subject: Newcomer Positronics Lighting Systems Measures Up To the Competition [print this page] The two top brands included EYE Hortilux and SunMaster. We tested the 1000 Watt HPS bulbs as a sample because they are the most popular and because they have the highest lumen output of any bulb commercially available. We considered lumen output; advertised vs. tested with a LUX meter, color spectrum in a spectrograph, and price.
Regarding lumen output advertised on the company website and in the marketing literature, both SunMaster1 claims of 150,000 lumens of output. EYE Hortilux claims 145,000 lumens2 and Positronics Lighting Systems claims 150,000 lumens3. There is no bulb in the industry over 150,000 lumens as there is a power threshold which sodium vapor cannot exceed.
As for the actual lumen output of each of these bulbs, we did testing on three different random samples of each manufacturer. Each claim is relatively accurate with Positronics Lighting systems having the slight advantage by having an average lumen output slightly over at 150,346 lumens, followed by EYE Hortilux at 144,985 lm, and then Sunmaster at 147,683 lm - well under.
Color spectrum range was one category where the advertised and actual results were very accurate. The color range is always identical as Sodium technology dictates a range from the whole color spectrum as well as some ultraviolet light4. Both EYE Hortilux and SunMaster have almost identical spectrograph readings, showing major spikes at the 560nm (100% relative energy), 600nm (80% relative energy), and 620(60% relative energy) nanometer range as well as minor spikes at 460nm and 500 nm. However, Positronics Lighting Systems spectrograph and test results showed more pronounced spikes at the 600 (80% relative energy) 620nm (85% relative energy) and 640nm (75% relative energy) range as well as 700 (75% relative energy) and all were 100% relative energy at 560nm. In addition, claims of increased blue light by EYE and SunMaster proved relatively false as there was only one minor spike at 460nm and 500nm of around 20-30% relative energy where the Positronics product shows higher and more sustained spikes in that range; 40% and 35% respectively.
The price averages were obtained by performing a google.com and Yahoo! shopping search for the products mentioned. Next we compiled the prices of the top 10 search engine results. Finally, we averaged them over the test number to calculate the price per bulb. EYE was the most expensive bulb on the market as well as the most popular in the search engines at $95.70 per bulb. Sunmaster came in second at $80.95, and Positronics Lighting Systems was first at $69.95. The price differential was $25.75, or about 28.5%.
We tested the best names in hydroponics supplies business to see if we could identify distinct differences between grow light manufacturers in this industry. We wanted to see if the quality and price of each grow light was relative. What we found was counter-intuitive as, in actuality; the more expensive bulbs deliver less and cost more. In hard numbers as well as corporate claims, Positronics met and beat the competition in every category we tested. They boast and deliver the highest lumen output, most wide spectral range - including blue light, and lowest price in the industry and came through in every category with flying colors. The conclusion to this experiment, answering the question, "What is in a name?" is clearly that when it comes to your grow light, not much, unless you are Positronics Lighting Systems.
Newcomer Positronics Lighting Systems Measures Up To the Competition
