T5 - is it the bulb or the fixture

hogall

New member
What make T5 light better than other T5? Is it the fixture, ballast or just the T5 bulbs itself. :spin1:

The question is, does it make a different if I run T5(ie ATI Blue +) on an expensive fixture vs a decent price fiture? They both claim to use individual parabolic reflectors made from reflective German-made aluminum. (ie ATI PM 98% reflextive vs Tek 95% reflective)

Dennis
 
ATI has active cooling and probably better reflector shape. Tek is bright enough for most applications, though.
 
Just like anything else some designs work better than others. Yes it will make a difference.

To answer your question it is the fixture, ballast, and the bulb itself that make a difference.
 
also cooling. a lot of cheaper fixtures skimp on the cooling and this can make a noticeable difference in output and longevity.
 
Thanks. I got a great deal on a 8 bulbs Tek T5. I am gonna try it out with some ATI bulbs and see.

I was hoping the answer to my question would be just the bulbs. :frog:

Oh well, :hmm1: I guess it is cheaper to buy 8 T5 bulbs than to buy a PM. Thanks for the info..

Dennis
 
if you got the tek light, do a mod to put fans inside them. there's on on the diy section.

The active cooling actually does a lot to help the T5 lights give out more par actually. you should look into it.

the bulbs have somethings to do with the par from what i think.
check out the T5 Q&A thread. grimreefer is the one to ask about lights, he has done many tests on the bulbs and such.
 
my opinion.

my opinion.

this is the best I think

ICE CAP ballast

kz fiji purple.
ati- blue plus.
giesmann-actinics and midaday.
 
Good idea, I will ck the diy section. Thanks

Dennis

if you got the tek light, do a mod to put fans inside them. there's on on the diy section.

The active cooling actually does a lot to help the T5 lights give out more par actually. you should look into it.

the bulbs have somethings to do with the par from what i think.
check out the T5 Q&A thread. grimreefer is the one to ask about lights, he has done many tests on the bulbs and such.
 
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