gabew
New member
About 6 months ago I bought a Odyssea 4ft 216 watt t5 fixture, knowing full well I was taking a risk buying so cheap. I am very pleased to say that I experienced no problems with the fixture until just about a week ago. The lights are on timers. There are two pairs of bulbs, run by two ballasts, each on its own timer. Well about a week ago the ballasts stopped regularly turning the lights on in the morning. Sometimes it would turn on, sometimes it wouldn't. Sometimes one ballast would work but not the other. Sometimes neither would work. I am not sure what the average lifespan is for a ballast, so I do not know if this is normal or a sign of cheap construction. Also the fact that they both stopped working within days of each other makes me wonder if something caused it. I am not sure what would cause a ballast so malfunction though.
Either way I need to get new ones asap. And I need help deciding witch ones to buy. Like I said I am not sure what the normal lifetime is for a ballast, but if this is normal I see no reason just to buy the same ballasts again from Aquatraders, as they would be easiest to install and would be guaranteed to work with the lights. However if this is abnormal, I might want to go with a different brand. I looked around and found a few models. The Odyssea ballasts are $28.90 here, I also found two other from BRS: here and here, as well as one from Drs Foster and Smith: here. Those range in price from $30-$40. The only reason I chose those two sites is because I have bought from them in the past. If you have any other suggestions please give them. So which do you think I should go with? My only hesitation with the others is that they do not appear to have the same plugs as the lights. Meaning I might have to do some electrical work to get them installed. I myself am not that good with electronics but my dad is, so if it were necessary he could help get that working.
Thanks a lot for the help.
Either way I need to get new ones asap. And I need help deciding witch ones to buy. Like I said I am not sure what the normal lifetime is for a ballast, but if this is normal I see no reason just to buy the same ballasts again from Aquatraders, as they would be easiest to install and would be guaranteed to work with the lights. However if this is abnormal, I might want to go with a different brand. I looked around and found a few models. The Odyssea ballasts are $28.90 here, I also found two other from BRS: here and here, as well as one from Drs Foster and Smith: here. Those range in price from $30-$40. The only reason I chose those two sites is because I have bought from them in the past. If you have any other suggestions please give them. So which do you think I should go with? My only hesitation with the others is that they do not appear to have the same plugs as the lights. Meaning I might have to do some electrical work to get them installed. I myself am not that good with electronics but my dad is, so if it were necessary he could help get that working.
Thanks a lot for the help.
