Please help with ballast wiring!

[s0larb3ar]

Hi,

I currently have a 20 G with its original 18" 15W Eclipse light strip. I'm trying to make a DIY light fixture by adding a second 18" 15W light strip, connecting the new and original to one ballast. I have an Advance electronic ballast that is suitable for the setup, but for some reason I can't connect it together so that it works. I've looked at the handy diagram they have on the ballast, and I've done my best to emulate it.

The ballast comes with the usual black and white wire which i've dutifully connected to the outlet line, two blue wires, and one red wire.

If someone could draw out a crude diagram (that includes the two terminals in the endcaps) or describe step-by-step how I connect these together, that would be so great!

Any help would be appreciated, even if it's to tell me that i got the wrong equipment!

BTW, I'm a new member and I just got my second tank...and trying to do this one justice! Hey all :)

[1oooop]

I see, can you give me the original diagram, LOL, I might be able to help(I totally PWNED my parents at wiring the new GFIO[they thot the wires were connected in a different way])

[duke33]

Can you scan the diagram and post it here? That would help. All I can say is you wire it in series, or continue the wire to the next light.

[Cory Keeper]

simply hook one blue wire to one endcap, and the red one to the other. That ballast sounds like it can handle 2 tubes. To add a second one, simply wire the tubes in parallel.

[1oooop]

hmm, 2 blue and 1 red? any other wires? maybe another red?

[The Zigman]

run 1 blue to each tube... connect the red to BOTH tubes.
then it will work.

there are 2 hot wires (the blues) and one neutral (the red)

[Cory Keeper]

what Zig said.

[duke33]

Yeah what Zig said.

[s0larb3ar]

Oh yes, that's pretty much the diagram that is on the ballast. However, I don't know how to make the 'Y' connections to each end of the lights (i understand that I need wire nuts?), or how to run the 1 red wire to two tubes.

TOTAL newbie at this DIY stuff, so bear with me =]

[Cory Keeper]

solder would work, as well as solderless connections that you can crimp.

[Bk718]

Oh yes, that's pretty much the diagram that is on the ballast. However, I don't know how to make the 'Y' connections to each end of the lights (i understand that I need wire nuts?), or how to run the 1 red wire to two tubes.

TOTAL newbie at this DIY stuff, so bear with me =]

Yes wire nuts are the thing to use
Heres another simple diagram.. Basically you will have a red wire leading from each bulb and connecting to the main one coming from the ballast. All held in place with the wire nut (green)
http://s4.tinypic.com/126fui0.jpg

[1oooop]

I suggest welding them together(no, I'm just kidding, welding has poor electrical properties) I suggest maybe buying some electrical tape, twist the two wires together and just electrical tape that connection and be sure that you cover all of the exposed metal or, you will get shocked

[Cory Keeper]

or as I suggested, soldered. I'm less than thrilled of the idea of just twisting wires together and taping them up. When I hooked up my moon lights I soldered them together, I did use tape, but just to cover them up to prevent being shocked.

[The Zigman]

Do you have sockets for the bulbs? You can simply push the wire into the socket, and join the 2 sockets together...

there are little slots on the bottom of the socket, you only have to connect 1... use the other slot to connect your other socket...


attach the 2 sockets together..
dont use tape, or wire nuts...

let me find a pic...

here, see how the white wire connects the 2 sockets, and the red goes to the ballast...

[1oooop]

Do you have sockets for the bulbs? You can simply push the wire into the socket, and join the 2 sockets together...

there are little slots on the bottom of the socket, you only have to connect 1... use the other slot to connect your other socket...


attach the 2 sockets together..
dont use tape, or wire nuts...

let me find a pic...

here, see how the white wire connects the 2 sockets, and the red goes to the ballast...
that'll also work... LOL screw my idea...

[s0larb3ar]

Great! I'll try to do this later tonight, and see if I have any other questions. Thanks, everyone.

[s0larb3ar]

Well, i connected everything like you all said, and...it's still not working. Could the problem be with the AC connection itself? Does the ballast require a 3-prong outlet, or is a 2-prong ok? Even when i connected the ballast to one light strip, it still didn't work.

I really hope there isn't something wrong with the ballast itself, because i've (obviously) already opened the package and cut wires...ergh

[s0larb3ar]

I reinstalled the original, trying both light strips just in case those were the problem, and they both work.

I think if anything, i'll call the Advance's technical line

[1oooop]

I reinstalled the original, trying both light strips just in case those were the problem, and they both work.

I think if anything, i'll call the Advance's technical line
hmm, you do require 3 prongs to work, the ground is essential, without it it won't work right, believe me... personal exp...

[The Zigman]

hmm, you do require 3 prongs to work, the ground is essential, without it it won't work right, believe me... personal exp...

I have never seen it necessary to use the ground...

[s0larb3ar]

I've read around and i'm guessing it's standard to have the "3rd prong" as a green wire. Since there is no green wire, i'm assuming I don't need the grounding, and there's something else wrong.

Yep, calling the tech line tomorrow.

[1oooop]

I've read around and i'm guessing it's standard to have the "3rd prong" as a green wire. Since there is no green wire, i'm assuming I don't need the grounding, and there's something else wrong.

Yep, calling the tech line tomorrow.
just ground the ballast's body to the ground wire... simple as that