ATI vs. Aquatinics T-5s

[hahnmeister]

Well... bulb for bulb is the same thing as watt for watt.

The ATIs arent overdriving any. They are using a custom Vossloh Schwabe ballast. The main reasons for the greater output are reflector geometry (okay, the silver coating doesnt hurt), and the active cooling performed by the fans and the ballast. The ballast runs the bulbs at a higher frequency than others... but not a higher wattage.

Lets put it this way... just by using a good fan blowing over my Tek light, the output goes up a good percentage. I have boosted the output by up to 20% by doing this. As the bulbs get cooler, the bulbs conduct better, so their wattage increases, which also compensates to keep the bulbs at a constant temp. I was able to increase the wattage of my bulbs from 40 watts each (on a 39 watt bulb) to 47! Thats a considerable output jump. With better ballasts that have built in thermal load sensing and heat management built in (as well as close to a 100 khz frequency on the bulb unlike many others), the output could be even greater.

Those OSRAM and V-S ballasts look like the shizzle for this.

 

[hahnmeister]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9036487#post9036487 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by atvdave
If your referring to the link above, the tests (that Grim Reefer did ) where all done on the same ballast.

ATI just makes a higher PAR bulb, that is why I use them.

About the fixture though, I'm not sure what type ballast it has. The Aquatinics use Workhorses ballasts.

I also have always heard that the ATI fixtures where a bit better that the Aquatinics but back when I did my shopping around the extra PAR's just wasn't worth the extra price.

It's just my opinion though, I'm a a cheap @#$%^$.

Dave

Well, seems like were talking about two things here. The test that Grim did where he compared the output of a powermodul to a Tek used the same bulbs, no overdriving, etc. The bulbs were the same, but the ballasts and reflectors, etc... were different.

Then there are the bulbs... yeah, the ATIs seem to have a slight output advantage over the D&D/G-man bulbs... but well see. I think the long term tests of the Narva made bulbs might be better than the OSRAM/Sylvania made ATI's.

 

[atvdave]

Yes.. I was only referring about the bulb test, not reflector or fixture test.

 

[Serioussnaps]

I didnt realize how bulky those fixtures were, now that just confirms my decision to get an ATI fixture and find a way to get it shipped over.

 

[hahnmeister]

Just call Reefgeek and they should be able to set something up.

 

[sasscuba]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9039921#post9039921 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Serioussnaps
I didnt realize how bulky those fixtures were, now that just confirms my decision to get an ATI fixture and find a way to get it shipped over.

Actually as far as the 36 inch fixture goes the Aquactinics is smaller except on height. 4 inches vs. 2.5 inches. Not a big deal IMO.