mfabrizio75
New member
Could someone please explain to me the difference between PFO MH lighting and regular MH lighting.
PFO or MH
- Thread starter mfabrizio75
- Start date
mfabrizio75
New member
the only reason i asked this question is because my friend told me that PFO are imitation MH and arent worth it if you were looking to get into SPS corals.
HippieSmell
Occupy Reef Central
Tell your friend that he's a big dummy
. PFO is a good company and make very nice MH products.
. PFO is a good company and make very nice MH products.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=201570
Read the above. PFO is the name of a mfg, MH is a type of bulb. MH has four main types of ballast as the above link will show. 1. Probe Start (cheapest, common in the US for warehouse lighting, runs hot, buzzing noises are common, poor bulb performance). 2. Pulse Start (a little better, more common in Europe and what most would consider the minimum quality ballast to run most of the bluer/reef halide bulbs out there, they are made to be paired with double ended bulbs, but work on SE as well). 3. HQI (a quality badging, much like THX for theaters but for halide ballasts, they have the highest output initially, suck the most juice, can fire any bulb including others like mercury vapor, and are usually the most expensive, but most highly regarded by many, the spec is a trademark of OSRAM/Sylvania). 4. electronic (icecap for example, regarded as a close second by most reefers to HQI, and regarded as superior to HQI by lighting engineers, can run any bulb longer, cooler, and brighter over time since HQI ballasts tend to burn a bulb much faster, with less electricity, and less heat, but sometimes cause TV/RF static due to electronics).
Those are the 4 types of ballast.
As for PFO, it is a mfg, like icecap, coralvue, ARO, Blueline, SunlightSupply (SLS), Aromat, Fulham, Hamilton, etc.
FWIW, PFO makes all of the above 4 ballast types, and is considered one of the best ballast makers out there. But at that, they do make the crappy regular probe start ones, and pulse start...and they are within dollars of a better electronic or HQI....so get one of those two in a PFO and you will have a top-notch ballast.
Read the above. PFO is the name of a mfg, MH is a type of bulb. MH has four main types of ballast as the above link will show. 1. Probe Start (cheapest, common in the US for warehouse lighting, runs hot, buzzing noises are common, poor bulb performance). 2. Pulse Start (a little better, more common in Europe and what most would consider the minimum quality ballast to run most of the bluer/reef halide bulbs out there, they are made to be paired with double ended bulbs, but work on SE as well). 3. HQI (a quality badging, much like THX for theaters but for halide ballasts, they have the highest output initially, suck the most juice, can fire any bulb including others like mercury vapor, and are usually the most expensive, but most highly regarded by many, the spec is a trademark of OSRAM/Sylvania). 4. electronic (icecap for example, regarded as a close second by most reefers to HQI, and regarded as superior to HQI by lighting engineers, can run any bulb longer, cooler, and brighter over time since HQI ballasts tend to burn a bulb much faster, with less electricity, and less heat, but sometimes cause TV/RF static due to electronics).
Those are the 4 types of ballast.
As for PFO, it is a mfg, like icecap, coralvue, ARO, Blueline, SunlightSupply (SLS), Aromat, Fulham, Hamilton, etc.
FWIW, PFO makes all of the above 4 ballast types, and is considered one of the best ballast makers out there. But at that, they do make the crappy regular probe start ones, and pulse start...and they are within dollars of a better electronic or HQI....so get one of those two in a PFO and you will have a top-notch ballast.
abfleck
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6442999#post6442999 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HippieSmell
Tell your friend that he's a big dummy
:lol:
I agree......PFO is a great product and a great company! Do some research you will find out that these are great lights to go with. Good Luck!
AJ
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
If its a US company, 'standard' most likely is probe start. If its a European/Japanese company, then it is most likely pulse start. In the case of PFO, I believe if you look on their site www.pfolighting.com that they have a listing in their ballast section that tells you everything. But standard should be probe start.
here...
http://www.pfolighting.com/AqBallasts.aspx
here...
http://www.pfolighting.com/AqBallasts.aspx
moonpod
Premium Member
Most domestic and asian import single ended MH bulbs utilize a probe start ballast. It's in the startup mechanism of the bulb.
Most european single ended bulbs are designed for a pulse start ballast.
Double ended bulbs are designed for the so called "HQI" or "Euro" ballast.
Electronics are the jack of all trades. Vs. the probe and pulse start ballasts are more effecient (light produced/watt), utilize less electricity (run very close to rated wattages), run the bulbs cooler, tend to have a gnarly startup draw and mechanism though that isn't necessarily so hot for the bulbs. Effeciency is a draw with double ended bulbs and the "HQI" ballast, which runs the bulbs harder at similar effeciencies so all you do with the electronic and a double ended bulb is "underdrive" the bulb.
Most european single ended bulbs are designed for a pulse start ballast.
Double ended bulbs are designed for the so called "HQI" or "Euro" ballast.
Electronics are the jack of all trades. Vs. the probe and pulse start ballasts are more effecient (light produced/watt), utilize less electricity (run very close to rated wattages), run the bulbs cooler, tend to have a gnarly startup draw and mechanism though that isn't necessarily so hot for the bulbs. Effeciency is a draw with double ended bulbs and the "HQI" ballast, which runs the bulbs harder at similar effeciencies so all you do with the electronic and a double ended bulb is "underdrive" the bulb.
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