Radium metal halide bulbs will not be produced anymore!

[oreo54]

So I had some time to kill today, and thought I would run some temperature tests on some bulbs. I have heard that Radium bulbs run "hot", wanted to see it for myself. Everything I tested was run with the same Reefbrite 400w ballast, in the same simple pendant with no cooling fan or cover, in still air, hanging in an open room. I used a hand held IR point and shoot temperature gun aimed perpendicular at the top of the pendant where the top of the reflector is attached. Easy to reproduce the same point of measurement where the reflector is riveted to the fixture. I ran a new Reefbrite 20k, a used Radium, a new Hamilton 14k, and a used Ushio 14k bulb. I ran each bulb for an hour, to let the pendant heat soak. Guess what, no difference between all the bulbs! They all measured between 143.5, and 145 F.
Different story with the ballasts I run on my tank. The Galaxy was running 107 F, Coralvue was 119 F, Icecap #1 was 124 F, Icecap #2 was 131 F, and the Reefbrite ran 110 F during the bulb tests. All temps running 400w Radiums.
What do you guys think? Was this a valid way to test the heat production of the bulbs? Any thing I could do differently to make it better?

Paul

Non contact ir guns have " difficulty" reading shiney metal.

That said it's possible to at least compare differences though absolute temp is questionable.

"Infrared thermometers are not recommended for use in measuring shiny or polished metal surfaces (stainless steel, aluminum, etc.). (See Emissivity.)May 3, 2021"

Infrared Emissivity Table

www.thermoworks.com

 

[jda]

I just know that when I ran 250w Radium on HQI that my tank with fans would get a few degrees warmer than with Phoenix 14k... almost to the point of needing a chiller. I used the same ballasts, but did need different fixtures with the Radium being SE and the Phoenix being DE.

I also had a frag tank that had Radiums on 250w eBallasts (I know, not to spec... and I even have a stash of m80s,) but with a 8" deep tank, just did not need the extra output. The newer 20k Hamiltons on the same ballasts in the same fixture (Spectra) kept that system cooler to where I never needed a fan to stay at 76/77 with the Hamilton, but without a fan on the Radiums, the tank would get to 80.

None of my observations are based on a controlled study or anything, but others have reported the same thing.

 

[Reefering1]

Non contact ir guns have " difficulty" reading shiney metal.

That said it's possible to at least compare differences though absolute temp is questionable.

"Infrared thermometers are not recommended for use in measuring shiny or polished metal surfaces (stainless steel, aluminum, etc.). (See Emissivity.)May 3, 2021"

Infrared Emissivity Table

www.thermoworks.com

Hmm, how about a thermal imager? I don't have radium but now i wonder the temps of Phoenix on m80

 

[Reefering1]

ran for about 45 minutes. That glass gets hot!!

 

[ogasman]

ran for about 45 minutes. That glass gets hot!!

ran for about 45 minutes. That glass gets hot!!

ran for about 45 minutes. That glass gets hot!!

I measured the top of the pendant fixture, it is a flat black painted surface. The inside of the pendant has the reflector, and an air gap between it and the reflector, except where they are riveted together. That is where I measured the temperature. I know it is not an absolute temperature of the operating bulb, but should be a way to compare heat output from the various bulbs. The pendant is designed to dissipate heat, so it should be a lower temperature than the actual bulb output. Same system, same temperature measuring device. Only variable should be bulb type, and in theory heat production. The way I measured would be the heat the bulbs produced in the pendant fixture, not necessarily the effects in the tank.

Paul

 

[Pyrogens]

Jumping back into this thread. Has anyone heard anything else regarding Hamilton finding their raw materials to produce new fixtures etc? When I contacted them last year, it sounded like it would happen... I'm still crossing my fingers.

I've found a few different people "liquidating" used ballast and fixtures, but they are wanting WAY too much for used 15+ year old equipment.

I'm still patiently waiting.

 

[A. grandis]

Jumping back into this thread. Has anyone heard anything else regarding Hamilton finding their raw materials to produce new fixtures etc? When I contacted them last year, it sounded like it would happen... I'm still crossing my fingers.

I've found a few different people "liquidating" used ballast and fixtures, but they are wanting WAY too much for used 15+ year old equipment.

