Product Review: Spectral Analysis of 400W Metal Halide Lamps: Giesemann, Krystal Star, South Pacific Sunlight, BLV, Catalina

Introduction

Nine new 400W lamps were tested with seven different ballasts.
The lamps are listed in Table 1. These lamps were tested using
the identical setup to all my previous tests, thus allowing for
direct comparison between the lamps.

Table 1: List of 400W Single Ended Mogul lamps and ballasts
tested

400W SE Lamps	400W Ballasts
South Pacific Sunlight (SPS) 10000K South Pacific Sunlight (SPS) 14000K South Pacific Sunlight (SPS) 20000K PFO – Krystal Star 11000K PFO – Krystal Star 18000K Giesemann Lighting “Marine” Giesemann Lighting “Coral” BLV Nepturion 14000K Catalina-Reefgrow 20000K	PFO-HQI Taiwan – HQI Standard Magnetic (M59) IceCap (Electronic) Blueline (Electronic) Coralvue (Electronic) EVC (Electronic)

South Pacific Sunlight (SPS) 10000K

Table 2: South Pacific Sunlight (SPS) 10000K performance on
all ballasts

Ballast	Power Watts	Input Volts	Input Amp	PPFD	CCT	Efficiency PPFD/Watt
MAGNETIC (M59)	472	121.9	4.19	92.6	na	0.1962
BLUELINE (Electronic)	385	122.5	3.25	84.13	na	0.2185
EVC(Electronic)	418	122.7	3.55	84	na	0.2010
TAIWAN – HQI	458	122.5	3.99	98.8	na	0.2157
PFO – HQI	503	120.4	5.57	103.2	na	0.2052
ICECAP(Electronic)	418	122.6	3.49	80.61	na	0.1928
CORALVUE(Electronic)	451	122.5	3.78	93.1	na	0.2064

South Pacific Sunlight (SPS) 14000K

Table 3: South Pacific Sunlight (SPS) 14000K performance on
all ballasts

Ballast	Power Watts	Input Volts	Input Amp	PPFD	CCT	Efficiency PPFD/Watt
MAGNETIC (M59)	462	123	4.12	68.1	na	0.1474
BLUELINE (Electronic)	390	123	3.29	63.8	na	0.1636
EVC(Electronic)	416	123.3	3.51	60.77	na	0.1461
TAIWAN – HQI	452	122.5	3.99	73.1	na	0.1617
PFO – HQI	516	121.2	5.53	81.2	na	0.1574
ICECAP(Electronic)	421	122.7	3.54	66.5	na	0.1580
CORALVUE(Electronic)	451	123.2	3.78	69	na	0.1530

South Pacific Sunlight (SPS) 20000K

Table 4: South Pacific Sunlight (SPS) 20000K performance on
all ballasts

Ballast	Power Watts	Input Volts	Input Amp	PPFD	CCT	Efficiency PPFD/Watt
MAGNETIC (M59)	446	120.7	4.05	55.9	na	0.1253
BLUELINE (Electronic)	385	121.2	3.29	49.5	na	0.1286
EVC(Electronic)	420	121.2	3.61	63.1	na	0.1502
TAIWAN – HQI	452	120.8	3.96	66.6	na	0.1473
PFO – HQI	516	120.2	5.44	74.4	na	0.1442
ICECAP(Electronic)	418	121.2	3.55	59.5	na	0.1423
CORALVUE(Electronic)	452	121.7	3.82	67.8	na	0.1500

PFO – Krystal Star 11000K

Table 5: PFO – Krystal Star 11000K performance on all
ballasts

Ballast	Power Watts	Input Volts	Input Amp	PPFD	CCT	Efficiency PPFD/Watt
MAGNETIC (M59)	526	120.8	4.56	172.9	6460	0.3287
BLUELINE (Electronic)	389	120.9	3.35	118.2	6909	0.3039
EVC(Electronic)	418	121.3	3.59	134.6	6897	0.3220
TAIWAN – HQI	487	121.4	4.34	165.2	7127	0.3392
PFO – HQI	468	121.4	5.49	139.3	7160	0.2976
ICECAP(Electronic)	422	121.3	3.59	131.2	6909	0.3109
CORALVUE(Electronic)	458	121.1	3.9	135.3	6779	0.2954

