dimmer required. Which one?

[sunman]

I would like to dim t5 or MH bulbs using a controller on my 180 gallon tank. Does anyone in the USA make a controller or ballast to dim t5 bulbs. I know that europe has something like this but it's 220 volts. the ACLS does MH only.

 

[The Grim Reefer]

You can get special T5 ballasts that dim but I have no idea who sells them.

 

[bertoni]

There's no useful dimmer for MH bulbs. The products that exist shorten the bulb life dramatically. Or so I'm told.

 

[x-link]

you need dimming ballasts to begin with then you get your dimmers.the t5s need a 0-10v dimmer or in line dimmer same as mh.

 

[x-link]

oh for your ballasts check out thr advance ballast company.

 

[sunman]

advance does make some good ballasts but none that can be controlled to simulate natural conditions as in the ocean. If MH cannot be controlled reliably, then I don't mind using t5 bulbs as long as I can control them to simulate natural lighting conditions.

 

[pjf]

55w Dimming Ballast & Controller

55w Dimming Ballast & Controller

Here is a dimming ballast and a dimming controller for a 55-watt T5 or T6 lamp:
http://www.naturallighting.com/web/shop.php?crn=685&rn=3246&action=show_detail
http://www.naturallighting.com/web/shop.php?crn=623&rn=2854&action=show_detail

 

[sunman]

are there any controllers that can realastically control those dimmable ballasts. I would like to simulate actual conditions. Random weather patterns, etc...

 

[The Grim Reefer]

Only controllers I know of are for Ice Cap 660 ballasts. Unfortunatly they only work with VHO lamps. They can't dim T5's.

 

[sunman]

that's what I was afraid of. I already have a solar 1000 with icecap 660's. I guess I'll have to wait for this technology to trickle down to the states.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Advance RZT-154 (single 54W)
Advance RZT-2S54 (Double 54W)
Osram QTQx54/120PHO-DIM (single 54W)
Universal ES5844K (single 54W)

All of these ballasts are 0-10V dimmable. there are x10 and rs232/485 compatable 0-10v dimmers, as well as commercial 0-10V dimmers. Dallas has an app note about using 1-wire potentiometers to create a dimmer for these.

So the "controller" will need to be of your own design. You can use a computer with a digital potentiometer, motoized potentiometer, DAC card or similar. You can use a microcontroller and DAC or dallas 1-wire.

Bean

Bean