Metal Halide Balast Question

[jpc763]

I got a single 250w Metal Halide retro system and had some questions.
Basics: Mogul base, retro reflector, non-discript balast.
First is the balast. I am not sure if it is magnetic, electronic, whatever. How do I tell?
Second is the bulb. Seller told me that the bulb is "basically new". How do I tell if a bulb is new or not?
Third is the bulb again. It is a 10k bulb which is the same color as my T5 bulbs so I figure I should get a different color. What color? I looked at 14K and 20K online. What is the difference? Why one over the other?
Sorry for the newbie questions, but I have no clue about MH!

 

[bigleman]

Originally Posted by jpc763
http:///forum/post/2759844
I got a single 250w Metal Halide retro system and had some questions.
Basics: Mogul base, retro reflector, non-discript balast.
First is the balast. I am not sure if it is magnetic, electronic, whatever. How do I tell?
Second is the bulb. Seller told me that the bulb is "basically new". How do I tell if a bulb is new or not?
Third is the bulb again. It is a 10k bulb which is the same color as my T5 bulbs so I figure I should get a different color. What color? I looked at 14K and 20K online. What is the difference? Why one over the other?
Sorry for the newbie questions, but I have no clue about MH!
"basically new" could mean anything from "tested for a few minutes" to "only used for a few months"
i didnt notice a difference between my $20 ---- (edit: i still dont understand why we cant say ebay

) 14k and my $70 20k XM by looking at the tank (looks bright white to me)
but in pictures, the 20k is a good bit bluer
as for the ballast, if there arent any markings on it, the only way i would know to tell is to pop the top on it and look inside

 

[jpc763]

Thanks! Well I don't know about how old the bulb is. I am supposed to look for a burn spot on it somewhere.
The Ballast is a M58 magnetic ballast by Advance. So I need M58 bulbs.
Thanks for the help!
J

 

[netimreefer]

if I was you I would get another 10k metal halide bulb and get to new t5 and make sure they are actinic either 460 or 420.

 

[bigleman]

Originally Posted by jpc763
http:///forum/post/2761005
Thanks! Well I don't know about how old the bulb is. I am supposed to look for a burn spot on it somewhere.
The Ballast is a M58 magnetic ballast by Advance. So I need M58 bulbs.
Thanks for the help!
J
thats the exact same ballast i am using.
as far as i know, there is no way to tell the difference between a bulb that has been fired once and one that has been used for a year.
a brand new bulb will be clean inside the smaller bulb, and if i remember right, it looks like it has salt in it.

 

[spiderwoman]

Same bulb on different ballast will look different. It's all about the combo. Sometimes even the reflector makes a huge difference. I'm using spider reflectors (the cheap kind) and PFO dual ballast w/Radium 20k bulb and it's nice and blue.

 

[salt210]

as for determing the age I can't, but to see if it was used a lot just look in the center where the sodium(salt) deposit sits. the darker it is the more it was used