I have one of the new Icecap HQI ballast and it burned up after 5 months. I am buying a replacement and saw the Lumatek which claims its runs bulbs up to 27% brighter than magnetic ballast, and 10% higher than other electric ballast. I was wondering what others felt of this product? Anyone?
Lumatek vs. Icecap?
- Thread starter BCT182
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jamiehill
Utini
I just bought 2 of them to replace my old PFO ballasts and it is a pretty big improvement. I would say the 27% brighter than the mag ballasts is pretty accurate. I am not sure about the 10% higher than other electronic ballasts though. I haven't compared that.
Velamondry
DIY Maniac
Have you called icecap for a replacement ballast? my 660 ballast for my vho's burnt out while changing bulbs and they sent me a new one while repairing mine. Took no hassle they honour they warranty up to 5 years on some products.
Maxx
Staff Housemonkey
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- Jul 31, 2003
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I havent heard of Lumatek.
One thing to keep in mind is that the human eye is not capable of registering intensity of lighting in the ways that corals use it. IE, just because the balast runs the lights 27% brighter doesnt necessarily mean anything until someone, (Sanjy Joshi et al) runs a test on it and determines what the PAR readings are from it compared to an Icecap. Personally, I would stick with the Icecap....they should replace it as long as its determined to be a factory error and not a malfunction from something on your end...
Nick
One thing to keep in mind is that the human eye is not capable of registering intensity of lighting in the ways that corals use it. IE, just because the balast runs the lights 27% brighter doesnt necessarily mean anything until someone, (Sanjy Joshi et al) runs a test on it and determines what the PAR readings are from it compared to an Icecap. Personally, I would stick with the Icecap....they should replace it as long as its determined to be a factory error and not a malfunction from something on your end...
Nick
Boomer
Well-known member
I know one of the owner of this company and spent allot of time with him (Chris Leonard) at MACNA. His are the best there are IMHO. We ran a bunch of tests there with various bulbs on one hell of a toy he had for measuring blasts and bulbs and it was quite impressive. The Icecap lost hands-down. And Sanjay was with me as he often is at these events. 
One must remember that many ballasts overdrive the bulbs to get extra output, which is not good for the life of the bulb. When he started taking about ballasts and what they do and how they work he put me and Sanjay in lah-lah land. They will have one out later where you can actually control the bulbs overdrive or not to a x %.
http://www.lumatek.co.uk/
One must remember that many ballasts overdrive the bulbs to get extra output, which is not good for the life of the bulb. When he started taking about ballasts and what they do and how they work he put me and Sanjay in lah-lah land. They will have one out later where you can actually control the bulbs overdrive or not to a x %.
http://www.lumatek.co.uk/
Boomer
Well-known member
I do not know. I'll be seeing Sanjay at IMAC in a couple of weeks and get back to you if I do not forget about asking him. It was brought up during our discussion.
