Ballast for radium bulb
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saltyphish
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mfinn
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When I used mh, I loved the color from a 20k Radium bulb with a HQI ballast. I still have a old PFO HQI ballast that for some reason just haven't gotten rid of.
Here is a quick primer for using Radium bulbs.
Radium is a German light bulb manufacturer, founded in 1904, who's line ranges from regular incandescent to fluorescent, LED, and High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps, of which Metal Halide is a particular variety.
Most of us are familiar with their 20k Metal Halide HID bulbs, which come in 3 different wattages.
150w Double Ended
250w Single Ended
400w Single Ended
These are the only three 20k bulbs that Radium makes designed to run on US voltage. They do not make any other color spec besides 20k, the three lamps above are the only three Radium bulbs available to us state-siders.
HOW TO PROPERLY USE YOUR RADIUM 20K BULB:
Radium bulbs are renowned for their ability to produce a crisp "ice-white" coloration that renders the full spectrum of colors visible to the human eye accurately, without monochromatic distortion which plagues other 20k bulbs known for a strong blue tint, aka "the Windex look," while still providing strong peaks in the 420nm/460nm spectrum, actinic violet/blue light, in order to provide excellent coral fluorescence. These bulbs are known for providing "the best of three worlds" full spectrum color rendition, coral growth (PAR), and coral fluorescence, or "pop/glow," all in perfect balance.
Many are unaware however, that these bulbs were not designed to run on electronic ballasts or probe start magnetic ballasts, save the 400w version.
If you have a 150w or 250w Radium bulb, it must be run on an M81 or M80 pulse start magnetic ballast respectively. These bulbs require a special ignitor found only in pulse start magnetic ballasts, and run at a slightly higher wattage than bulbs spec'd to run on an electronic or probe start magnetic ballast.
If you attempt to fire either on an electronic or probe start magnetic ballast, in most cases, it will fire. But you will lose a very significant amount of output (read 20-30% loss of brightness and PAR) which means less growth and an overall dimmer bulb. Not to mention, the color spectrum will shift, and the delicate balance of color that is a product of over a century of German lamp-manufacturing expertise, will be destroyed. You now have taken your $90 bulb, and turned it into your average $50 14k bulb.
If it does in fact fire on your non-spec ballast, don't expect it to do so for more than 6 months, these bulbs are not designed to run on these ballasts, and the manufacturer will tell you this. So now your $90 bulb will last you half as long, would you pay $180 for a phoenix 14k or aquamaxx, because if you are running your Radium on an electronic or probe start ballast, then essentially you will be paying $180 per year, instead of $60 for a comparable bulb.
Now if you have a 400w bulb, it is spec'd to run on a probe start magnetic ballast, which is also what electronic ballasts simulate. In this case either ballast will do, and a pulse start ballast will shift the color spectrum, overdrive the bulb, and reduce its lifespan.
Radium is a German light bulb manufacturer, founded in 1904, who's line ranges from regular incandescent to fluorescent, LED, and High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps, of which Metal Halide is a particular variety.
Most of us are familiar with their 20k Metal Halide HID bulbs, which come in 3 different wattages.
150w Double Ended
250w Single Ended
400w Single Ended
These are the only three 20k bulbs that Radium makes designed to run on US voltage. They do not make any other color spec besides 20k, the three lamps above are the only three Radium bulbs available to us state-siders.
HOW TO PROPERLY USE YOUR RADIUM 20K BULB:
Radium bulbs are renowned for their ability to produce a crisp "ice-white" coloration that renders the full spectrum of colors visible to the human eye accurately, without monochromatic distortion which plagues other 20k bulbs known for a strong blue tint, aka "the Windex look," while still providing strong peaks in the 420nm/460nm spectrum, actinic violet/blue light, in order to provide excellent coral fluorescence. These bulbs are known for providing "the best of three worlds" full spectrum color rendition, coral growth (PAR), and coral fluorescence, or "pop/glow," all in perfect balance.
Many are unaware however, that these bulbs were not designed to run on electronic ballasts or probe start magnetic ballasts, save the 400w version.
If you have a 150w or 250w Radium bulb, it must be run on an M81 or M80 pulse start magnetic ballast respectively. These bulbs require a special ignitor found only in pulse start magnetic ballasts, and run at a slightly higher wattage than bulbs spec'd to run on an electronic or probe start magnetic ballast.
If you attempt to fire either on an electronic or probe start magnetic ballast, in most cases, it will fire. But you will lose a very significant amount of output (read 20-30% loss of brightness and PAR) which means less growth and an overall dimmer bulb. Not to mention, the color spectrum will shift, and the delicate balance of color that is a product of over a century of German lamp-manufacturing expertise, will be destroyed. You now have taken your $90 bulb, and turned it into your average $50 14k bulb.
If it does in fact fire on your non-spec ballast, don't expect it to do so for more than 6 months, these bulbs are not designed to run on these ballasts, and the manufacturer will tell you this. So now your $90 bulb will last you half as long, would you pay $180 for a phoenix 14k or aquamaxx, because if you are running your Radium on an electronic or probe start ballast, then essentially you will be paying $180 per year, instead of $60 for a comparable bulb.
Now if you have a 400w bulb, it is spec'd to run on a probe start magnetic ballast, which is also what electronic ballasts simulate. In this case either ballast will do, and a pulse start ballast will shift the color spectrum, overdrive the bulb, and reduce its lifespan.
