Are all HQI ballast created equal?

[Zoos]

Hello everyone,
just like the title says. I know a lot of the other ballast have been tested like the electronics, for example we know the differences between the ARO, Icecap, EVC, and so on (thanks Sanjay).

Now my question is this, PFO, Hamilton, (SLS) Blue Wave all makes HQI Ballast (m80), are they all the same with different housings? I am particularly interested in the Hamiltons because i am getting a good deal on (2) 250watt HQI balast individual housings, but i have never really seen any reviews on them, would i be able to hook these up to say a Maristar fixture or something similar, and is the Hamilton HQI ballast as good as the Blue Wave & PFO's?

Thanks in advance
Felix

 

[gcarroll]

They are pretty much the same. Any difference in performance would likely be less than 5%. And that difference would be more likely just a difference in the manufactuing of M80 ballasts and not the actual brands

 

[redFishblue]

gcarrol,
Would the light from a bulb be the same color if it was powered by a PFO vs BlueWave Hqi ballast?

 

[hahnmeister]

Im not gcarroll, but I can respond to that. Yes, the operating spec for M80-81 HQI ballasts in the US is determined by a set of specs from OSRAM/Sylvania. All HQI ballasts are designed to have the same operating spec... it was the basis of the international HQI spec being made.

 

[Zoos]

So the Hamilton HQI should drive the bulbs, same as the blue wave or pfo?

 

[gcarroll]

That's would be a safe assumption. hahnmeister did say all!

 

[Zoos]

Also what about these Hamilton HQI ballast being compatible with some of the fixtures out there like the Maristar, or hooking them up to the Lumenmax 2 pendants, (which is what i am considering) will I have a problem with the plugs? The Hamilton ballast have a female plug configuration that i am not familiar with since i have only every dealt with Icecap ballast.

 

[hahnmeister]

I mean all in that the operating specs should be the same. However, that hasnt kept Sunlight Supply from using some bad lots of capacitors in some of their ballasts. IMO, quality-wise, PFOs are the best.

 

[Zoos]

What about the plug compatibility?

 

[hahnmeister]

Plug? We dont need no stinkin' plug. Everything still has 3 wires, and every company also tends to sell retrofit plugs as well to allow you to use 'PFO plugs with SLS pendants'.

 

[Zoos]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9612318#post9612318 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
Plug? We dont need no stinkin' plug. Everything still has 3 wires, and every company also tends to sell retrofit plugs as well to allow you to use 'PFO plugs with SLS pendants'.

Aha! So what i have is a pfo plug?

 

[hahnmeister]

Well, the Ballast is going to have its plug... hamilton, PFO, SLS, etc... and the light will too. The ballasts are usually female and the pendants/fixtures are male...