VHO VS. COMPACT

Hey, what is the major differnce between metal halide and sodium lamps?

 

An icecap vho ballast is capable of running both pc and vho lamps, there is a wiring diagram on the icecap website. Icecap also provides an article about overdriving NO bulbs and also recommends particular brands of NO bulbs.

 

The type of material in the bulb which determines what color or kelvin rating the bulb will burn at and the voltage or kv pulse sent to the bulb to ignite it and get it to burn. Why?
Sodium, is a very yellow color compared to metal halides which are built to burn from 4200 kelvin (yellow) to 20000 kelvin (blue)
Jim

 

dont they make a sodium bulb that is closer to what we need? I saw tons of different sodium vapor lights at home depot for nice prices! I could buy two of them for the price of one MH online!

 

THe light of HPS (high pressure sodium) is the wrng color temperatur for coral growth. Although im not sure anyone has tried em.....maybe someone here can provide the number problems involved with HPS and Mrcury vapor.

 

If price is an issue, as it is for most of us :-[
You can buy a metal halide fixture from home depot, gut it and put the reflector and mogul base socket in the canopy and keep the enclosure for the ballast and wiring connections.
Then when you decide what kelvin rating bulb you want, order it and replace the original bulb (which is 4200k slightly yellow) in the canopy.
Some considerations 1.) 250 watt fixtures from h.d. are probe start standard ballasts. So the replacement bulbs need to be the same ( No pulse start bulbs ) ie, a Ushio 10000 kelvin bulb will work fine (Mogul Base).
Jim

 

I saw a sodium there yesterday that said it was 6500k would that work? 250watt for like $58?

 

Look at this picture and ask yourself if this is really what you want.
Jim

 

what is that?

 

10000 kelvin ushio on the left and a standard 4200 kelvin metal halide on the right. A sodium bulb will look more yellow than the 4200 k metal halide.