EVC, Hamilton, Aquaconnect
and Helios Lamps and EVC, Blueline, Reef Fanatic and Icecap Ballasts.
Since my last review of 400W mogul base lamps [1], I have received several
new lamps and several electronic ballasts for these lamps. News 400W mogul lamps
by Ocean Encounter sold under the EVC label in 10000K, 14000K and 20000K versions,
Helios Lamps in 12500K and 20000K versions, Hamilton 10000K and 14000K and the
Aquaconnect 14000K lamp were tested. In addition to the these lamps, there are
now more choices available for electronic ballasts for these lamps sold by Reef
Fanatic, EVC by Ocean Encounter, Blueline by Champion Lighting and the electronic
Icecap Ballast. In addition some of the previously tested lamps the XM 20000K
and the Ushio 10000K were also tested with these new ballasts. A total of 64
spectral plots and performance data is presented in this article.
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Table 1: List of 400W Mogul Lamps and ballasts tested
for this article
Lamp
Ballast
EVC 10000K
Magnetek Ballast (M59)
PFO - "HQI"
"HQI"-Taiwan
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
EVC 14000K
Magnetek Ballast
PFO - "HQI"
"HQI"-Taiwan
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
EVC 20000K
Magnetek Ballast
PFO - "HQI"
"HQI"-Taiwan
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
HELIOS 12500K
Magnetek Ballast
PFO - "HQI"
"HQI"-Taiwan
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
HELIOS 20000K
Magnetek Ballast
PFO - "HQI"
"HQI"-Taiwan
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
HAMILTON 10000K
Magnetek Ballast
PFO - "HQI"
"HQI"-Taiwan
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
HAMILTON 14000K
Magnetek Ballast
PFO - "HQI"
"HQI"-Taiwan
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
AQUACONNECT 14000K
Magnetek Ballast
PFO - "HQI"
"HQI"-Taiwan
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
USHIO 10000K
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
XM 20000K
Icecap
Blueline
EVC
Reef Fanatic
For each lamp/ballast combination listed, data was
collected on the Spectrum, Photosynthetic Photon flux
Density (PPFD) or PAR, as well as data on the power
consumption of the ballasts. The power consumption was
determined using a Vector True RMS power meter into which
the ballast was plugged. The Vector power meter also
records the voltage and current. The test setup used was
the same as previous lamp tests [1], thus allowing for
direct comparison of the results of these lamps with
previously tested lamps [1-4].
EVC 400W 10000K
This is a new lamp introduced by Ocean Encounter
(www.oceanencounter.com). As seen from the Table 2 and
Figure 1, this lamp provides considerable amount of PPFD,
and performs quite well on the standard M59 ballast. The
PPFD values obtained on this lamp are comparable to the XM
400W 10000K lamp.
Table 2: EVC 400W 10000K lamp with Different
Ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency PPFD/Watt
Blueline
386
120.0
3.37
151.2
10047
0.39
EVC
412
123.2
3.46
164.8
8600
0.40
HQI
450
121.3
5.26
173.3
8441
0.38
Icecap
420
120.6
3.58
172.2
8371
0.41
Magnetic
485
120.3
4.27
204.7
8330
0.42
Reef Fanatic
423
120.6
3.66
175.9
8935
0.41
Taiwan
492
120.2
4.37
220.1
8194
0.44
Figure 1: Spectral Plot of the 400W EVC 10000K lamp
on different ballasts.
