Radium bulb does it look burned out?

[Rcollick]

This bulb is 9 months old ran on a 250 watt Luxcore ballast set to hqi. Is it normal to look this black? I’ve noticed within the last 6 weeks my colors are getting worse. Just wondering if this might be the cause.

 

[jda]

I use them for a year on m80.

I doubt that this is the issue with your color. ...even a 2 year old bulb does a pretty good job, just not as good as a newer one.

 

[A. grandis]

I agree with jda. It's more likely something with the ballast than the bulb itself. Make sure you screw the bulb correctly in the socket. You could also try another ballast. Try a M80 ballast. Good luck.

Edit: it is normal for the arc tube to be black after usage.

 

[A. grandis]

This bulb is 9 months old ran on a 250 watt Luxcore ballast set to hqi. Is it normal to look this black? I’ve noticed within the last 6 weeks my colors are getting worse. Just wondering if this might be the cause.

What did mean by "my colors are getting worse"?

 

[Bpb]

That’s normal. Worsening colors are likely a water quality issue. My colors are actually more vibrant now with my bulbs being 10 months old than they were in the first month or two.