I'm still patiently waiting.

There is a new company called Aqua Bright Solutions that will sell their own branded bulbs made by the same people and process involved, therefore same quality, as Hamilton did. The owners of Aqua Bright Solutions were 2 formal employees of Hamilton. The amazing customer service will be maintained!
They are waiting for the bulbs to be available some time this month.
The company already have some Radium lamps, either 250W or 400W, available for $99.00. It seems like Radium will keep making bulbs and will send exclusively to this company!
This is the best thing that happened yet this year and we are all hoping that a serious demand will bring back some brand new fixtures and ballasts! Nothing is impossible!

AQUA BRIGHT SOLUTIONS

Supplier of high quality aquarium products

aquabrightsolutions.com

 

[A. grandis]

About measuring the temperatures... Yup, the lamp will be way hotter than that! LOL! There is no right way to measure the temperature for such experiments. The main thing is to compare them using the same metrics, area and instruments... as it has been done by you guys. Either measuring the ballast or the fixture... it is what you want to measure as a comparison that matters.
It's always very interesting to see those comparisons with different gear! Keep them coming!
What jda said is very noticeable between the Radium and Phoenix 250W using the M80. The HQI DE Phoenix lamp is indeed hotter. I think it has to do with the fact it is DE, without the double glass protection (lamp and fixture) that the SE Radium has. Also, the change in spectrum might contribute somehow? Different lamps with different gas combination, different arc/pressure types.
Man, it's so good to talk halide!

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

There is a new company called Aqua Bright Solutions that will sell their own branded bulbs made by the same people and process involved, therefore same quality, as Hamilton did. The owners of Aqua Bright Solutions were 2 formal employees of Hamilton. The amazing customer service will be maintained!
They are waiting for the bulbs to be available some time this month.
The company already have some Radium lamps, either 250W or 400W, available for $99.00. It seems like Radium will keep making bulbs and will send exclusively to this company!
This is the best thing that happened yet this year and we are all hoping that a serious demand will bring back some brand new fixtures and ballasts! Nothing is impossible!

AQUA BRIGHT SOLUTIONS

Supplier of high quality aquarium products

aquabrightsolutions.com

Love this company, Just received 3 of the Radium 400watt bulbs from them last week that I currently have on my tank. very fast shipping and packing was awesome.

 

[ogasman]

Love this company, Just received 3 of the Radium 400watt bulbs from them last week that I currently have on my tank. very fast shipping and packing was awesome.

Have a quick question for you. I looked at the HTG site that you mentioned for the ballasts. To be clear, I know very little about ballasts. I looked at the specs on the website for the links you provided, and they were pretty sparse. I called the company and said I was looking for an M135 ballast replacement, what Radium recommends for the 400w bulb. They said BAL-AS-0400MH was what I was looking for. BAL-AS-0400HPS is a high pressure sodium ballast. Which one is better?

Paul

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

Have a quick question for you. I looked at the HTG site that you mentioned for the ballasts. To be clear, I know very little about ballasts. I looked at the specs on the website for the links you provided, and they were pretty sparse. I called the company and said I was looking for an M135 ballast replacement, what Radium recommends for the 400w bulb. They said BAL-AS-0400MH was what I was looking for. BAL-AS-0400HPS is a high pressure sodium ballast. Which one is better?

Paul

Unfortunately they won’t have a clue on the correct ballast for the reef hobby. You want the ballast rated for HPS. HPS or high pressure sodium bulbs in the grow industry requires pulse start to fire up just like the bulbs we use.
I was in the same boat as you not knowing what to buy and purchased 3 metal halide versions which did not work and digging deeper on components I found out we needed the HPS rated magnetic ballast which in the grow industry also works with grow metal halide bulbs.

You want to buy BAL-AS-0400HPS. Just make sure you spend $75 for free shipping. I had to add a cheap bucket lid to my order to put me over that $75 mark

 

[Reefering1]

The bulb should say what ballast it's designed for. Look for ansi number

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

The bulb should say what ballast it's designed for. Look for ansi number

Unfortunately that won’t help him if buying a ballast in the grow industry as specs for the ballast are hardly ever known by the companies selling them all they know is:
-CMH ballast (ceramic metal halide)
-DE (double ended ballast)
-MH (metal halide)
-HPS (High Pressure Sodium)

No one will know anything past that as it’s not important for anyone growing. Just match wattage and bulb type.


