Digital Ballasts Are Leading The Pack

Choose the right ballast or pay the price.

We have tested and found that metal halide and low pressure sodium grow bulbs lose only 20 to 27% of their luminescence. Your grow bulbs will simply last much longer.This study was in a 12 month period. If you are not using a digital ballast you can expect to lose at least 50 to 65%. I know those numbers will make any serious gardener look twice at a digital ballast.

Or you may want to take a look at fluorescent type bulbs that are readily available in all hardware stores. Fluorescent grow lights have built in ballast that will work well.   

Lets take a look a what this all means. If your light loses 50 to 65 % of its  luminescence  your plants will not perform

well in a flower cycle. Plants need luminescence to grow and flower to their greatest potential. I have done many countless

trials and experiments to claim the numbers. Knowing what to look for when picking a grow light assembly will increase

your chances of producing an excellent yield and tasty fruit. You must take the time to get a little education on making your

first choices smart ones. I tell everyone that is just starting out or new on indoor gardening.

The drawback of these kinds of ballasts is that they build up the energy required to run the lamp, then sends it on all at once.

The cold bulb is literally hammered with energy at the start. An easy way to explain this would be if someone put a car in gear,

disengages the clutch, revs the engine up to 3000 RPM then drops the clutch. It is the same with standard ballasts; the sudden

surge of electricity tends to shorten bulb life. In addition, standard coil-type ballasts cause the bulb to strobe, or flicker. In short

they kill the bulbs life.

Digital ballasts eliminate this wear and tear on the bulb by providing a flow of electricity that starts out at a low level, then will increase

energy flow as the bulb warms up and achieves full brightness. Studies have shown that MH and LPS grow lights used with a digital

ballast lost only 20 to 25% of their PAR luminescence (the wavelengths actually used by the plant) after one year; those used with a

standard ballast had lost over twice at much over thesame period.

Take note that digital ballasts vary in terms of reliability and quality. In general, You get what you pay for.

Choose a digital ballast that will run all types of grow lights, and be able to recognize the difference between

HPS, metal halide or LED. If a bulb is defective, damaged or incompatible, or if a short circuit is detected a well-manufactured,

U.S.- made digital ballast will automatically shutdown before a safety hazard is created.