# Digital 600 vs. Magnetic 400 energy usage increase



## D.W.FAAMER (Mar 15, 2009)

If I am currently running a magnetic 400 watt hps,on 12/12. With cfl's and all around the house bill isn't up much at all.About the same as before or 5$ a month.If I were to upgrade to a digital 600 watt switchable,hps/mh, would my bill go up much more? On the same 12/12 cycle of course.It's said that digital is more efficient and uses less juice on start-up,this should equall savings in itself.Anybody made this upgrade?All input will be helpful.


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## BuddyLuv (Mar 15, 2009)

There is no comparison. A 600 would increase your lumens by about 40,000 and your bill will remain the same.


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## NewbieG (Mar 15, 2009)

I did the exact upgrade you speak of and imo I think a 600 watt is a must for flower if you have more than a few small plants. I actually use my 400 watt for my mothers, clones, and short time DWC veg. setup I made. The plants love the extra lumens in growth but you get nute burn much quicker so gotta watch for that 

If you are worried about electricity, digital and no fans is the way to go. I LOVE my lumatek, but you could get a 1000 watt HPS raw ballast and piece it together for about 150 on ebay. Although it won't be nearly as efficient, the difference in price is large enough that i think it makes it worth it for some people. 

TIP: When you are buying bulbs for a 600 watt, because of how many lumens your putting out, going for the sometimes more expensive light will be worth it as 10-15% more light on a 600 or 1000 watt is a minimum of 10,000 lumens... I always keep that in mind when shopping for bulbs as the more expensive ones are normally more efficient as well, make sure you check before you buy! GL


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## Leafs.Rule.75 (Mar 15, 2009)

I have 2 of the 400watt lumateks,i think there the best thing since slice bread...LOL...they work great weigh much less then magnetic and run alot cooler and they are so queit that if it wasn't for the light on you wouldn't know they were running...hehe...


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## D.W.FAAMER (Mar 15, 2009)

Okay I'm sure the bulb still gets hot,right,ballast has nothing to do with radiant heat.How much hotter,bulb wise,will it be than my 400w magnetic?And rf interference?on the digital greenhouse 600 from htg supply,i'll pull more amps than my 400w magnetic,but it's only around 1 more amp for almost twice the lumens.If it raises my bill 7$ or 10$ a month i can live with that.Thanks guys.


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## Leafs.Rule.75 (Mar 15, 2009)

i don't beleive the bulb runs hotter i thinks its the same as a magnetic ballast, and what i ment by the ballast running cooler is that old ballast in ur grow room will raise the heat temps a little but with the digital ballast you can leave them in the grow room you can actually grab the digi ballast and hold them with out getting burned...

Here the specs for the lumatek 600watt digatal ballast


> Lumatek Digital Ballasts are the new big thing in horticultural lighting. These ballasts are an incredible alternative to the old fashioned magnetic ballasts that weigh 25-40 lbs. These ballasts weigh only 10 pounds! They also use less electricity to produce more lumens than a regular 600 watt ballast.
> 
> *Why choose a Lumatek Electronic ballast over a core-and-coil (magnetic) ballast?*
> 
> ...


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## BuddyLuv (Mar 15, 2009)

Lumatek is the way to go.


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## NewbieG (Mar 15, 2009)

IF you can deal with the heat of a 1000 watt. I would highly highly highly suggest getting a 1000 watt lumatek. If you are going to blow 300 bucks, might as well add another 50 or so and just go for the 1000. Thats my thinking. You'll be glad you got those extra 40,000 lumens.


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## PUFF MONKEY (Mar 16, 2009)

yeah, the lumatek 1000 is the ultimate lighting system when coupled with an air cooled hood...i keep my cool tube 8-10" away from my plants


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## D.W.FAAMER (Mar 16, 2009)

1000 watts is too much juice.can't go that high.and u guys are lumatek salesman! lol,must really be good,all the screamin u guys are doing.i hope the 600 watt won't jack my electric bill too much.as for cooling,that can be taken care of.When temps on first grow got to 103,i learned how to handle heat.my diy cool tube is 4 inches from my tops.gotta love it.but really thanks guys input is appreciated.


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## BuddyLuv (Mar 16, 2009)

Then the 600 w lumatek is right for you. You may also want to take a look at CAP's new digital ballasts. They look sweet, and I have never bought a bad CAP product.

http://www.randmsupply.com/productdisp.php?pid=554&navid=9


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## Leafs.Rule.75 (Mar 16, 2009)

BuddyLuv said:
			
		

> Then the 600 w lumatek is right for you. You may also want to take a look at CAP's new digital ballasts. They look sweet, and I have never bought a bad CAP product.
> 
> http://www.randmsupply.com/productdisp.php?pid=554&navid=9


thx for the link buddyLuv i check them out they look pretty good i myself been using all lumateks i happy with them so far i always like lookin at new products and what they can offer...


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