MH bulb question?
- Thread starter gotpancit
- Start date
wangotango
Active Member
Bulb brands are interchangable, as long as you match bulb/ballast wattage.
-Justin
-Justin
gotpancit
Member
Originally Posted by WangoTango
http:///forum/post/2970969
Bulb brands are interchangable, as long as you match bulb/ballast wattage.
-Justin
Thanks Justin!
http:///forum/post/2970969
Bulb brands are interchangable, as long as you match bulb/ballast wattage.
-Justin
Thanks Justin!
gotpancit
Member
Originally Posted by SCSInet
http:///forum/post/2971317
Not necessarily. You have to ensure you have a probe start lamp if your ballast is probe start.
If you have a pulse start ballast you can use any screw in 400w lamp.
Is there anyway I can find out which one I have just by lifting the cover? I'm not sure if this is the part number but there was a 2mw400w on it. Could have just been the previous owners label though.
http:///forum/post/2971317
Not necessarily. You have to ensure you have a probe start lamp if your ballast is probe start.
If you have a pulse start ballast you can use any screw in 400w lamp.
Is there anyway I can find out which one I have just by lifting the cover? I'm not sure if this is the part number but there was a 2mw400w on it. Could have just been the previous owners label though.
scsinet
Active Member
Almost every magnetic ballast you find in the aquarium world is probe start.
Given that the ballast is magnetic, you can find out easily enough if you are willing to take the ballast apart. Each 400 watt lamp should have it's own ballast core. Attached to each core should be either one or two components. One is a capacitor. The other, if present, is an ignitor. If there is an ignitor present, it's a pulse start. If not, it's a probe start.
Given that the ballast is magnetic, you can find out easily enough if you are willing to take the ballast apart. Each 400 watt lamp should have it's own ballast core. Attached to each core should be either one or two components. One is a capacitor. The other, if present, is an ignitor. If there is an ignitor present, it's a pulse start. If not, it's a probe start.
stanlalee
Active Member
Originally Posted by SCSInet
http:///forum/post/2971502
Almost every magnetic ballast you find in the aquarium world is probe start.
Hamilton, sunlight supply (blue wave almost exclusively pulse or HQI) and PFO what I'd consider 3 of the most popular magnetic ballast suppliers in the aquarium world all offered pulse start ballast for nothing to $10 more over probe start and in 175w and 400w form are fairly popular due to the popular bulbs designed to run pulse start (ushio and AB 175w bulbs and Radiums, Ushio, reeflux all pulse start 400w bulb) so I wouldn't assume its going to be probe start based on it being an aquarium trade ballast.
http:///forum/post/2971502
Almost every magnetic ballast you find in the aquarium world is probe start.
Hamilton, sunlight supply (blue wave almost exclusively pulse or HQI) and PFO what I'd consider 3 of the most popular magnetic ballast suppliers in the aquarium world all offered pulse start ballast for nothing to $10 more over probe start and in 175w and 400w form are fairly popular due to the popular bulbs designed to run pulse start (ushio and AB 175w bulbs and Radiums, Ushio, reeflux all pulse start 400w bulb) so I wouldn't assume its going to be probe start based on it being an aquarium trade ballast.