EVC 400W 14000K
Table 3: EVC 400W 14000K lamp with different
ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Icecap
422
121.9
3.58
111.9
na
0.265
Blueline
381
122.7
3.22
102.8
na
0.269
Reef Fanatic
425
122.3
3.61
116.6
na
0.274
Magnetic
388
123
3.59
92.6
na
0.238
HQI
541
121.3
5.08
146.6
na
0.270
EVC
412
123
3.47
114
na
0.276
Taiwan
465
122
4.14
131.5
na
0.282
Figure 2: Spectral Plot of the 400W EVC 14000K lamps
with different ballasts
EVC 20000K
Table 4: EVC 400W 20000K lamp with different
ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Icecap
419
121.3
3.57
95
na
0.226
Blueline
386
121.9
3.31
88.6
na
0.229
Reef Fanatic
423
121.8
3.63
97.8
na
0.231
Magnetic
402
121.8
3.7
81.8
na
0.203
HQI
543
121.7
5.24
122.9
na
0.226
EVC
414
123.6
3.48
118.6
na
0.286
Taiwan
465
121.8
4.07
107.6
na
0.231
Figure 3: Spectral Plot of the 400W EVC 20000K lamps
with different ballasts
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HELIOS 12500K
Table 5: Hellios 400W 12500K lamp with different
ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Taiwan
443
123.3
3.83
124.6
17965
0.281
Icecap
412
123.2
3.45
115.2
24427
0.280
HQI
525
123.2
5.33
155.3
10728
0.296
Blueline
378
123.4
3.18
93.9
97715
0.248
EVC
415
123.6
3.49
121.2
15778
0.292
Reef Fanatic
420
123
3.55
136
13911
0.324
Magnetic
398
123.9
3.64
82.5
na
0.207
Figure 4: Spectral Plot of the 400W Helios 12500K
lamps with different ballasts
Helios 20000K
Table 6: Helios 400W 20000K lamp with different
ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Magnetic
385
121
3.62
96.5
na
0.251
HQI
526
122.9
4.94
149.6
na
0.284
Taiwan
465
122.7
4.07
137.1
na
0.295
EVC
416
123.2
3.52
125.5
na
0.302
Reef Fanatic
424
123.2
3.6
127.7
na
0.301
Blueline
383
123.3
3.22
112.2
na
0.293
Icecap
420
122.9
3.52
119.9
na
0.285
Figure 5: Spectral Plot of the 400W Helios 20000K
lamps with different ballasts
HAMILTON 10000K Lamp
Table 7:Hamilton 10000K 400W lamp with different
ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Taiwan HQI
514
122.8
4.38
191.2
9262
0.372
PFO HQI
519
123.1
5.54
208.5
8418
0.402
Reef Fanatic
426
122.4
3.62
171.3
8402
0.402
Magnetic
471
122.3
4.08
184
8788
0.391
Blueline
386
121.6
3.31
122
8946
0.316
EVC
414
122.9
3.5
148.9
8199
0.360
Icecap
419
121.2
3.57
143.6
8978
0.343
Figure 6: Spectral Plot of the 400W Hamilton 10000K
lamps with different ballasts
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HAMILTON 14000K
Table 8: Hamilton 400W 140000K lamp with different
ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Taiwan HQI
450
123.3
3.97
115.3
0
0.256
PFO HQI
512
122.4
5.6
140.5
34583
0.274
Reef Fanatic
426
123
3.61
125.1
79735
0.294
Magnetic
449
122.9
3.98
96.5
0
0.215
Blueline
387
121.6
3.31
84.97
0
0.220
EVC
412
122.2
3.49
104.2
0
0.253
Icecap
414
122.2
3.49
80.93
0
0.195
Figure 7: Spectral Plot of the 400W Hamilton 14000K
lamps with different ballasts
AQUACONNECT 14000K
Table 9: Aquaconnect 400W 140000K lamp with different
ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Taiwan HQI
448
122.8
4.14
134.8
na
0.301
PFO HQI
536
123
4.8
170
na
0.317
Reef Fanatic
428
122.9
3.63
141.5
na
0.331
Magnetic
341
120.6
3.35
80.8
na
0.237
Blueline
378
121.6
3.23
124
na
0.328
EVC
416
123.2
3.51
146.2
na
0.351
Icecap
418
121.5
3.56
143
na
0.342
Figure 8: Spectral Plot of the 400W Aquaconnect
14000K lamps with different ballasts
XM 20000K
Table 10: XM 400W 20000K lamp with different
ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Icecap
414
121.9
3.51
99.26
na
0.240
Blueline
385
122.5
3.28
91
na
0.236
EVC
412
122.9
3.48
94.8
na
0.230
Reef Fanatic
422
122.6
3.59
96.4
na
0.228
Figure 9: Spectral Plot of the 400W XM 20000K lamps
with different ballasts
USHIO 10000K
Table 11: USHIO 400W 10000K lamp with different
ballasts
Ballast
Power
Input Volts
Input Amp
PPFD
CCT
Efficiency
PPFD/Watt
Reef Fanatic
424
122.8
3.59
149.4
7267
0.352
Blueline
384
120.8
3.32
119.2
7199
0.310
EVC
413
122.7
3.5
143.1
7233
0.346
Icecap
419
120.6
3.59
138.1
7191
0.330
Figure 10: Spectral Plot of the 400W Ushio 10000K
lamps with different ballasts
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank several people whose help made
this study possible. They were kind enough to provide us
with lamps and ballasts for testing: Patrick at PFO
Lighting, Brian at HelloLights.com, Brad Shaw and Perry at
Sunlight Supply, Leonhard Ho for the use of his Taiwan
"HQI" ballast, Vince from Ocean Encounter, and TAAM
enterprises for the Helios Lamps. Finally, we would like to
thank Dr. Paul Walker of Penn State University for the use
of the spectroradiometer.
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