best t5 ballast out there

[ati70cutlass]

i am replacing my chinese ballasts/workhorse ballasts. i have a 8x54 tek and have heard many cons on chinese/workhorse ballsts. what is the best ballast to get that will produce the best PAR on my t5s.

 

[ReeferVinnEE]

Advance, Universal, Sylvania, Vossloh-Schwabe all have many lines of which their higher ones offer the best features, reliability, and running conditions for T5's.

 

[rtparty]

+1 to above. Any spec T5 ballast will do the job. Go to reefgeek.com and find the ones that they carry. That is what you need.

 

[Focal]

Osram ballasts would be my pick


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-27.346537,153.068184

 

[ati70cutlass]

so when you say "spec" what are you referning to?

 

[rtparty]

Ballasts that were designed for High Output T5 bulbs. They run the bulbs to the correct wattage and have some other features that are specific to T5HO technology.

Workhorse and other ballasts that work for just about any type of fluorescent bulb are not spec.

A spec T5 ballast will monitor internal pressure of the bulb and if there is too much pressure, it won't drive as hard. If you cool the bulb properly and keep the internal pressure down, the ballast will run the bulb a little harder.

 

[raskal311]

I've ran dozens of T5 retro fits, half were Advance and half were Work Horse ballast. I've had half a dozen Advance ballast go bad in five years; not a single Work Horse failed.

 

[rtparty]

I've ran dozens of T5 retro fits, half were Advance and half were Work Horse ballast. I've had half a dozen Advance ballast go bad in five years; not a single Work Horse failed.

How many were properly cooled?