but i rather be close to my current 20w.. let me know if a bumb up to 400w/00w would be a noticeable increase in electricity
 
P

ProGroWannabe

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Just FYI.....your average little space heater pulls 1500 watts, and everybody and their brother runs one or more of these in the winter.
 
R

Rolln J

Guest
you could put in a 1000 and the electric company wouldnt blink...

really if your gonna upgrade for no real reason (your gear is only 1 1/2 year old) you should get the 600/400 because a 400 isnt really that much of an upgrade from a 250...
 
S

s4m

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hello folks,

i use lumatec and haveing probs at the mo?.

my advice is buy local for simple replacement, sitting here with 2 f#ck'd four weeks and still no news when to post/send them back.

shop is closed due to weather ARRRRRHHHHHH!.:sick0018:

Also I beleive that it is a BOOST button and NOT dimmable like has been said. which will burn lamps out quicker? and is totally different to the next gen ballasts?.


s4m
 
B

Ben Gilroy

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I hear really good things about Quantum. I'm actually trying to learn about it right now.
 
H

HossCartwright

Guest
Check out the Galaxy "seled-a-watt" ballasts. They are actully SWITCHABLE 400/600/1000w ballasts. I'm going to be getting 4 of them for my next place.
 
B

BudBlazer

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My buddy is using the Lumatek 600W adjustable ballast and he likes it. He turns it down when he introduces new plants to flowering and then cranks it back up to 100% over time.
 
Z

zipflip

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i actually just hooked up my adjustable 600watt lumatek and been runnin it only 3 days now but i will say im impressd coming from a cheap refurbished magnetic ballast.
still not safe to say if it good bein only been run a few days but i hear absolutely no noise not even a slight humm coming from my ballast. i do hear a slight tick inside when it turns on and thats it.
im runnin a 600watt ultrasun hps in it atm,
i was also told that with the adjustable ballasts that its best to actually turn ya ballast off while switchin the settings.
meaning if ya turn on at 600watts and not happy wit it, then let it fully juice up for bout a good 10-15 minutes then shut off and leave off 10 minutes then adjust to watever settig you desire, then turn back on...
i know it seems liek a PITA as i felt too but the people i bought it from told me that lumatek told them that this the best way to go bout it to reduce the wear and tear on bulb etc...
again this is just wat i was told, but im going by it unless i hear any thing on factual basis prividing why this is a bad idea.
anyone else....?
 
Kyle mccall

Kyle mccall

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Looking to get two of these for the next grow I also heard you had to switch off first before changing settings :)
 
S

seebobsled

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I run to the switchable 1000wat Lumateks With 600w Usho Bulbs for 2 years. I have had no problem with lumatek.
 
cemchris

cemchris

Supporter
3,346
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I run to the switchable 1000wat Lumateks With 600w Usho Bulbs for 2 years. I have had no problem with lumatek.
Ive got some old 110v silver (more then 4 years old) ones and 220v purple ones. All 600's and not a single prob. My dimmable china one from a local shop has gone out twice now in a year.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

6,892
313
Lumatek IS made in China.

If you want to go digital, go with a high end reputable brand, like Solis Tek. They will stand by your device even if your local dealer goes out of business, like many have around here recently. That said, you will still want to keep a spare ballast around because these are not repairable; they need to go back to the factory for replacement.

A magnetic ballast can be fixed by anyone with a modicum of electrical knowlege with inexpensive, widely available parts. Usually the same day. How long do you want your girls to be left in the dark?

As has been discussed elsewhere on this forum, running your bulbs on a dimmed setting accelerates the aging process; mildly so in the case of HPS, much more seriously for MH. In fact, don't ever run MH at any wattage other than the one printed on the bulb if you want it to last. Not only does the dimming hurt the bulbs, but your PAR output per watt efficiency goes down the tubes, too; for example, at '60%' setting, you're only getting 40-45% of the rated light output.
 
