DIY Icecap...its not what you think
- Thread starter reefburnaby
- Start date
Red_Roadster
New member
I have a bunch of T8 full spectrum bulbs at work that are 5500k, 93 cri, and 3000 lumen. Would this lamp work well if overdriven, or do I need a bulb with a higher kelvin rating? These bulbs are also rated to 30,000 hours.
Thanx,
Red
Thanx,
Red
DrMilhouse
New member
This post is still going. Wow. 
This is the lighting I have over my 125. I did four 48" 4x overdriven. The daylight delux bulbs are really the only way to go. They're at 6500k. Even with those, they're too yellow. (I'm using some actinic supliment to get rid of the yellow tint).
HD should have them. It's a phillips bulb, it's 5.97 for a two pack (5.49 for a single).
The bulbs are ones in the blue packaging. It's in the big box under the other specialty floresent bulbs.
HTH
This is the lighting I have over my 125. I did four 48" 4x overdriven. The daylight delux bulbs are really the only way to go. They're at 6500k. Even with those, they're too yellow. (I'm using some actinic supliment to get rid of the yellow tint). HD should have them. It's a phillips bulb, it's 5.97 for a two pack (5.49 for a single).
The bulbs are ones in the blue packaging. It's in the big box under the other specialty floresent bulbs.
HTH
I just picked up 10 10k T-8 bulbs, $10 each at a LFS that was closing
Howdey, I just read more of this post than I should have... getting too many ideas. So I have four electronic ballasts, each rated at 3.5 amps (440 watts) and I just bought some 55 watt PC lights and sockets... Can someone help me figure out how to wire them for regular output and then for 2-3X output? I have no clue how to wire them right now, so I really don't want to end up with an 8X output wire job if you know what I mean. Here is the info on the ballast:
General Electric Electronic 3.5 amp (440 watt max) type 1 ballast. It has a black wire on the top of both ends and a yellow/green wire on the bottom of both ends. Something like this:
__________
--Black--------| |---Black--------
| Ballast |
--Ylw/GRn-----| | --Ylw/GRn-----
|__________|
According to General Electric this ballast was designed for use with multiple Fluorescent, Compact fluorescent, or metal halide bulbs. They could not give me much help with a wiring diagram though. Ballast #:89G635
I bought these with the hopes of running 8 bulbs from each ballast before I realised I knew nothing about wiring them or if they would run more than one bulb each...
I thought I would ask here because some of you all obviously know a bit more about lighting than I do! Heck I didn't even know a CF bulb would get brighter if you gave it more juice...?
General Electric Electronic 3.5 amp (440 watt max) type 1 ballast. It has a black wire on the top of both ends and a yellow/green wire on the bottom of both ends. Something like this:
__________
--Black--------| |---Black--------
| Ballast |
--Ylw/GRn-----| | --Ylw/GRn-----
|__________|
According to General Electric this ballast was designed for use with multiple Fluorescent, Compact fluorescent, or metal halide bulbs. They could not give me much help with a wiring diagram though. Ballast #:89G635
I bought these with the hopes of running 8 bulbs from each ballast before I realised I knew nothing about wiring them or if they would run more than one bulb each...
I thought I would ask here because some of you all obviously know a bit more about lighting than I do! Heck I didn't even know a CF bulb would get brighter if you gave it more juice...?
why won't it post the extra spaces? IKE!
Ohh, and the Sockets are kind cheap maybe? they say 75 watt 125 volt on the back... I got them from petsupplyliquidator.com for $2 each......
Thank you to anyone who can help me out with this. I have asked GE & PSL numerous times and neither have been any help with wireing these things.
Ohh, and the Sockets are kind cheap maybe? they say 75 watt 125 volt on the back... I got them from petsupplyliquidator.com for $2 each......
Thank you to anyone who can help me out with this. I have asked GE & PSL numerous times and neither have been any help with wireing these things.
well i just found this info on overdriving bulbs.I have been doing this for about 11 months.Im using 1 t8 bulb 5500k and 1 t12 antic.
