Phoenix 14K bulbs not very bright?

[pochaxoo]

Changed my bulbs on my Hamilton 150 HQI pendants two days ago. I am concerned. The light is very blue which is OK but does not seem very bright at all. Seems to like about the same as my 192 watts of PC actinics. These are Phoenix 14K bulbs so I was expecting more. Is there a possibility that these pendants and ballast just can't drive that bulb? How would I be able to determine that?? Any help would be appreciated.

PS the bulbs had the following printed on them MH-DE 150W 12000K. They were very bright and I have no idea who the manufacturer was on those as I bought the whole pendant ballast combo from a friend a year ago.

 

[pochaxoo]

HELP, I really have no idea what to do short of buying new bulbs.... I cannot seem to find a reference as to whether the 14K Phoenix bulbs should be brighter with my hamilton 150W MH or there is a problem with these ballast not driving that bulb. Does anyone have this combo and is the light really dim?

 

[fish scales2]

Give them a little time to burn in, if things are not a bit brighter within another week then begin to worry.

 

[casper75]

If they are the 14k bulbs the why is it printed 12000k on them? Where did you get the bulbs from

 

[fish scales2]

casper75;303221 wrote: If they are the 14k bulbs the why is it printed 12000k on them? Where did you get the bulbs from

I was assuming that he had a Hmilton fixture with reeflux 12k and replaced them with the new phoenix bulbs.

 

[pochaxoo]

The 12000K were the old bulbs which were very bright. The phoenix bulbs are the new ones 14000K. I am willing to wait and see if they brighten up or supplement with white light now instead of supplement with Actinic...lol

 

[casper75]

pochaxoo
The phoenix 14k are going to be alittle darker then the reflux 12k. Even after they burn in. The 12k where made to look like 10k with actinic supplement. I think once you get used to the color of the new bulbs you are going to be so much please with the way your corals look over the 12k's

 

[chibils]

Agreed. My reeflux 12000Ks are boring. They look white. 20000K is a hard color temp for the human eye to render, but it shouldn't be "dim." Just not as bright.

 

[roland jacques]

The relationship between lamp and ballast can make a ton of differance. Put the same lamp with three different ballast and the light can look completly different from one to the next. Personally Reeflux 12k is my favorite lamp.

Their are some sites that compare lamps and ballast ... I cant find them right now. Maybe someone has a link.

 

[skriz]

I would think that the 12kk bulb was more on the 10kk side and thus brighter. The phoenix 14kk bulb is closer to the 20kk side and "dim".

Based on the information provided and some assumptions, I would say they're working correctly.