NOT MY WORK, Just a cut and paste for eveyone -- This is only on the 250 watt bulbs and ballasts.
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Testing 250 watt MH lamps and Ballasts
This page reflects data collected from my testing of 250 watt MH lamps and ballasts. The colors of the lamps over my tank can be seen below. Every effort has been made to represent the colors as they truly look over my tank. The information under the ballast section represents the PAR output of the lamp being driven as well as the ballast power consumption. Note the data under the ballast is not the power going to the lamp, rather what the ballast is drawing from the wall outlet.
250 watt SE MH lamps compared
These tests were conducted to measure Photsynthetically Available Radiation (PAR) output from 250 watt Metal Halide SE lamps. PAR is the available light between 400-700nm (nanometers). This spectrum is the light spectrum that we, as humans, can see. It is also the area in which photosynthesis occurs in plants. There are considerable discussions to whether the whole PAR spectrum applies to corals or whether just a few narrow bands. So far there is no definitive proof one way or the other. So PAR is still the best measure we presently have of judging how intense the lamps output is in relation to coral usage.
How these tests were conducted.
The lamps tested were burned in at least 120-150 hours. All lamps with the exception of the Ushio, AB and Blueline Super White, were new. The Ushio, AB and Blueline Superwhite had roughly 6 months use on them (aprox 1600hrs). A 2’ x 2’ square box was constructed, the inside painted flat black. The mogul socket was mounted horizontally aprox 5” from the ceiling of the box. The quantum sensor was place 8” below the center of the arc tube. A voltage regulator was used on power from the wall electrical socket. A watt meter was plugged into the voltage regulator and the ballast plugged into the watt meter. All electrical readings under the ballast section are measurements of the power being drawn by the ballast not the power going to the lamp.
All lamps, before testing, were fired and left to burn for at least 20 minutes before any measurement were performed. After 20 minutes, the sensor was turned on and time was given for a stable reading to be displayed from the meter. Sometime between 2-5 minutes the reading on the meter would stabilize for at least 30 seconds with no movement, at that time readings were recorded.
Equipment used
Apogee Instruments QMSS-ELEC Quantum meter with sensor. Calibrated for electric lamps.
Apogee Instruments leveling plate for the senor
APC LINE-R 600, Voltage regulator/Power Conditioner.
Electronic Educational Devices Watts Up?, Power Analyzer/Watt Meter.
Nikon 995 digital camera used with tripod for pictures.
***Sorry but the pics didn't come through my cut an paste***
Actual power to lamp.
Here are some measurements that were taken to see how the ballast actually drive the lamp. On the Radium lamp the Standard PFO ballast would not drive start the lamp, so no information is given.
Measurements were taken using a BK 5390 Multimeter. Measurements for current are TRMS. Both AC and AC+DC were taken as the electronic ballasts seem to use the DC signwave as well. All measurements were taken on the wire between the ballast and lamp. The lamps were first ignited by the ballast then let to burn for 20 minutes, at that time measurements were taken. The first line for the lamp in bold are the manufactures specifications of the lamp, what follows are the reading from running the lamp on different ballasts.
LAMP BALLAST AC AMP AC+DC AMP Volts kHz Line watts Line volts
Radium SPEC 2.80 2.80 95-100
Radium HQI 2.63 2.63 113.50 59.98 Hz 308 117
Radium ARO 3.20 4.79 112.37 76.80 249 117
Radium eballast 2.21 1.95 110.65 80.73 242 121
Radium IceCap 3.20 4.58 109.60 70.47 248 119
Radium CV 2.29 2.01 109.63 67.52 264 119
Radium ReefFanatic 2.28 2.80 131.90 42.03 246 119
Radium EVC 2.37 2.88 115.80 44.68 247 119
Ushio SPEC 3.00 3.00 100.00
Ushio ARO 2.94 4.64 125.43 77.95 249 119
Ushio Standard 2.11 2.11 129.34 59.98Hz 273 118
Ushio HQI 2.43 2.43 133.41 59.98Hz 339 118
Ushio eballast 1.80 1.59 123.04 86.68 243 119
Ushio IceCap 2.87 4.40 127.78 73.43 254 119
Ushio CV 1.84 1.62 125.39 72.84 254 121
Ushio ReefFantic 2.62 3.20 116 44.06 246 119
Ushio EVC 2.10 2.42 132.20 41.98 246 120
Lamp heat due to ballasts
Ballasts contribute to the amount of heat produced by the lamp. Temperature measurements were taken at the same distance from the lamp as the sensor, 8". The ballast was turned on with a fan above the lamp pulling heat out. After 35 minutes the temperature at 8" from the lamp was taken then the fan was turned off. After 10 minutes more (for a total of 45), temperature was taken again and recorded.
Ballast Lamp 0 Min 35 Min 45 Min/No Fan
PFO Standard Ushio 70.0F 83.2F 90.1F
PFO HQI Ushio 70.3F 87.5F 97.2F
eballast Ushio 70.5F 81.4F 89.5F
Icecap Ushio 70.1F 78.6F 85.2F
CoralVue Ushio 70.3F 82.1F 90.6F
ARO Ushio 70.2F 79.6F 88.3F
Apogee senor accuracy
There were numerous questions as to the accuracy of the apogee sensor used in the test. To answer questions as to the margin of error that this sensor produced, I contacted apogee and discussed this with them. They agreed to send to me two LiCor sensor that they use for in house for testing. The sensors were first calibrated by them and then sent to me. Measurements were then taken using the two LiCor sensor then averaged to produce a value. The reading from the Apogee was then compared to that obtained by the LiCor sensors. The table below shows the margin of error the apogee was off compared to the LiCor. Also shown is a differential factor. If this factor is applied to the apogee reading, it will correct for any deficiencies of the sensor. As all lamps have a slightly different spectral curve it if different for each lamp.
LAMP Adj factor Error %
AB10K 1.042700 4.27
XM10K 1.000102 0.01
XM20K 1.054623 5.46
Radium 1.020256 2.03
CV10K 1.014444 1.45
Ushio10K 1.022647 2.26
PFO13K 1.066219 6.62
Iwasaki 1.004403 4.40
BLSW 1.035931 3.59
SUN10K 1.041306 4.13
CV15k 1.062583 6.26
CV20K 1.031709 3.17
BL10K 1.020969 2.10
HM14K 1.041438 4.14
