Radium vs Hamilton 20k spectrum

[RCS82]

I wish it was 2008 and we could buy all of this stuff anywhere, any time.... Does anyone know if the IceCap LuxCore 150w-250w electric ballast will power and run DE bulbs in a Cayman Sun Reflector? I am considering the DE Phoenix 14k or the DE Hamilton 20k.











I run a Cayman reflector with 14k HQI Phoenix bulbs, 250w, with the Icecap selectable 250 to 400w ballast. Love the set-up. Just about to switch over to Hamilton 14k hqi bulbs I found for a bargain at a local pet store

 

[MickeyCT]

I've run metal halides for almost 20 years but I'm finding it very hard to find the bulbs at all my usual vendors. Several of them have told me that Metal Halide bulbs are getting very difficult for them to get and they are being discontinued by some of the mfgs.

I'm hoping that lots of reefers are coming back to halides and that the situation gets better. Otherwise, I may have to switch to LEDs.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

I bought the last 2 Cayman Sun 250w DE fixtures. Also bought 20 14k 250w de bulbs and 6 20k 250w bulbs.

Dave said the Caymun Sun or the rest of the fixtures are not coming back. He did say the bulbs will be available again sometime in March 2023.

 

[t5Nitro]

Has anyone compared the Hamilton 400W 14K bulb to the Radium 400W 20K single ended bulbs?

I use them with cozumel sun reflectors and magnetic ballasts from Hamilton.

I swapped the radiums for some brand new (exciting!) bulbs today, the Hamilton 14K 400W. The bulbs actually look more blue and less bright. Are they typically less bright or is it the more blue coloration that makes it appear that way (which also seems backwards with reduced color spectum).

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Has anyone compared the Hamilton 400W 14K bulb to the Radium 400W 20K single ended bulbs?

I use them with cozumel sun reflectors and magnetic ballasts from Hamilton.

I swapped the radiums for some brand new (exciting!) bulbs today, the Hamilton 14K 400W. The bulbs actually look more blue and less bright. Are they typically less bright or is it the more blue coloration that makes it appear that way (which also seems backwards with reduced color spectum).

So you mean the DE bulb vs the SE bulbs? Yes, DE is brighter and puts out more than a SE. Is that what you mean?

 

[jda]

The 400w Radium 20k is an interesting bulb. It was made to be run at more than 400w and only the PFO son-agro ballast really ever did this. Then, Radium changed the formula and the bulb looked a bit different and would often explode on the son-agro ballasts at more 440, or so, watts. Both looked good and had good output. It is hard to know which one people have and I have seen the older formula NOS on shelves still.

I would let any bulb burn for a few days before you make an judgements. Some folks say that this is not necessary, but I do not agree at all.

I have not used 400w in a long time, but I remember the 14k Hamilton being a pretty nice bulb.

 

[A. grandis]

The 400w Radium 20k is an interesting bulb. It was made to be run at more than 400w and only the PFO son-agro ballast really ever did this. Then, Radium changed the formula and the bulb looked a bit different and would often explode on the son-agro ballasts at more 440, or so, watts. Both looked good and had good output. It is hard to know which one people have and I have seen the older formula NOS on shelves still.

I would let any bulb burn for a few days before you make an judgements. Some folks say that this is not necessary, but I do not agree at all.

I have not used 400w in a long time, but I remember the 14k Hamilton being a pretty nice bulb.

At one point I actually asked the guys from Readium about the changing in their formula and they repetitively told me that they never ever changed anything. I'm sure the people at the time when I've asked probably just didn't know anything about that change.
Do you remember the year that change in the formula happened?
How do you identify those old Radiums and the new formula Radiums?
Was the change made only for the 400W, or the 250W as well?
Thanks.

 

[jda]

They changed something. The old ones did not explode when driven with the Son Agro and the new ones did.

 

[A. grandis]

Has anyone compared the Hamilton 400W 14K bulb to the Radium 400W 20K single ended bulbs?

I use them with cozumel sun reflectors and magnetic ballasts from Hamilton.

