To all halide experts (are there any left)!!!!

[Lousybreed]

This weekend I tested out two 250w halide bulbs with my apogee 510 par meter. I mounted the bottom of my reflectors 3’ off the ground and tested the PAR in a 3’x3’ square. I have electronic ballasts with regular and “super bright” setting for both 250 and 400 watt settings. On normal 250 mode the Phoenix 14,000k pulled 291 watts at the wall. The Ushio 10,000k pulled 279 watts. The ballast states that it has a PF of 0.99. So do you assume only a 1% loss of power from the wall wattage to the wattage actually being delivered to the bulb?
For the Ushio, I then switched it to “super bright” and the bulb pulled 335 watts. Does this seem pretty high? Like way higher than the bulb is designed for? The PAR data was the most interesting. The Phoenix had an average PAR for the 3’x3’ grid of 142. The Ushio had an average of 155 PAR. Per watt the PAR was 1.35 PAR/watt/sqft for the Phoenix, and 1.54 PAR/watt/sqft for the Ushio. So the Ushio clocks in at 14% more par per watt than the Phoenix. But the Ushio driven at super bright was a whopping 1.69PAR/watt/sqft!!! This represents 25% more PAR/watt!!!!! Can I drive bulbs this hard or will I experience early bulb failure? If we assume that the ballast is 99% efficient (no fan and barely gets warm) 335watts at the wall equates to 330 watts to the bulb.

 

[naterealbig]

While power factor is used to calculate a circuits efficiency, it is a measure of real power to apparent power (W vs I*V) or, the phase lag between current and voltage. While it seems intuitive, it cannot be used to determine the amount of actual watts the light bulb is using. A lot of the power that is being drawn, is being converted to heat inside of the ballast.

Ushio recommends an M80 ballast for their 250 W DE bulbs, so you shouldn't have to worry about bulb life. I would imagine it's the same with the Phoenix.

 

[Bpb]

I’d personally drive either of those with the hqi or 250 watt over drive setting on a selectable ballast. That setting is meant to mimic the output of an m80 hqi ballast so the bulbs can take it. It’s closer to how they were designed to run. Just measure par monthly to track the degradation. Once you hit that 20% mark or so I’d replace the bulbs

 

[Lousybreed]

Thanks guys!!!!

 

[RCS82]

Doesn't the HQI setting run at around 275 on a switchable ballast where as an M80 will run at 330ish, for a Radium bulb? Or am I mixing up the M80 with something else lol?

 

[Bpb]

Mostly right. The Hamilton dimmable ballasts have a 275 watt setting. Switchable ballasts just label it as “hqi”. My guess is you’d have to measure what it’s pulling. It’s not a perfect replacement for an m80, but closer than running at plain 250

 

[Lousybreed]

So I have been thinking.....regular setting is 279 watts. The ballast after an hour of running is barely even warm. Let’s assume 15 watts of heat generated. So 335-15= 320 watts to the bulb. That is a ton of juice. I heard that M80’s were 80% efficient at converting. So they consume 330 watts....that is 270 watts to the bulb. I am concerned about overdriving them. Any others want to chime in? I feel like this ballasts normal setting is already driving at HQI wattage or close to it.

 

[Bpb]

Never measured my m80’s or my electronics. What I can tell you. Is my par is higher on my electronics with 20,000k bulbs than it was with 14,000k bulbs on m58 ballasts. And further more my m58 and m80 ballasts got hot enough to melt wax and too hot to touch for more than a couple seconds. My electronics are BARELY warm after 8 hours of running. That and another observation, my bulbs reach their endpoint color in about 15 seconds on electronic ballasts. It took them a full 2 minutes to gradually get there with magnetic

 

[jda]

10k will always pull more PAR than a 14k bulb. They have more output in the visible light range. If you want your mind blown, test a 6500k bulb.

This is extreme on each side, but the 6500k has twice the output of a 20k in the visible range... which is what a PAR meter picks up. Look at all of that area between the blue and red that the 6500k has.

 

[Bpb]

10k will always pull more PAR than a 14k bulb. They have more output in the visible light range. If you want your mind blown, test a 6500k bulb.

This is extreme on each side, but the 6500k has twice the output of a 20k in the visible range... which is what a PAR meter picks up. Look at all of that area between the blue and red that the 6500k has.

Can you recommend a good 6500k bulb to try? Since the eye iwasaki is no more?

 

[jda]

Champion has Iwasaki 6500k in 250w.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I am soooo tempted to go back to 10k, 6500 not as much but it’s still possible. I just can never stick to radiums on electronic ballasts. Plus I just like a more natural looking coloration.

 

[Lousybreed]

Ok guys I am going to drive my Ushios at “super boost” all 330 watts of glory.
@jda i need to pick some up and try them out, the 6500k monsters!!!!

 

[Bpb]

I’m not opposed to trying 6500k bulbs I just don’t necessarily want to run them in my living room.....

 

[Lousybreed]

I’m not opposed to trying 6500k bulbs I just don’t necessarily want to run them in my living room.....

So true....

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I wouldn’t mind trying a 65k bulb since I have four orpek or2 bars along side the halides. I bet it will still look yellow but it wouldn’t be too yellow I imagine. I may start with 10 just to avoid any real big color shifts.