Over-Driving Normal Output bulbs?

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Ranger

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Jun 20, 2001
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Anybody have any info or links on over driving normal output florecent bulbs with electronic ballasts? Anybody here using this method for thier lights? I aqautic garden so I stay out of that 10,000k+ range but I figured you guys might do this for some of your lights.
 

slipknottin

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Jan 13, 2002
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you need to be a little more specifc in your question...

i know quite a few people that overdrive their NO lamps.

did you have a specific bulb or ballast in mind?
 

cich-o

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for those of you who overdrive NO bulbs, Why can't you use say a ballast designed to power two f40t12 to power two f20t12?
I tried this before I found this board and it didn't work it just overheated and kicked off. Also does anyone have a part no. for a 4f32t8 ballast that can be used to overdrive 48' bulbs for my 55, I can't find them anywhere. Thanks!
 

slipknottin

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i believe those are cap and coil ballasts. they can only drive the type of lamp written on them, otherwise they just overheat.

get a good electronic ballast to overdrive your lamp. something like a fulham 5 would work great. (120 max watts)

your bulb is 40 watts, so it is going to be overdriven 3x. Which has been done before successfully.
 

cich-o

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I have no idea what a fulham 5 is, where are they and how much. I am really justexperimenting right now I don't plan on having anything that needs that much light for a while but I know me and eventually I will NEED to have a reef tank so I am just trying to find some inexpensive ways to supply the light which seems to be the single most expensive part of it. I will be converting to a 55 in a couple months that i would like to try some low light inverts before stepping up so I am trying to get some lighting ideas for it using supplies that I already have or that are easily aquired ( lowes, Home Depot) I have a few 48" shoplights lying around can't I just use the ballasts that are in them and just combine to make a two ballast two bulb single fixture with the bulbs being 2x overdriven each? Do you know how much light I would get with a setup like that? Thanks for your help!
 

slipknottin

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Jan 13, 2002
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there are electronic ballasts you can buy at home depot. you can not use cap and coil, or tar ballasts as they are not able to operate different types of lights.

If you dont have any experience with lighting or electricity id advise you to cut costs somewhere else. messing with ballasts and bulbs could cause major problems. light failures and bulb replacement will be the least of your worries. you could easily blow bulbs, ballasts, or worse, cause shorts or overheating ballasts and a large potential fire risk.

cutting corners on lighting is one of the biggest mistake ive seen many newbies to reefing take. The inadequant lighting allowing just one or two animals to die will negate any money saved on the cheaper lighting. Not to mention many of them will need to upgrade because there not satisfied or wish to keep more demanding critters.

If you want cheap lighting solutions, get a VHO retro kit. Its money well spent, as there is resale value and upgradability. Many people start out with two or four VHO bulbs, then simply add MH later and keep the VHOs.
 
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