radium and ballast combos

[acrohead500ppm]

I run 250w radiums on Vue tech electronic ballasts

i recently aquired some used 2yo 250w aquamedic oceanlight ballasts.
im pretty sure they are magnetic (they are heavy)
and I know to get the most bang out of radiums they should be run on magnetic ballasts- BUT I wasnt sure if the Aqua medic ballasts are the right kind of Mag.ballast that the radiums run ideally on.
any input?
should i hook up the A.M ballasts??

[acrohead500ppm]

anyone?

[Flamehawk1221]

It's a pulse start bulb. As per HelloLights site:
"Q. What ballast do you suggest for the 250W Radium 20,000K bulb?
A. The 250W Radium lamp is a European lamp for European ballast applications. The lamp was designed for a reactor ballast used for 220/240V input voltage and not for 120V operation in the U.S. We recommend the use of a 250W pulse start ballast (ANSI M138) or HQI (ANSI M80) for 250W Radium 20,000Ks because they provide a higher starting voltage and use an igniter to assure lamp starting. It is our experience that M58 ballasts can have problems with these bulbs flickering, not starting and/or being unable to keep the lamp fired (ie. it will go out after a while)."

Hope this helps.

[Flamehawk1221]

Although a Coral Vue electronic ballast should run it just fine. As would an IceCap and Lumenarc.

Hope this helps, Xiu.

[acrohead500ppm]

ok, well they run fine on my electronics now BUT i want to overdrive them on a magnetic so I guess my main question is - what are ballasts that were sold with the aquamedic pendants 2 years ago?- cuz i have two laying around i could rig up are they m58? m80? etc etc???? anyone know?

[James77]

Radiums run at their spec wattage on M80 ballasts, and will NOT be overdriven.

[acrohead500ppm]

AGAIN! i dont care what radium rates thier bulbs to run on.
i would just like to know what kind of ballast aquamedic oceanlights come with as i have a few of them laying around.
anyone have this answer??

[reefEng10]

I've been told my aquaspacelight (few years old) has an M80 in it. I expect yours does as well. The thing is beast heavy and definitely overdrives bulbs... my pretty new Phoenix 14k is white white white... as opposed to the blueish you often hear about. It is an HQI ballast... an M80.

[grigsy]

You can always open up the enclosure and see what the transformer on the Aqua Medic ballast says.

If it says M80, it is an HQI ballast - that is the proper ballast to run HQI bulbs on. If it is M58, it is a probe start balalst and wont run a Radium 250 watt bulb. If the bulb you have now is DE, it is likely to be an M80 HQI ballast.

+1 James77

You will get way better PAR with a Radium 250 watt bulb from an M80 ballast versus an electronic ballast.

[Elmac1]

Not to hijack your thead but I'm a halide newbie.

I want to buy 150w double ended radium bulbs. They require an "Electronic ballast, Magnetic pulse start ballast or a Magnetic HQI ballast.

I have a coralife "Aqualight 150w HQI Metal Halide Balast" (model 53056) and I'm not sure if it is electronic or magnetic. Can HQI be either electronic or magnetic?

[grigsy]

Elmac -an Aqualight 150W HQI ballast will run any double ended HQI 150 watt bulb including Radium.

In all likelihood, the ballast you have is an M81 Magnetic HQI. That is a good ballast to use.

[James77]

AGAIN! i dont care what radium rates thier bulbs to run on.
i would just like to know what kind of ballast aquamedic oceanlights come with as i have a few of them laying around.

well they run fine on my electronics now BUT i want to overdrive them on a magnetic

I was simply correcting your statement that you wanted to overdrive them on magnetics, which they will not be overdriven- it is a common misbelief. Sorry I did not know the answer to your question, but you should expect other feedback on a public forum, and looks like you got answers anyways.

[Elmac1]

Thanks Grigsby............

[Keith Thomson]

Hey Acrohead, did you ever find out if the Aqua-Medic ballasts were m-80 ballasts or not?
Keith.

[acrohead500ppm]

they sure are!