Radium metal halide bulbs will not be produced anymore!

[SpSDrew]

what does 10k metal halide look like?

I am bulk ordering 14k Hamilton but can’t find any. They have 10k 250w available

Best bet is getting ushio 14k. When I called last week they have 48 left (250w/SE). I bought 12 so they should still have a handful left. Give them a call soon or else it will be impossible to find the bulbs.

I prefer the ushio 14k honestly. Looks more white IMO.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Best bet is getting ushio 14k. When I called last week they have 48 left (250w/SE). I bought 12 so they should still have a handful left. Give them a call soon or else it will be impossible to find the bulbs.

I prefer the ushio 14k honestly. Looks more white IMO.

Any pics?

On the phone now

 

[SpSDrew]

Any pics?

On the phone now

Not the moment. I can put an ushio back into a fixture later today and do a comparison against a radium 20k, Hamilton 14k, and ushio 14k.

I only run radiums over my softies/zoas and the light is probably 30" above the water.

 

[jmichaelh7]

Not the moment. I can put an ushio back into a fixture later today and do a comparison against a radium 20k, Hamilton 14k, and ushio 14k.

I only run radiums over my softies/zoas and the light is probably 30" above the water.

You run all three huh nice how often are you changing out.

 

[SpSDrew]

You run all three huh nice how often are you changing out.

I have 4 reefbrite fixtures side by side. Currently I run a radium and 3 Hamilton's. These current bulbs are only 4 months old. Ill use them until the par values drop too low. I have LEDS to supplement the decreasing par over time.

 

[jmichaelh7]

I have 4 reefbrite fixtures side by side. Currently I run a radium and 3 Hamilton's. These current bulbs are only 4 months old. Ill use them until the par values drop too low. I have LEDS to supplement the decreasing par over time.

I ordered 6 right now. The lady advised me they have 100 in stock and will be out once depleted

Ushio 14K 250w "Aqualite"

 

[BeanAnimal]

If I remember correctly - very recently both US and EU agreed to pretty much do away with remaining incandescent, halogen and discharge type "utility" bulbs that were not yet outlawed or grandfathered in the prior ban's loopholes. The target was likely intended to be utility bulbs for appliances, luminaire, indicator lamps, etc, including those for landscape lighting, etc.

While the MH bulbs may not be part of this push, they are still going to be collateral damage. Also consider that commercial and industry (street lighting, horticulture, warehouse, factory. etc. ) is being pushed away from discharge lighting to LED by regulation, local code, forced scarcity, etc.

There will be no MH lamps within a few years and the few choices that may remain will be for construction, stadium and other high intensity lighting and cost a fortune.

 

[jmichaelh7]

If I remember correctly - very recently both US and EU agreed to pretty much do away with remaining incandescent, halogen and discharge type "utility" bulbs that were not yet outlawed or grandfathered in the prior ban's loopholes. The target was likely intended to be utility bulbs for appliances, luminaire, indicator lamps, etc, including those for landscape lighting, etc.

While the MH bulbs may not be part of this push, they are still going to be collateral damage. Also consider that commercial and industry (street lighting, horticulture, warehouse, factory. etc. ) is being pushed away from discharge lighting to LED by regulation, local code, forced scarcity, etc.

There will be no MH lamps within a few years and the few choices that may remain will be for construction, stadium and other high intensity lighting and cost a fortune.

that's good information. Do you know where you got that info from so I can further look into it.

 

[jda]

The 10k hamilton is a PAR monster, crisp white that really pops blues and greens. It has no hint of windex or anything. It is a nice bulb just not what most people want nowadays.

I always thought that many of these bulbs places would be gone after the next hobby purge during an economic downturn. Many of the owners/workers are getting older and retiring anyway. Regulations never intended for hobby or special use lamps to be included and no current laws are inclusive, but that could always have changed in the future. Special use bulbs are not even a rounding error and nobody was touching them yet - they were not loopholes like T8 where for a while where the language did not include them by name. Market demand, aging companies, etc. were always the more real risk. Note that all of these companies says market demand and not regulations and they would have LOVED to blame the feds if they could have.

