Galaxy Selectable Electrontic MH Ballast Question

[whiteshark]

I just swapped out my Icecap e ballast for a Galaxy Selectable ballast I had in anticipation of possibly switching from a 250w bulb to 400w bulb.

My question is, what is the "turbo charged" setting? There is 250, hqi, 400 and "turbo charged". Is that the equivalent of 400w hqi so to speak? If I want to run a 400w radium, would the turbo charged setting be the one to use, or will this hurt the bulb? Or blow it up?

 

[Greg 45]

turbo is overdriving the bulb

 

[jda]

Yes, overdriving 400w bulb. ...something like 430 watts, or so.

The new 400w 20k Radium bulbs can no longer handle the extra wattage and can crack or just quit working. I would not overdrive them. There are other 400w bulbs that you can overdrive if you want.

(the old generation of 20K Radiums could be overdriven on PFO 400w HQI ballasts, which was basically a 430w son agro ballast... but not anymore)

 

[Greg 45]

I have over driven the new radium with no issues .

 

[tkeracer619]

I have over driven the new radium with no issues .

Do you have old ballasts that are producing a lower output?

A friend of mine purchased a bunch of components to duplicate the old pfo ballasts and once radium switched design of the bulb it was a 50/50 shot if a bulb would survive or not. He contacted radium and they confirmed they were redesigned and can no longer handle the overdrive.

He switched to megachrome 21000k bulbs with great results.

 

[whiteshark]

Is it the same for both the 250 and 400 w new radiims? I'm overdriving a 250 w radium right now with great results, but I don't know the manufacture date on it.

 

[jda]

250w Radium is on spec with the M80. Using a "normal" 250w ballast is under driving them.

 

[whiteshark]

250w Radium is on spec with the M80. Using a "normal" 250w ballast is under driving them.

Ok, so it's only the 400w that is now speced to be properly run on 400w?

As I mentioned, I currently am running a radium 250w on the HQI setting and it seems to be performing really well. It sounds like that is then the proper setting it is speced to run at. Or at least close to it.

 

[five.five-six]

Just to be clear, with radium 250’s just set to HQI and go?

 

[nikon187]

no e ballast will drive the 250w radium "properly" but will work on the hqi setting for most but will be underdriven and bluer than if run on a m80 msgnetic ballast. m135 for the 400w radium as its proper ballast ( well older 400 anyways )

 

[DogueDeBordeaux]

I used the 400w turbo charged setting with the radium 400w bulbs no problem. I think that bulb was spec'd to run at 360w though.