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View Full Version : 400wSE bulb on DE ballast. (HQI)


dahenley
03/14/2011, 07:36 PM
Do people run their SE bulbs/Radiums on a HQI ballast?
What are the Pro's Con's or possibilities?

I have 2 PFO 400W ballast running SE bulbs, and i have to ability to get a 400W PFO backup ballast, but its a HQI ballast?
can this work, or no?
and if not, can i change out a capacitor or item to make it a usable for SE bulbs.

thanks

dahenley
03/16/2011, 01:57 PM
bump

nanojg
03/16/2011, 02:03 PM
I believe all radiums can be fired on electronic or pulse start ballasts (not probe start). The 250 radium is supposed to be run on a 250 HQI ballast (at 330 watts I believe), I'm not sure what the best ballast for the 400 watt radium but a pulse start HQI ballast will work. For some reason I think the 400 watt radium is supposed to be underdriven, but i'm not sure on that (if so the HQI ballast would shorten its life)

AM916
03/16/2011, 02:41 PM
If you run the radiums on an hqi ballast it overdrives them and the color is a little more white, if you run them on an electronic ballast, it does not overdrive them and the color is a little more blue. I run two radium 250W on galaxie select-a-watt ballasts, and the change in color when ran on 250W compared to 250W HQI is noticable but not bad. Depends on your preference.

dahenley
03/16/2011, 02:52 PM
i am running Radiums on regular PFO mag ballasts, but they are not HQI balalsts.

I am thinking of getting a 400W HQI as a backup, so from what people are saying, is that Radiums will handle it, but normal SE bulbs probably wont handle it?

is that what people are saying?

nanojg
03/16/2011, 02:58 PM
I think the 400 watt radium is overdriven on an hqi ballast (it will work but the life will be shortened). The 250 watt radium is driven correctly on an hqi ballast and underdriven on an electronic or non-hqi ballast.

AM916
03/16/2011, 03:57 PM
All Radium SE bulbs can be ran on pulse start, HQI, or electronic ballast. The bulbs will burn bluer on pulse start and electronic ballasts. That is per the makers of lumen max reflectors website! Don't know if I can post their name or the website.

AM916
03/16/2011, 04:00 PM
So to answer your question, yes the HQI ballast will work as a backup. But the mag ballast you have must be pulse start, since it fires your radium bulbs, so if you end up having to use the backup HQI ballast, the bulb will most likely look more blue than the one on the pulse start ballast.

dahenley
03/16/2011, 05:11 PM
10-4