I am chilling out for now... heard some stuff that some of the most popular bulbs will not die... just going to be different. There is still a demand for more than 50-60k bulbs a year which is enough for a few to profit, just not as many. Chilling is easy for me to do since I have a bit of a bulb stash, so I know how terrible that it sounds.

Between not being able to get some of my favorite fish, harder to get good live rock and the beginning of the sunset of my reefing career as my kids leave and I want to be able to leave for weeks/months at a time to travel, this all works out OK for me.

 

[Enderg60]

umm, has anyone actually verified if this is true? Just asked guys at BRS and they say they can get new stock.

So far this is just hearsay.

 

[SpSDrew]

umm, has anyone actually verified if this is true?

So far this is just hearsay.

Yes. Radium/Ushio will not keep producting. Assuming Hamilton as well but have not confirmed. I have sent them various emails over the past 2 months with no replies so I am assuming they are all made at the same factory in Germany.

Reefbrite did indicate they have no plans to stop and have plenty in stock.

 

[A. grandis]

32416552 | Metal halide lamp with quartz burner , HRI-T 250W/230/B/E40 | Radium.de

Compact metal halide lamp with quartz burner, tubular bulb clear, blue light, base E40. Operation in enclosed luminaire, with ballast and ignitor.

www.radium.de

 

[pennied]

 

[jda]

First check is that Giesemann is still going to be around too. ...so let's see... popular bulbs... companies still in business looking to profit... original manufacturer not caring anymore... hole in the market... opportunity/demand... hmm...

I can neither confirm nor deny that something might be in the works already... timeline unknown. Check my record on things like UWC/Vibrant if anybody thinks that I am prone to guessing. The wild card here is a hobby downturn, which nobody can predict.

 

[resortez]

Come on China ! Produce a knock off … someone

There’s a market for someone right there.

 

[Troylee]

what does 10k metal halide look like?

I am bulk ordering 14k Hamilton but can’t find any. They have 10k 250w available

It’s pretty yellow.. they’re excellent for growth and change to 20k when you wanna color stuff up.. or run heavy blue leds or t5’s with 10k bulbs

 

[BeanAnimal]

that's good information. Do you know where you got that info from so I can further look into it.

I sure don't - but do remember reading the article and the new regulation deadlines looming maybe this summer?

 

[BeanAnimal]

First check is that Giesemann is still going to be around too. ...so let's see... popular bulbs... companies still in business looking to profit... original manufacturer not caring anymore... hole in the market... opportunity/demand... hmm...

I can neither confirm nor deny that something might be in the works already... timeline unknown. Check my record on things like UWC/Vibrant if anybody thinks that I am prone to guessing. The wild card here is a hobby downturn, which nobody can predict.

Not to be argumentative - but good intentions or not, bulb production lines are going to go away if there is no commercial demand and/or regulations on production and the materials continie to expand and force the cost cost to be insanely probative (be design).

Industrial and commercial use dictate the supply of products like this, not the "hobby" consumption that isn't even a blip on the radar.

We get "aquarium" bulbs as a byproduct of mass produced flavors that keep the bulb plant humming along.

Short term - you may find a factory willing to crank out some custom 15K or 20K batches - or relabel/resell a product meant for a larger market. But the tracks are coming to an end one way or another.

 

[resortez]

The Hamilton technology thing is something internal. I don’t want to put anyone on the spot but Hamilton has stopped carrying certain products internationally, it’s all to push for a business move, wink wink type of move. So Hamilton will be going through some type of change.
I was able to order some 20K ushios directly from there site recently with no problems if anyone likes the look of 20K

 

[Enderg60]

I guess its time to do a bulk purchase to stash in the attic.