I swapped the radiums for some brand new (exciting!) bulbs today, the Hamilton 14K 400W. The bulbs actually look more blue and less bright. Are they typically less bright or is it the more blue coloration that makes it appear that way (which also seems backwards with reduced color spectum).

The Hamilton 14K is supposed to be "brighter" and "whiter" than the Radium 20K when using with the same ballast. Cozumel Sun is a geat fixture!!! Please post some pictures, if you can! What corals/clams do you have under that amazing fixture?

 

[A. grandis]

They changed something. The old ones did not explode when driven with the Son Agro and the new ones did.

Do you remember when they changed, please? Any idea of the year?
How do you identify them on the shelves in the store? Package?

 

[t5Nitro]

The Hamilton 14K is supposed to be "brighter" and "whiter" than the Radium 20K when using with the same ballast. Cozumel Sun is a geat fixture!!! Please post some pictures, if you can! What corals/clams do you have under that amazing fixture?

Right? It definitely appears more blue. I get that this is opposite of what should happen. It still looks good but was expecting it to be more white than the Radiums.

Thanks!! I've got a mixed reef going along with 1 large Tahitian maxima. In an ideal world I'd get a a lot more clams, but with one being so healthy I haven't taken the risk to add more.

 

[A. grandis]

Right? It definitely appears more blue. I get that this is opposite of what should happen. It still looks good but was expecting it to be more white than the Radiums.

Thanks!! I've got a mixed reef going along with 1 large Tahitian maxima. In an ideal world I'd get a a lot more clams, but with one being so healthy I haven't taken the risk to add more.

Oh man... please post the pics here to illustrate the thread! I love clams...
Check the actual wattage of your Hamilton bulbs.

 

[t5Nitro]

Never the same on a phone camera, you know? The color of the bulbs is starting to look pretty good. A few days of burn in maybe.

 

[A. grandis]

Never the same on a phone camera, you know? The color of the bulbs is starting to look pretty good. A few days of burn in maybe.

Very nice! Yup, it will be brighter as it buns...
Lovely tank. Thanks for sharing.

 

[djf91]

They changed something. The old ones did not explode when driven with the Son Agro and the new ones did.

I’ve been running the “new ones” on the Son Agro for the past 2 years and have not had an issue yet. So, color me skeptical of this claim. What I have had is failure in the ballast, specifically the capacitor, and replacing this component returned everything to normal. I’m wondering if maybe a component failure in the ballast was causing the bulbs to explode.

 

[jda]

I don't know, but it was a real thing. It could have been a defect or glass thing too. I remember seeing the exploded bulbs that my friends had. Maybe the fixed it or maybe it was short lived, but they had more than a 50% explode rate in the first week..

 

[A. grandis]

I’ve been running the “new ones” on the Son Agro for the past 2 years and have not had an issue yet. So, color me skeptical of this claim. What I have had is failure in the ballast, specifically the capacitor, and replacing this component returned everything to normal. I’m wondering if maybe a component failure in the ballast was causing the bulbs to explode.

Plase post a picture of your Son Agro. I have seen only one picture in the past and it looked like a rectangular white/beige metal box. Is that how your look like? Thanks.

 

[A. grandis]

I don't know, but it was a real thing. It could have been a defect or glass thing too. I remember seeing the exploded bulbs that my friends had. Maybe the fixed it or maybe it was short lived, but they had more than a 50% explode rate in the first week..

I believe you when you say they exploded. 50% is a high number of bulbs!!! But how did you know for sure they actually changed their formula? Like you've said, maybe the glass job had a fail for a while? But, yeah, maybe they changed back to what it was, if changing their formula was the case...

 

[djf91]

Plase post a picture of your Son Agro. I have seen only one picture in the past and it looked like a rectangular white/beige metal box. Is that how your look like? Thanks.

Is the Bluewave ballast made by Sunlight Supply not Son Agro? I always thought it was.

 

[jda]

PFO is the only one that I know of, but there could be others. Would have to take it apart to know for sure.