Retro Fitting a T5

[greaps]

Hi, I found a great looking fixture, the Standard T5 6 lamp fixture on amazon. The reflectors are great, per other users, but it lacks active cooling, I could add a fan. I'm looking at two retro fitting ideas.

My problem with it is that its all on one ballast, is there a way to take two bulbs off it, and run those on a separate ballast that way with a basic timer I could run 2 on one timer, and 4 on another, for dawn and dusk and full daylight with the overlap.

What would I need to purchase to accomplish this?

A second idea, is to retro fit this fixture with led for the dawn and dusk viewing. I was thinking of a Rapid LED actnic retro kit, here it is...

With the LED retro I could probably keep 5 T5 bulbs in place. I could even add a moon lights on the same heat sink from rapid led as well.

Which seems better? I think I could figure out the LED retro as it is, but the T5 one seems more complicated. I'm leaning more towards the T5 only.

 

[laverda]

To do independently switched T5s you will need another T5 ballast capable of running 2 bulbs of what ever length your bulbs are. I know Lowe's or Home Depot carries 2x54W Advance T5 ballasts now.

 

[zachts]

Wiring wise the t5 option is probably less work, but you will need to know the ballast in the fixture to see if it can be reconfigured to run fewer bulbs, many of them can but not all......and if your going to do a little modding anyhow you could pretty easily integrate in fixture timers using the in wall type to maintain only a single power cord to the fixture...just a thought. Worst case you'd need all new ballasts but should have plenty of room to work with in the fixture.

 

[nickman]

Most T5 ballasts only run even numbers of bulbs to my knowledge, meaning you'd have to pull two bulbs instead of just one for an LED mod.

If you end up going that route I would add enough LEDs to make up for the loss of PAR from two T5s.

I modded an ATI 8x54 for a buddy of mine and put a mix of Royal Blue, Blue/Cyan, and Violet LEDs (30 total) down the center (no optics) and he is loving it. All 3 colors and independently controlled via his Apex.

 

[gus6464]

I would take a step further and replace all the ballasts. The ones on that unit are rapid start. Replace with programmed start and you got yourself a quality unit.

 

[BrokenSpoke]

Greaps - do you have a link to that fixture on Amazon?

 

[greaps]

http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Foot...50316151&sr=1-1&keywords=standard+T5+ho+6bulb

 

[1MP3R1AL]

http://iankreer.com/2015/diy-t5-led-build/

 

[Kennyw43]

Is this over your tank if so post a pic?

 

[1MP3R1AL]

 

[1MP3R1AL]

It's an amazing fixture, even without LEDs.

 

[greaps]

It's an amazing fixture, even without LEDs.

Great looking light and an even better build, his thread is on the nano sub-forum and who lead me to this retro fixture idea.

 

[Jone]

Taggin

 

[AZRippster]

How do the reflectors on this compare to ATI?

 

[greaps]

I don't have the fixture yet, but they look like polished aluminum. The ATI has better ballasts, and active cooling, and very good active cooling.

 

[AZRippster]

Looking forward to your report once you get it.

 

[greaps]

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/index...lNj5wbpcVFn30ZdT86Z5nP3x3qSGN4ajdwaAjhM8P8HAQ

Apparently the light has two ballasts and two switches one controlling 2 bulbs and the other 4 bulbs. So I think all I need to do is add a second power cord directly to one ballast and un-link the two. Thinking this is all I will need?