PFO – Krystal Star 18000K

Table 6: PFO – Krystal Star 18000K performance on all
ballasts

Ballast	Power Watts	Input Volts	Input Amp	PPFD	CCT	Efficiency PPFD/Watt
MAGNETIC (M59)	448	122.3	4.04	98.8	na	0.2205
BLUELINE (Electronic)	387	122.8	3.27	95.1	na	0.2457
EVC(Electronic)	422	121.1	3.63	103.8	na	0.2460
TAIWAN – HQI	448	121.8	3.94	118.2	na	0.2638
PFO – HQI	522	121.8	5.39	140.1	na	0.2684
ICECAP(Electronic)	422	122	3.55	96.9	na	0.1856
CORALVUE(Electronic)	455	121.3	3.87	118.7	na	0.2609

Giesemann Lighting “Marine” Mogul

Table7: Giesemann Lighting “Marine” Mogul
performance on all ballasts

Ballast	Power Watts	Input Volts	Input Amp	PPFD	CCT	Efficiency PPFD/Watt
MAGNETIC (M59)	452	122.3	3.96	153.5	7186	0.3396
BLUELINE (Electronic)	380	123.5	3.18	133.7	7324	0.3518
EVC(Electronic)	412	122.8	3.47	153.8	7208	0.3733
TAIWAN – HQI	500	121.6	4.28	198.5	7419	0.3970
PFO – HQI	522	122.3	5.35	197.1	7639	0.3776
ICECAP(Electronic)	414	122.9	3.46	132.1	7140	0.3191
CORALVUE(Electronic)	446	122.1	3.76	164.5	7213	0.3688

Giesemann Lighting “Coral”

Table 8: Giesemann Lighting “Coral” Mogul
performance on all ballasts (Shielded)

Ballast	Power Watts	Input Volts	Input Amp	PPFD	CCT	Efficiency PPFD/Watt
MAGNETIC (M59)	428	121.5	3.91	133.5	10736	0.3119
BLUELINE (Electronic)	388	121.7	3.31	137.4	12911	0.3541
EVC(Electronic)	421	120	3.64	161	10529	0.3824
TAIWAN – HQI	494	122.1	4.27	198.8	9998	0.4024
PFO – HQI	539	121.5	5.2	209.1	9603	0.3879
ICECAP(Electronic)	418	122.1	3.53	157.8	11354	0.3775
CORALVUE(Electronic)	448	122.8	3.77	173.5	11637	0.3873

BLV “Nepturion” 14000K

Table 9: BLV “Nepturion” 14000K performance on all
ballasts

Ballast	Power Watts	Input Volts	Input Amp	PPFD	CCT	Efficiency PPFD/Watt
MAGNETIC (M59)	440	123	3.9	142	12307	0.3227
BLUELINE (Electronic)	386	124.4	3.22	140	15441	0.3627
EVC(Electronic)	418	120.9	3.59	162	13701	0.3876
TAIWAN	500	122.3	4.3	198	10648	0.3960
HQI	547	122.3	5.24	214	10026	0.3912
ICECAP(Electronic)	419	123.1	3.5	152.9	13648	0.3649
CORALVUE(Electronic)	446	122	3.78	169.9	12756	0.3809

Catalina ReefGrow 20000K

Table 10: Catalina ReefGrow 20000K performance on all
ballasts

Ballast	Power Watts	Input Volts	Input Amp	PPFD	CCT	Efficiency PPFD/Watt
MAGNETIC (M59)	442	121.3	4	104.4	na	0.2362
BLUELINE (Electronic)	387	122.2	3.28	103.4	na	0.2672
EVC(Electronic)	420	122.2	3.58	98	na	0.2333
TAIWAN	451	121	3.95	122.5	na	0.2716
HQI	524	120.6	5.42	138.7	na	0.2647
ICECAP(Electronic)	422	122.1	3.58	113.2	na	0.2682
CORALVUE(Electronic)	450	122.1	3.81	104.4	na	0.2320

Discussion

Figure 10, shows a comparison of the 3 German lamps, the
Giesmann Marine and Coral and the BLV Nepturion 14000 when
running on the same ballast – the EVC Electronic Ballast. The
Giesmann Marine differs from the other 2, spectrally while the
Coral and BLV Nepturion seem to be spectrally very similar.
Figure 11, shows the comparison of all the South Pacific Lamps on
a magnetic M59 ballast, and its quite clear that even the 10000K
lamp will appear very blue. The Catalina Reefgrow lamp is very
similar to other “20000K” lamps on the market.