As stated the lamp life on the t12 in 6 month is burned about 6 inch down both ends of the tube. I think you should do T8 antic instead of t12 for reasons stated in the articles first page or two.
Also the t8 bulb i replaced in 6 to 7 month becaused it had blacken about 2 inches down on both side,and bulb was only 3 dollars.Also from my test with watt meter and others i found that a 4x32 ballast with 2 of the outputs on one bulb overdrove the bulb to a factor of 1.7 but with all 4 outputs it was only 2.3 so i just do the 2x over drive thing and use the other 2 outs to overdrive the other tube. So i guess what im saying is that most ballast will not give you a true 4 x over drive when useing all 4 outputs.i got the most light for the bulk driving 2 bulbs from one 4x32 ballast. Also im not telling anyone to do this or try this.!!!!!!! Im just saying this is what i do. Also I would like to know if this is what other people are finding in ther diy :bum:
As stated the lamp life on the t12 in 6 month is burned about 6 inch down both ends of the tube. I think you should do T8 antic instead of t12 for reasons stated in the articles first page or two.
Also the t8 bulb i replaced in 6 to 7 month becaused it had blacken about 2 inches down on both side,and bulb was only 3 dollars.Also from my test with watt meter and others i found that a 4x32 ballast with 2 of the outputs on one bulb overdrove the bulb to a factor of 1.7 but with all 4 outputs it was only 2.3 so i just do the 2x over drive thing and use the other 2 outs to overdrive the other tube. So i guess what im saying is that most ballast will not give you a true 4 x over drive when useing all 4 outputs.i got the most light for the bulk driving 2 bulbs from one 4x32 ballast. Also im not telling anyone to do this or try this.!!!!!!! Im just saying this is what i do. Also I would like to know if this is what other people are finding in ther diy :bum:
sorry i read the first 2 pages and posted the info above.then i read page 15 and 16 i see where they found as i did that 2outputs of the ballast is the best way to go. also do not use the ballast on t12 antic bulbs or any t12 bulbs . You will find as i did,
that even if you drive the vho bulb at below the watts on bulb it will last 1/2 as long as it would if it was powered by the right vho ballast.I think this is due to the way the tube is started.
that even if you drive the vho bulb at below the watts on bulb it will last 1/2 as long as it would if it was powered by the right vho ballast.I think this is due to the way the tube is started.
(1)vho aro ballast wired as it should be 47watts one t8 - 107watts 2 t8 temp of the bulb 130degree
(2)ge 4x32 ballast 55watts 1 t8 - 90 watts 2 t8 wired x2 temp 130 ballast 110 degree
(3)pc55watt on aro vho ballast wired as it shoulb be? 107 watts on 2-55watt bulbs temp 160
(4)coralife 4x65 pc fixture = 141 watts total on all 4 bulbs running
(5)jbl 4x55 pc fixture = 122 watts total
(6)55 watt pc wired to ge 4x32 ballast with 2 55 watt bulbs = 102 watts temp = 102
(2)ge 4x32 ballast 55watts 1 t8 - 90 watts 2 t8 wired x2 temp 130 ballast 110 degree
(3)pc55watt on aro vho ballast wired as it shoulb be? 107 watts on 2-55watt bulbs temp 160
(4)coralife 4x65 pc fixture = 141 watts total on all 4 bulbs running
(5)jbl 4x55 pc fixture = 122 watts total
(6)55 watt pc wired to ge 4x32 ballast with 2 55 watt bulbs = 102 watts temp = 102
uncleof6
Active member
you know I dont want to blast anyone on this forum for it shows incredibly bad taste, and an intolerance for others opinions..... electricity is much the same way... intolerant....
