MH ballasts...electronic vs. standard

[capman]

What are the pros and cons of standard metal halid ballasts (e.g., PFO brand) vs. electronic MH ballasts (IceCap). I'm considering a 175 W ballast for a 40 breeder tank with a Macrodactyla anemone.

I'm pretty concerned about electricity usage and was all set to go with the IceCap until talking to Premium Aquatics, who told me the efficiency of the electronic is not all that different (1.65 amps for IceCap vs. 1.8 for PFO, 175watt ballasts in both cases). Also, supposedly the electronic ballasts under-drive the bulbs and give less light output (????).

Bulb life could be an important factor in long-time expense though as well, but I'm not sure if the difference in bulb life is all that big (???).

Also...my impression is the electronic ballasts need to be tuned for a particular bulb.....will this make it hard to switch to different types of bulbs in the future???

Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated.

Bill

[Geoff]

i run standard tars on my 400w MH's. we have cheap electricity over here. Jason at PA is a great source for info on products. i have no reason to doubt his advice. i am guessing that is who you talked to over there.

bulbs are generally needing to be replaced once a year anyway. i do not know if one ballast or the other causes premature spectrum shift or not.

hopefully some of the icecappers will chime in.

G~

[capman]

NO, I didn't talk to Jason today, but yes, I agree, the folks at Premium Aquatics are great. I have no reason to doubt their advice, but multiple opinions are helpful.

[Geoff]

sorry, my "doubt" comment may have come across a little strong. i meant to convey that thier info is a good place to start. i totally agree that more opinions are a good thing.

i was trying to hunt down a electricity cost calculator, but am not having any luck. i think this would be a good thing to play with. that way you can calculate what the monthly costs to run the different lighting are. there was one out there that took into account amps.

yo electronics guys.

G~

[capman]

Oops....sorry....that capitalized "NO" was totally a typo (I should have proof-read my message better)..., though I can see how it probably looks like I took offense to your comment. I didn't take your comments to be too strong or at all offensive. I just wanted to reassure anyone who might read this thread that I was not doubting Premium Aquatics. I've always found them to be very helpful and down to earth.

Its really amazing how much that one capitalized letter O changes the way my last message reads, an example of how communication via the Internet is often far less efficient than communication in person.

[photobarry]

RC has an electricity calculator. I have tested my PFO ballasts with an amp meter and they do pull the rated number of amps. There is an initial spike but it's very brief.

[Rick O]

From PA's website:

IceCap 175watt Halide Ballast

A Revolution in Metal Halide

Ballast generates virtually NO heat and NO hum

Burns 175 Watt Halides 20% brighter

Lamps burn 20-50 degrees fahrenheit Cooler

20-30% Energy Savings

Longer Lamp Life-Unique soft start process

No spectral change in lamp

Full 3 year factory guarantee

Weighs less than 1 1/2 lb.

Complete with grounded 8 ft. lamp cord-4 ft. power cord wires, no plug

Quick-disconnect harness

This ballast is compatible with 175watt bulbs except: Coralife 10K, SunBurst 12K and Canadian electric.

I use tar ballasts and they get very hot. I would go with the electronic for that reason alone. Alsoi the Icecap has a three year warranty.

[caesura]

An interesting link http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/...omparison.html