What is your favorite metal halide bulb?

[ripped tide]

Just put a new radium 20k in my fixture today. Very nice color! Lots of pop. What bulbs do you like? Brand? Kelvin rating? Why do you like this (growth, color, other...)?

Thanks!

 

[dawgface]

14k 400w SE: Phoenix
20K 400w DE: Radium

20k 1000w: Unfortunately the Radiums suck so Helios.

 

[grouper therapy]

4oo watt helios/evc 20 k on pfo hqi ballast. Burns right at 500 watts and the color is nice and blue

 

[ripped tide]

And for 250?

I'll look into the Helios. I have Two ice cap electronic ballasts. One is 400 (the one I just replaced) and the other is a 250, I'll be replacing that soon.

 

[wildernets]

14k 250w DE: Phoenix

 

[raz0945]

I'm following along to see what my next bulb will be!

 

[the-bubonic-one]

175w iwasaki 15k good mix of color and growth

 

[ralph atl]

Radiums hands down!

EVC second..

 

[grouper therapy]

Keep in mind that the type and brand of ballast has a tremendous impact on the bulbs performance.

 

[ripped tide]

grouper therapy;783544 wrote: Keep in mind that the type and brand of ballast has a tremendous impact on the bulbs performance.

Right. Running temp plays a role as well, correct?

 

[grouper therapy]

Ripped Tide;783548 wrote: Right. Running temp plays a role as well, correct?

Exactly. Radiums running on my PFO HQI ballast burns very white, Way over driven.

 

[soxx]

Love my Pheonix 14 k's....just switched from 2 x 150 to 2 x 250..Only change in bulbs was wattage....staying with Pheonix 14k's

 

[ripped tide]

What's your thoughts on the ice cap ballasts? They seem to give the radium a very cool blue color.

 

[grouper therapy]

Ripped Tide;783586 wrote: What's your thoughts on the ice cap ballasts? They seem to give the radium a very cool blue color.

Most of the electronic ballast will drive most bulbs at the intended wattage.

 

[rdnelson]

The ones that stay on the shelf because I DON'T NEED THEM. hehehehe But that is a different arguement isn't it.

 

[dawgface]

rdnelson99;783600 wrote: The ones that stay on the shelf because I DON'T NEED THEM. hehehehe But that is a different arguement isn't it.

Give it time

 

[eagle9252]

free..... would be the best kind

 

[mustangcaleb]

i googled this like a day ago wondering, the top results for de 250w were phoenix then ab