DawgDiggity
New member
To start off: What exactly are the pros and cons of an electronic ballast compared to a magnetic?
Mh Q & A
- Thread starter DawgDiggity
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crumbletop
New member
I'm no MH ballast expert, but here are a few things:
Electronic ballasts are generally more efficient (use less juice) than magnetic ballasts.
Electronic ballasts give of less heat than their magnetic counterparts.
Electronic ballasts are more expensive than magnetic ballasts.
Different ballasts of the same power output drive the same bulbs differently, so for a given bulb certain ballasts work better than others by putting out more PAR or giving off a slightly different coloration.
Electronic ballasts are generally more efficient (use less juice) than magnetic ballasts.
Electronic ballasts give of less heat than their magnetic counterparts.
Electronic ballasts are more expensive than magnetic ballasts.
Different ballasts of the same power output drive the same bulbs differently, so for a given bulb certain ballasts work better than others by putting out more PAR or giving off a slightly different coloration.
Mikeyjer
New member
I personally use the Electronic Ballast for my lighting needs. There are good stuffs with Magnetic Ballast since it can power up the bulbs better then some Electronic Ballast can. But at the same time it eats up your electricity while Electronic eats less electricity, but it differs from different brands of ballast and the bulbs it powers. Also differs depending on what wattage your looking for, some ballast and bulb combos works better in 400w then 250w. I'm not familiar with double ended (HQI) since I have never used one, but you have to have shield for the lights if you ever want to use it, the single ended have shield built in already. It's probably easier if you can find the right type of bulbs for you then find the ballast that best matches it. There's a site you can search for that give you explanation about some of the popular ballast with different bulb selection with the par it gives out and other stuffs as well. I can't locate the site right now, it's actually here on reef central where someone conducted a research on his own. There's also one done by Sanjay Joshi. Look it up! 
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