Blue Wave Ballast Bad?

[tallreefguy]

Recently my LFS had a sale on used equipment of theirs, so I picked up a 400w pendant setup. It came with a Blue-Wave Sunlight Supply HQI Magnetic ballast. I have a kill-a-watt hooked up to it, and it says it's only pulling 350w. (running a Radium 400w)

Is this ballast bad? or going bad?

 

[tallreefguy]

Alright, I"ve been watching the power for the last 3 hours - it's jumped from 340 up to 385 back down to 360 watts.

 

[tallreefguy]

ooooh, nevermind. Apparently Radium's are supposed to fire @ 360w

 

[James77]

ooooh, nevermind. Apparently Radium's are supposed to fire @ 360w

Yes, but Im not sure that is what a 400w HQI ballast is supposed to fire them at. I have always heard that the HQIs overdrive them. But you are right that the 400w Radium is spec'd to run at 360w.

Keep bumping your thread, there are several members that know alot more than I on ballasts that can answer this .

 

[tallreefguy]

Does anyone have any experience with the Blue Wave 430w HQI Ballast & Radium bulbs?
Is it running correctly, or going bad?

 

[tallreefguy]

bump

 

[dzhuo]

No. The ballast is not bad. For a 400w Radium, the nominal wattage the ballast should deliver to the bulb is 360w. That's the right spec and it's not under driven the Radium bulb.