Knowing that we need HPS ballasts for the reef industry just saved everyone $100 or more buying a brand new ballast

 

[Reefering1]

I thought they all have that ansi number.. even the m135, m58, m80(any of them) weren't designed for reef bulbs

 

[LeDart]

Hey y'all, I really want to get into MH, what is a good setup to go with? I have a 40 gallon breeder, should I stay T5/LED or make the swap to MH? If I do, will I need a chiller? Also how much will the MH swap cost if I get a mid-tier lighting setup? How often do parts, such as bulbs and ballasts, need to be replaced? Also, what type of ballast should I use?

 

[dieselkeeper]

Here is a bulb and ballast reference guide I found. I hope it may help someone matching bulb to ballast. Most of which are no longer available.

Metal Halide ANSI Codes - Aquarium Lighting Bulb & Ballast Cross Reference Guide - Aquarium-Lighting-Guide.com

www.aquarium-lighting-guide.com

 

[A. grandis]

Hey y'all, I really want to get into MH, what is a good setup to go with? I have a 40 gallon breeder, should I stay T5/LED or make the swap to MH? If I do, will I need a chiller? Also how much will the MH swap cost if I get a mid-tier lighting setup? How often do parts, such as bulbs and ballasts, need to be replaced? Also, what type of ballast should I use?

Easiest way to go with halides now is ReefBrite.
Contact them, tell them what system you have, and they will direct you with the right halide gear.
We could mention many types of set ups to try to help you out, but you most likely won't find old stuff that easy.

Reef Brite - The Professional's Choice

Reef Brite is providing an attractive element to enhance the beauty of aquatic biotopes world wide. Innovation is at the core of what we do at Reef Brite.

www.reefbrite.com

Contact - Reef Brite

www.reefbrite.com

 

[bobnicaragua]

Hey y'all, I really want to get into MH, what is a good setup to go with? I have a 40 gallon breeder, should I stay T5/LED or make the swap to MH? If I do, will I need a chiller? Also how much will the MH swap cost if I get a mid-tier lighting setup? How often do parts, such as bulbs and ballasts, need to be replaced? Also, what type of ballast should I use?

A 175 watt halide is enough for a mixed reef for sure. I'm thinking it would even be fine for a full SPS tank in your 40 gal breeder.

I second the reefbrite suggestion, I’ve been running their gear for a few years. You can run either a 175 watt or 250 watt bulb with their fixtures and ballasts.

You probably need to run a fan. One blowing in the sump may be all you need.

 

[Troylee]

A 175 watt halide is enough for a mixed reef for sure. I'm thinking it would even be fine for a full SPS tank in your 40 gal breeder.

I second the reefbrite suggestion, I’ve been running their gear for a few years. You can run either a 175 watt or 250 watt bulb with their fixtures and ballasts.

You probably need to run a fan. One blowing in the sump may be all you need.

FWIW I haven’t seen many 175w bulbs available.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Unfortunately that won’t help him if buying a ballast in the grow industry as specs for the ballast are hardly ever known by the companies selling them all they know is:
-CMH ballast (ceramic metal halide)
-DE (double ended ballast)
-MH (metal halide)
-HPS (High Pressure Sodium)

No one will know anything past that as it’s not important for anyone growing. Just match wattage and bulb type.


Knowing that we need HPS ballasts for the reef industry just saved everyone $100 or more buying a brand new ballast

There are numerous bulb and ballast configurations, some of them non-standard. That said, just about every type of bulb available will have a matching ANSI ballast number that describes the ballast start, restart and operating parameters. Some bulbs can run on multiple types of ballasts but some of those ballasts can be hard on a bulb (in either out of spec steady state operation, starting, or re-strike).

In the "old-days" standards were typically followed. Bulbs could be easily identified by their envelope shape, arc tube characteristics and base type. Manufacturers didn't "mix and match". I am sure that today there are plenty of bastardized combinations where the required ballast is ambiguous with context to bulb format.