disassembling a orbit fixture?

[rnhrtfan]

OK this is just a thought..... I was wondering if anyone out there has done this? I am planning a hood for a 75G and thinking of 175 MH with actinic supplement but debating on the fixture for the supplement. so while feeding the fish tonight I saw my 36" dual orbit with 2 96W PC bulbs. so this made me wonder.....how difficult would it be to disassemble this thing and use the ballast, sockets and moonlights for a 75???? I know the lights would be a foot shorter than the 75 tank but if you center them in the hood they are only 6" shy on both sides so how much of an issue is that??? to me not a whole lot????? give me your thoughts??

 

[fishmon]

It would work fine, just stagger the bulbs in the hood, the leads are fairly long inside the hoods and wired nicely.

 

[firefish2020]

Should be fine but Im suggesting you use 150 DEs instead of the 175s IMO you wont be sorry.

 

[mcox33]

Should work very well and if you find more moonlight bulbs they can probably be soldered into run on the same ballast as the original moonlights

 

[firefish2020]

No LEDs are not like regular lights, LEDs require a specific voltage level to operate, to low and they wont be bright enough to high and they can blow up (literally). To do it right, from what I can remember you have to add a resistor in line that is specific to the LEDs current draw and voltage input in order to drop the voltage over the LED. Refer to Ohms law it can better help you with determining the value of the required resistor for such an instance. Also this site is pretty strait forward if you want to give it a go. http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz

 

[mcox33]

I know all that but you can still wire more into them. I was assumning if he decided to add more moonlights, he would research the correct wiring requirements before preceding.

Sorry.

 

[firefish2020]

Hmmm that post was not for you Mary it was for anyone who may try to add LEDs to a fixture and overdrive them leading to a small fire or explosion.