R

recreationaluse

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1000 and 600 lumatek both having strike problems. I had the newer dimming with super lumens and I had to constantly check on both everyday to make sure they were on. The 1000 watt is the worse maybe not striking 2 sometimes 3 times a week. My store likes me so they offered to switch them out for me to another of my liking. I chose quantums because I have heard of phantoms doing the same. Quantums no problems yet. I GOT DIGI BALLASTS FOR THAT DIMMING BULLSHIT THEORY ON DIMMING THE PLANTS AND GRADUALLY CRANK IT UP. SEEN DIMINISHING RETURNS ON YIELDS. NOT COOL! so i just run them at 100% all the time and problem fixed
 
Asbestos4u

Asbestos4u

138
18
been rocking alot or lumatek for over a year now and never had a problem
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

6,892
313
1000 and 600 lumatek both having strike problems. I had the newer dimming with super lumens and I had to constantly check on both everyday to make sure they were on. The 1000 watt is the worse maybe not striking 2 sometimes 3 times a week. My store likes me so they offered to switch them out for me to another of my liking. I chose quantums because I have heard of phantoms doing the same. Quantums no problems yet. I GOT DIGI BALLASTS FOR THAT DIMMING BULLSHIT THEORY ON DIMMING THE PLANTS AND GRADUALLY CRANK IT UP. SEEN DIMINISHING RETURNS ON YIELDS. NOT COOL! so i just run them at 100% all the time and problem fixed

Agreed on the dimming feature; between killing your PAR per watt efficiency and accelerating the bulb's lumen depreciation, it's just not worth it. For HPS it's not so bad; for MH it's a deal killer.

Question for ya; when you were having striking problems, were the bulbs new? How long was the cord between ballast and bulb? Older bulbs often have problems striking, and shorter cords are always better. I've heard that a lil dab of dielectric grease on the tip of the bulb before you screw it into the socket helps with striking issues resulting from long cord runs.

If I ever switch to digital ballasts across my whole setup (I do have an old silver lumatek, and a purple one in my veg zone, no trouble with them so far), I will be going with the digital Gavita ballasts that run the new 400V Philips Green Power 1000w double ended bulbs. These are a long step up in performance from the current mogul socket 1k HPS in terms of PAR, efficiency, and longevity- they're rated at 95% of initial output at 8000 hours, and >90% at 10,000 hours! That's TWO years or more of flowering out of the bulb before it needs replacement!
 
nangonug

nangonug

Premium Member
Supporter
187
63
has there been any problems with these ballast are the quality or is there defect i should worry about looking to bump up from my mag ballast was wondering about the dimmable's ballast mainly the lumatek 400w dimmable ATM..


any one got and good info!!

much appreciated!!:friday:

Hello wretched, I have been running lumatec's for years. Not married to them or nothing but they have outlasted and outpreformed most other ballast's I've used to date. If your in the states and are in a mmj state then I would look to a local source for what ever you buy. Yes I have had some problems wih lumatec, More so in there infancy but I have had problems with most other ballests also. Stay away from ballests with cooling fans unless you can get them cheap. They require blowing out the dust from time to time and blow dust all over the compondnts. (next gen, etc) Often times people will buy cheap lamps and have problems with them. I had problems with some ge lamps fireing. Swiched out to digilux and oshua and have never looked back..I have had striking problems on a flip flop and have seen others with the same problem. Changed out the lamp and problem solved everytime but one. That time was actually a relay in the flip flop. It sounds like you are only using one light though so no big deal. I would look at the new gavita's as ttystik mentions. There is a 600 that might souit your need. They use 400 volts to run the lamp's Evey thing else on the market currently uses 250 volts. Nothing else compairs and cost's are right in line with other set ups. Good luck getting your hands on one in the states though. They go quick. May be a problem if problems arise though so a back up plan is always a good plan. The soltec's look very nice but no local dealers so I stay clear of them. If I was running a large warehouse and demand charges applyed I would then seriously consider there matrix ballest. Automatic soft start, remote programing, yada yada yada,,, Most electronic ballests today work and some are a bit better then others. Stay away from the knock off brands that seam cheap. They are.. Shop on line and find the best price on the ballest that best fits your needs. If you can take that price to a local shop and see how close they will come. My local guy hates me cause I am always beating him up. Remember though, the convinence of being able to exchange/warrenty local is worth something, How much is up to you. As was stated above step up to a 600 or 1000 watter. Run bare bulb and cool the air if you can the difference in yeald should offset the cost to cool and the flowers will be higher quality. Aint nobody going to be lookin for electrical spikes or nothing over 1 light so don't sweat it. Worry more about odor. You can never run to many carbon filters. Best of luck on your expansion/upgrade.


Looking to get two of these for the next grow I also heard you had to switch off first before changing settings :)
nope just switch slow no problems.
 
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