Product Review: IceCap 660 Electronic Ballasts

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Amphiprion

Contain the Excitement...
Feb 14, 2007
5,776
0
0
Mobile, Alabama
Real Name
Andrew
Company:
IceCap, Inc.

[FONT=&quot]Model:[/FONT]
IceCap 660-009 electronic fluorescent ballast

[FONT=&quot]Link to product description [/FONT]
| (Spec Sheet)

[FONT=&quot]Price range:[/FONT]
$149.99 USD

[FONT=&quot]Pros:[/FONT]
Can drive virtually any type of fluorescent bulb up to 440w total and totaling 16ft/4.8m. Cool-running ballast with included heat sink for enhanced radiative cooling. Tends to slightly overdrive many bulbs, especially T5 lamps without a drop in overall efficiency. Great 3 year warranty and fully repairable. Easy wiring schematics with harness.

[FONT=&quot]Cons:[/FONT]
Relatively bulky (though not as much as metal halide ballasts). Clumsy mounting options. Fuses can be finicky and would need to be replaced in some circumstances. Otherwise, it must be sent in and is a $75 charge if out of warranty.

[FONT=&quot]Star rating (1-5 with 5 being the best):[/FONT]
***** (5)

[FONT=&quot]How long have you used the product?:[/FONT]
For approximately twelve (12) years

[FONT=&quot]Build quality and value for your money?:[/FONT]
Build quality is high overall. Given the versatility, it is a tough, issue-resistant ballast. I can vouch for its toughness after dropping a few, myself.

[FONT=&quot]Other comments:
As far as T5 lighting options go, an IceCap ballast retrofit kit currently provides the most light for the money on the market. Well worth it, despite the relative shortness of lamp life (which is reduced buy roughly 6 mos. below the expected value, which translates to ~8-12 mos. for overdriven tubes).
[/FONT]

Courtesy of MarineDepot.com


 
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