600w Digital Ballasts, junk or funk?

[Bodah]

My friend is thinking of picking up a pair of these. I have heard nothing but negative feedback regarding them however. Are they a waste of money? I'm not up on the specifics of them and how they work. If anyone out there has any experience, good or bad I'd love a little insight...

Cheers,
Bod

[guest]

Hi,

The search key is your friend! :)
https://cannabis-world.org/cw/showthread.php?t=208

[c-ray]

they are getting better apparently...the folks at the hydro shops are saying they are getting no returns on the newest lumateks and nutritechs, I dunno about the futurebrites, they seem to not want to recommend those...ROMs are not available around here

ask about the warranty, how easy (how long) is it to get a replacement if something goes wrong
ask if they are FCC and/or CRTC compliant, ask if there is any problems with rf interference, bring a radio to the store and ask if they can run a ballast and light and check for interference especially from the bulb
ask if they have a return policy if there is interference
I read there was some problems with Lumateks and interference, on some ballasts, but others are claiming theirs are all good
ask how long the hydro shop has had the ballasts they are selling you (ie how new they are)

[brokencage]

http://cgi.ebay.com/DIGITAL-600-watt-HPS-HYDROPONIC-GROW-LIGHT-w-BALLAST_W0QQitemZ180152233692QQihZ008QQcategoryZ42 225QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Is the ballast im using.The reflectors are junk however.iv only use this light for one grow but it worked very well.I use allot of electronics without any type of interference.claims to be completely shielded.wow I was unaware of all the problems or I would have been afraid to try it!!

[Mike Lowrey]

new lumateks are the best right now id say more lumens of it expect to pay 75-100 more than other digitals.... I just picked up 10 and am ready to roll....

[hazedaze]

just picked up ten eh.... go bad boy, its yo birthday...get down and funky,


funky skunky

[c-ray]

roll baby roll.....!!!!

[Mike Lowrey]

yup wanna try out the big bucket dwc again instead of 1k's wanna try 600s over each plant....

[Green Supreme]

Hope you got the purple ones. Peace GS

[Mike Lowrey]

the new ones yea did some reasearch first.... heard to stay away from silver casings and old lumateks heh.....

[islandgrow]

I read somewhere on a different thread that they can cause some kind of radio interference that could lead to the police tracking you by your ballast. Any truth to this rumor? also how much money do you end up saving say 1000W HPS to a 1000W digital HPS?

[c-ray]

I read somewhere on a different thread that they can cause some kind of radio interference that could lead to the police tracking you by your ballast. Any truth to this rumor?

it's supposed to be fixed in the newest ballasts


also how much money do you end up saving say 1000W HPS to a 1000W digital HPS?

they both use 1000w but the electronic ballasts are supposed to convert more of the electricity to light (rather than heat), I've seen them as cheap as $400 a ballast at http://bustan.ca so you will have to factor that they cost at least $300 more than a regular magnetic ballast, but you get extra lumens so......