I read the first few pages of this then sorta skimmed through and noticed the gentleman that started this thread has not been around for a while.... wonder if his house burned down yet.......:eek2:
I read the first few pages of this then sorta skimmed through and noticed the gentleman that started this thread has not been around for a while.... wonder if his house burned down yet.......:eek2:
uncleof6
Active member
What the gentleman that started this thread was doing, though it can work ... is not safe.... and that is not just My opinion....however, my training could be incorrect, and i could be sadly and severly wrong... if my round about way of offering a strong caution about this practice has offended any, I apologize.... My background is B.S.E.C.E, and the last ten years as an electrician........
Jim
Jim
I do not understand what is so bad about what we are doing. It is not like we took the ballast apart to run different we are still operating the ballast well within the design specs. Now the bulbs are a different story they are being driven with more power than they should but I do not think that it not ouside the safety margin.
The Icecap ballast do this to bulbs so you may want to write them a letter and state what you wrote here and inform them of your concers.
The Icecap ballast do this to bulbs so you may want to write them a letter and state what you wrote here and inform them of your concers.
uncleof6
Active member
It is not the Icecap I have concerns about it is simply using devices in ways they were not designed for... in the whole electrical field this is one of the biggest issues... and I have seen the results of this first hand...it is one of the reasons the electrical code exists... (though the code does not apply to aquariums) and it is something to show some extreme caution and thought over....
An analogy would be perhaps trying to get the same wide angle view from an 8" f8 as you would get from an f4.5 although the risk would be non existant in this case....
I hope that this continues to work for you safely it is just in My experience (and not just my own) with this sort of thing, something goes wrong and usually it is not pretty ... time will tell...
Good luck
Jim
An analogy would be perhaps trying to get the same wide angle view from an 8" f8 as you would get from an f4.5 although the risk would be non existant in this case....
I hope that this continues to work for you safely it is just in My experience (and not just my own) with this sort of thing, something goes wrong and usually it is not pretty ... time will tell...
Good luck
Jim
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Uncleof6
If you look into it, you will find out that many commercial lighting products use overdriven t8 bulbs. The commercial lighting industry pushes these items as cost effective replacements to commercial MH lighting in warehouses and large factories. The fixtures do exactly what we are doing.... using a High Ballast Factor ballasts. Warning labels and specifications are one thing, common sense is another. In this day and age you will find that published specs are simply lawsuit preventers.... as are the useless warnings and large list of do's and don'ts.
Bean
If you look into it, you will find out that many commercial lighting products use overdriven t8 bulbs. The commercial lighting industry pushes these items as cost effective replacements to commercial MH lighting in warehouses and large factories. The fixtures do exactly what we are doing.... using a High Ballast Factor ballasts. Warning labels and specifications are one thing, common sense is another. In this day and age you will find that published specs are simply lawsuit preventers.... as are the useless warnings and large list of do's and don'ts.
Bean
GulfCoastAquarian
New member
I don't know about reefburnaby, but he did check in about a year ago and said the setup was going fine.
I've been using a 2xODNO setup for over 2 years now and am actually still using the same bulbs (it is a planted tank, not a reef - less demanding of color spectrum).
Is it perfectly safe? Nope. But it has been used safely for quite some time now.
55w Power Compact bulbs are essentially overdriven T5 bulbs, bent in half. Judging by the temperatures that they operate at, (as show in a1's post above) the risk with ODNO is relatively low.
The biggest concerns, with me, would be:
A) Wrong Ballast
B) Incorrect Wiring
I've been using a 2xODNO setup for over 2 years now and am actually still using the same bulbs (it is a planted tank, not a reef - less demanding of color spectrum).
Is it perfectly safe? Nope. But it has been used safely for quite some time now.
55w Power Compact bulbs are essentially overdriven T5 bulbs, bent in half. Judging by the temperatures that they operate at, (as show in a1's post above) the risk with ODNO is relatively low.
The biggest concerns, with me, would be:
A) Wrong Ballast
B) Incorrect Wiring
