It's time for new bulbs but I have a question regarding my DE 250W MH ballast.
How do I know for certain if I have electronic or magnetic ballasts? The ballasts are blue "older" style IceCaps, but I don't see a part number on them. They simply state 250W 120V electronic lamp driver. The wiring diagram references HID Ballast.
I think they're electronic as the labeling describes, but I want to make sure because I know it affects what bulbs I can/cannot get.
A friend told me that heat is an indicator, meaning that the magnetic ballasts get real hot compared to the electronic ones. These are hot enough that I can't keep my hand on them for too long.
For good measure, here's a picture.
FWIW, I'm either going to go with the ReefLux 12K, Ushio 14K or Phoenix 14K. So I wouldn't mind advice on that decision either.
Thanks,
Matt
How do I know for certain if I have electronic or magnetic ballasts? The ballasts are blue "older" style IceCaps, but I don't see a part number on them. They simply state 250W 120V electronic lamp driver. The wiring diagram references HID Ballast.
I think they're electronic as the labeling describes, but I want to make sure because I know it affects what bulbs I can/cannot get.
A friend told me that heat is an indicator, meaning that the magnetic ballasts get real hot compared to the electronic ones. These are hot enough that I can't keep my hand on them for too long.
For good measure, here's a picture.
FWIW, I'm either going to go with the ReefLux 12K, Ushio 14K or Phoenix 14K. So I wouldn't mind advice on that decision either.
Thanks,
Matt
