southstar066
New member
what is a good one?
20k DE HQI
- Thread starter southstar066
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Puffdragon
New member
phoenix 14k a lot. bright white with a blue cast.
murraycamp
Member
It depends. What color are you shooting for?
dailydriven911
Member
Or bright blue with a white cast...
Really depends on the ballast your using.
GSMguy
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14997296#post14997296 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dailydriven911
Or bright blue with a white cast...
no its always blue,
much bluer than any other 14k bulb it is as blue as an XM 2Ok....the pheonix is never white, all the german 20ks are whiter.
dailydriven911
Member
Agreed! However it's less blue on a ballast that overdrives the bulb. It's much too blue on an electronic ballast especially one that underdrives the bulb like the m138 that current uses. I'm also looking at changing bulbs as the Ushio 14k is just to white for me...
Any suggestions? I'm leaning toward the reeflux 20k and Ushio 20k.
Any suggestions? I'm leaning toward the reeflux 20k and Ushio 20k.
GSMguy
New member
the XM is bluer than the USHIO 20k both look good, just depends what you want, the ushio 20k seems less blue than the pheonix to me..
BTW the ballasts that your talking about M-80-M81 are not overdriving the bulb they are running them to spec, Electronics all deliver less power bulbs like the pheonix and ushio, but there is nothing wrong with a good Eballast like the galaxy or icecap.
BTW the ballasts that your talking about M-80-M81 are not overdriving the bulb they are running them to spec, Electronics all deliver less power bulbs like the pheonix and ushio, but there is nothing wrong with a good Eballast like the galaxy or icecap.
The Ushio 20K isnt as blue as the Phoenix to my eye either. Phoenix is the nastiest looking bulb I have ever seen. Of course that's a very personal opinion. Just made the entire tank look washed out. And its not just because the bulb is too blue for my liking. And thats on the M80 too.
But some people love them so to each his/her own.
dailydriven911
Member
Thanks for the clarification! Is the Ushio a brighter 20k bulb? I like the brightness of the Ushio 14k but it's just to white for me even with the t-5 supp.
Brighter than what? The Ushio 20K 250W DE isnt a par monster. It has pretty good par for a 20K but there are some bluer lamps with higher par (Phoenix, Helios (atleast initially) and some with less par. Compared to the Ushio 14K you will take a pretty big hit in par going to the 20k Ushio. But it doesnt have any of the "warmer" color of the 14K.
The Iwasaki 14K 250 DE has pretty good par. Crisp white with just the very slightest blue tint. Not as much blue as the Ushio 20K but no yellow at all. I see the Iwasaki as almost a pure, cool, crisp white color. In between the Ushio 20K and Ushio 14K in color ... but closer to the 20K. With the par of the 14K Ushio or close.
Those are my perceptions anyway ... I have used all 3 bulbs.
dailydriven911
Member
Brighter than the Ushio 14k...sorry I didn't make that to clear. Thanks for the input. I hear mixed reviews on the Iwasaki some describe as you do and others think it's to white with no blue at all. I understand that the 20k Ushio will be dimmer but just wanted to know how much and from your description it sounds like quite a bit. I have used the Helios 20k/EVC in the past and actually did like that bulb so maybe I'll give it another whirl. Thanks for the help!
The Iwasaki 14K is WHITE. But not a yellow white, a "blue" (cold) white. Has a huge blue spike in the spectrum but not really a visible blue. Thats what I was trying to describe anyway .... If you placed it side by side with an Ushio 14K or a 10K you would probably perceive it as a much cooler, crisper white with just a hint of blue. Up side by side with a Ushio 20K (or a bluer lamp) you wouldnt see any blue in it at all, just pure, cool, crisp white.
Great bulb really for supplementing. No yellow to cover up and no blue to have to tone down. If you like a cool, crisp look, its like starting with a blank slate that you can color up pretty easy with whatever T5 supplements you wanted to ... but it does have pretty good par so a couple 24 watt T5's may not get the job done.
Great bulb really for supplementing. No yellow to cover up and no blue to have to tone down. If you like a cool, crisp look, its like starting with a blank slate that you can color up pretty easy with whatever T5 supplements you wanted to ... but it does have pretty good par so a couple 24 watt T5's may not get the job done.
dailydriven911
Member
Hmm maybe I'll look into this bulb...I have 4x24w t-5's along with the 250w m/h. What would be a good combo to add more blue? I was thinking 2xati blue plus 1x ati pro color or kz figi purple and 1x geismann actinic plus. Have you tried the geismann 14.5k bulb? How does it compare to the iwasaki?
Thanks,
Jayson
Thanks,
Jayson
Ive heard that the Giesemann is similiar in color to the Ushio 14K but with more par. Never seen one.
If you want a blue look, the Ushio 20K is probably a better starting point than the Iwasaki 14K. The Iwasaki has higher par, but you dont have a ton of T5 in terms of wattage and it will be easier to get more blue starting with the Ushio 20K versus the iwasaki 14K ... simply because the Ushio is bluer and has less par.
If you want a blue look, the Ushio 20K is probably a better starting point than the Iwasaki 14K. The Iwasaki has higher par, but you dont have a ton of T5 in terms of wattage and it will be easier to get more blue starting with the Ushio 20K versus the iwasaki 14K ... simply because the Ushio is bluer and has less par.
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