Help with some Metal Halide Ballasts

jubbin2001

Member
So I got 3 free metal halide ballasts, but I am having some problems figuring out anything about them. They are from Ultramarine Enterprises Model# RKMT-150-D. I have been searching the net for information, but am coming up short. Has anyone ever seen these that might possibly know about them. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Just tore one apart. Has a Magnetek 150w magnetic ballast in it. Still not bad for free.
 

scsinet

Active Member
Since it's a 150, we know that it's a 150w DE ballast, since 150w lamps don't come in single ended.... at least not for aquariums.
What else did you want to know?
 

jubbin2001

Member
I was looking for parts for them, but apparently the company no longer exists. I dunno...for free I guess I can't complain
.
 

scsinet

Active Member
You should be able to buy most parts off the shelf. Again, what exactly are you looking for?
Sockets, reflectors, cable assemblies, ballast components, etc are all available from a number of vendors.
 

jubbin2001

Member
Originally I was looking for some information on the ballasts themselves. If they were good or not, reliability, maybe even customer reviews, basically if people had ever used them before. Apparently my wife doesn't like the idea of me hooking them up because of what she "read" about the older style magnetic ballasts, and how inefficient they were yadda yadda (I secretly think she is plotting against my hobby
). So now I think I am probably just going to sell them. But I do appreciate the help
.
 

scsinet

Active Member
Here is the way I'd look at it with your wife... true, magnetic ballasts are less efficient than electronic. However, magnetic ballasts often run the lamp better than electronic. The electronic ballast market is full of dubious marketing claims such as that the ballast "adjust itself to each lamp" and other such BS. If you look at electronic and magnetic ballasts compared side by side, the magnetic usually wins on lamp performance.
Magnetic ballasts are also MUCH less prone to failure, and if they do fail, it's usually a cheaply replaced capacitor. Electronic ballasts are usually potted in tar to prevent someone from doing any work on them, and even if they are not, can be dangerous to work with.
To touch a little more on the efficiency claim... you won't get much for the ballasts used... probably less than half of what an electronic ballast costs. The difference in efficiency between electronic and magnetic is there, but it's not a huge difference. How long is it going to take that small difference in electrical savings to make up the outlay of cash for electronic ballasts?
Don't get me wrong... if considering a new ballast purchase electronic should be a serious contender... but if you already have the magnetic ballasts, I don't think it makes sense to chunk those and go out and buy electronic for a marginal savings in power consumption.
 
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