Another 400 Watt DE Lamp Question.

[Bodine]

I have been a dedicated Radium/PFO-HQI ballast user for qiuet some time now. I am taking the 180 tank down and going with a 92 corner tank with will require only one lamp instead of three with the 180.

I have one 400 watt DE pendant which I tried a 400 watt 20K DE Coralvue lamp. I got better coloration with the Radium however the Coralvue was muck brighter and similar in color to the Radium on the PFO-HQI ballast. Didn`t care much for the Coralvue over the Radium and my SPS gave me better pastels with Radiums
Question.
Has anyone tried the Hamilton DE 14K 400 watter after using Radium or any other lamp of the so called "20K" coloration?
Any feed back on the Hamilton lamp would be appreciated.

Yes I know how to use the search button and have read the Sanjay report but I would like some actual expience instead of "charts".
Haven`t posted for a while so any feed back instead of "use the search button dude" would be helpful or any other info into 400 watt DE lamps. I don`t keep up with the latest new "bells and whistles" news as well as I used to.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Len]

Hey Bodine, I haven't tried the DE versions but I've tried all the SE versions of the bulbs you listed. The Hamilton 14K is much brighter and less blue then either the Radium or Coralvue. Personally, I find the 20KK bulbs too blue. I think the 14KK Hamilton looks great, but I'm also liking my XM 10KK as well.

 

[Bodine]

Why thankie there Len. I guess I`m kinda used to Radiums but to me they don`t seem too blue HQI ballast.
Thanks for the imput and I think I will try the Hamilton 14K DE.

 

[Len]

The Hamilton 14K is just a little less blue. I think you'll like it better The XM 14K from what I've heard (but never personally tried) is nice as well, although it's their 10K and 20K that gives off the most PAR>

 

[Bodine]

If I don`t use the Radium (which is the 400 watt mogul socket lamp I like the best), I plan on using 400 watt DE.
400 Watt DE is new and limited in lamp selection but 400 watt DE is like looking at the surface of the sun 8O.
I hope Radium will put out their lamp in DE.
Never been a fan of XM.
Do they make 400 watt DE lamps?

 

[Len]

Oh, oops. XM does not make 400W DE bulbs. As you mentioned, few people do. I'm not convinced about 400W DE from what I've seen in person and from what I've read of the empirical data. They don't seem to offer an signficant (if any) advantage over the nicer SE 400W bulbs. You should see my XM 10K w/ Lumenarcs. If it gets any brighter then that, looking at the tank would literally be very eye fatigueing

 

[Bodine]

Perhaps the `ole "bigger is better" mentality has set in with me. Even consider 1000 watters.....just kiddin` :lol:.

I have this DE pendant now and will be using just one lamp on a 92 corner (34 inches,inches which is a little longer than the standard a light per two feet rule). So perhaps raising the pendant will cover the tank and DE is brighter so this is my reasoning on DE over SE as I am set that 14K is the lowest K lamp I will use. Just a matter of preference.
I couldn`t find the Hamilton on the on the Sanjay report for PAR.

Yes, they are new and limited in selection and as you stated few people use them but I think I am gonna give the Hamilton DE 14K a shot.

What 400 watt DE lamp have you seen? I have only seen and used the Coralvue 20K.
Again.
THANKS!

 

[Len]

I've seen the PFO and the Coralvue.

DEs really aren't all that brighter accroding to the hard numbers. I'm actually not sure where this misconception came from (I know I've personally perpetuated this idea to others too). Looking at the empirical data from Sanjay's test, there doesn't seem to be much difference, and most of the differences are a result of the power consumption (more watts = brighter). Some 250W halides draw as much as 350+ watts while others only draw 250.

 

[Len]

Chatting with Sanjay in #reefs, and I might go 250W SE XM 10K instead of the 400W. I think I'm getting 200+ PPFD (possibly up to 250+!) per bulb with the lumenarcs. That will mean I can only keep high light SPS as most LPS will bleach quickly. I guess that "you can never have too much lights" addage has limitations after all

 

[Bodine]

Again thanks Len.
When I order the lamps, I will order a 14K and a Radium. I am stuck with these ballast and pendants now and have used up my reef budget on the tank.

 

[Len]

Oh, nothing to be sad about. Smile The DE are great lamps. It's just that they really aren't any brighter then moguls according to the numbers. It's not like they're dimmer