New MH 14K bulb turning white

[woodycb]

What happens when a MH bulbs starts to turn white. The bulb is only 2 months old.

[stanlalee]

nothing, it probably is just now burning into its true color. Depends on the bulb. I had 13k AB bulb and it never changed colors. stock current sunpod 14k bulbs started fairly blue but after the burn in period (about 100hrs) it ended up being pretty white. like 10k white.

[prodman]

what bulb are you using? A lot 14k are white some are a tad yellow. Manufacturers kelvin ratings are rarely accurate.

[dots]

Depends on your ballast as well.

At best, its a guessing game where trial and error are king.

[woodycb]

its a hamilton 14K 250W SE bulb fired by a blueline ballast.

[Veni vidi vici]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13176221#post13176221 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by woodycb
its a hamilton 14K 250W SE bulb fired by a blueline ballast.
I had 2 250w Hamilton 14Ks that burned in at different colors. 1 looked like a 14k the other looked like a 10k.I hear this in not uncommon for Hamilton bulbs.I have since switched to 2 XM 20k And 1 Radium 20K and am much happier now :D

[ReefWreak]

I've used 2x14k Hamilton 250w in the past on Coralvue electronic ballasts. They burned blue, but dim. The blueline is a magnetic, and I believe either HQI, or just high output, so it will probably burn bulbs whiter than most people talk about.

That said, I fired them again recently just to see if I could get any betteer colors out of my corals, but no joy. They sucked. I hate it. Too dim, too blue, no flourescence. I'll be using Radiums next time I get new bulbs. I'm currently using 10k Reeflux on 1 new style icecap e-ballast and 1 coralvue e-ballast, both 250w, and both bulbs in Luminarc mini reflectors. I've also got 440w of VHO actinics, but I don't run them all at once (can't afford to run 1kw of lights with these power bills recently).

[gavinbree]

Yup Magnetic ballast will force most blue bulbs to burn whiter.

I run radiums on Magnetic ballasts and they burn a crisp white where as on an electronic ballast they burn more blue.

[rmosqued]

That's odd, from Blueline's website, they state they manufacture electronic ballasts.

[VoodooMach]

That's odd, from Blueline's website, they state they manufacture electronic ballasts.

Some electronic ballasts drive bulbs harder than other electronic ballasts.

[rmosqued]

Yes, it is true some electronic ballasts drive bulbs harder than others, but I've searched to find specs a blueline magnetic ballast and found nothing of the sort...