Understanding and choosing t5 Ballast. diy

Any recommendations for MH 150w ballast for double ended bulbs? Something that will fit within my Current USA fixture...

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If you run a vue 660 (icecap) you are going to overdrive the t5 bulbs. They need fans and won't last as long.
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Who are you refering your statement to?

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Have an expensive problem on my hands. All I need to do is drive two 36" 39w t5. My buddy gave me an old 48" 6 bulb tek. One of the ballasts was apparently dead. Turns out the one that drives the outer 2 bulbs was shot. The ballast driving the middle 4 bulbs is a ICN-4S54-90c-2LS-G. It says right on the ballast that it's also capable of driving 39w t5. So I took the unit apart enough to slide one set of endcaps closer to test drive a single 36" lamp. These were fluval brand t5ho btw. There were no lamps in there except the one I tried to drive. It flickered a brief moment and was done. I foolishly tried a second lamp in another socket pair with the same result.

I know it's wired to currently run 4 bulbs but it should still be able to drive a lone bulb (or eventually 2) right? It's just wired to handle up to 4. And like I said it lists other bulbs it's capable of driving including the 39w.

Can someone please help? I can't afford to keep frying bulbs. Thanks.
 
Have an expensive problem on my hands. All I need to do is drive two 36" 39w t5. My buddy gave me an old 48" 6 bulb tek. One of the ballasts was apparently dead. Turns out the one that drives the outer 2 bulbs was shot. The ballast driving the middle 4 bulbs is a ICN-4S54-90c-2LS-G. It says right on the ballast that it's also capable of driving 39w t5. So I took the unit apart enough to slide one set of endcaps closer to test drive a single 36" lamp. These were fluval brand t5ho btw. There were no lamps in there except the one I tried to drive. It flickered a brief moment and was done. I foolishly tried a second lamp in another socket pair with the same result.

I know it's wired to currently run 4 bulbs but it should still be able to drive a lone bulb (or eventually 2) right? It's just wired to handle up to 4. And like I said it lists other bulbs it's capable of driving including the 39w.

Can someone please help? I can't afford to keep frying bulbs. Thanks.

Nowhere on the spec sheet does it say that the ballast can do 39W T5.
http://www.lightingsupply.com/media/pdf/ICN4S5490C2LSG.pdf
 
I just snapped this pic. It says on there compatible with F36/39W. Isn't that the bulb in question?

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T5/HO ballasts are application specific. The first technology where this was the case, and an ICN4s54 is not intended to run F39T5/HO lamps. It just burns them up. IceCap had some trouble with this, saying that their 660 T12/VHO ballast was suitable for running T5/HO lamps. I have an ICN-2S54 in my hand and the ballast says: FT36/39W, which is a CFL, not a T5/HO. You need to get your hands on a ICN-4S39 ballast, if you want to run 39watt T5/HO lamps. Easy enough mistake to make, but can get expensive blowing out lamps.
 
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What ballast to drive 60" bulbs?
And do ballasts only ever drive 2 or can they do 4 bulbs?
Thanks
 
F80T5HO (60" lamps) require an ICN-1S80 ballast. It is a single lamp ballast. I am not aware of a correct ballast that will drive either 2 or 4 F80T5HO lamps. Most other sizes are either ICN-2Sxx or ICN-4Sxx, running either 2 or 4 lamps repesctively. You can run less than the xSxx (e.g. 1 lamp on 2Sxx) but cannot run more than the stated number, nor can lamps of other wattages be run on the ballast.

When shopping for T5/HO ballasts it is important to note that the lamp designations (e.g. FxxT5HO; FxxT5/HO & FxxT5-HO are the same as the first) are standarized. If the designation is not in that format (i.e. FT36/39w) it is not a T5HO lamp. Of course FxxT8 and FxxT12VHO are not T5HO lamps either. FxxT5 and FxxT5VHO are separate specifications as well.

Lamp designations do not cross reference as they are standardized, however ballasts do cross-reference, between various manufacturers. The type of lamp determines the type of ballast needed (by lamp specifications,) however there is no regulation on the ballast manufacturer/lighting packager/reseller, e.g. they can put FxxT5HO lamp type on any ballast they want too. (results in T12VHO ballasts saying they can run T5HO lamps, and instant start ballast saying the same.) So it is best to use a "cross-reference" when selecting a ballast, rather than the ballast label in some cases; but if the label does not say: Programmed Start and Lamp EOL Protection, it is NOT a T5HO ballast.
 
This thread is awesome as I am embarking on my 120 build. My current plan is 6 t-5's and 2 250w MH's. It will definitely be a DIY fixture and the ballast part was the most concerning for me. Thanks to all the contributors for the great info!! :thumbsup:
 
The ICN-2S39-T is a dual mode ballast. It can do 24W and 39W T5 2 bulbs. It also has the advantage that when you run 24W mode it has a ballast factor of 1.12. This means that bulbs will be over 10% brighter than a HEP and 25% brighter than a Workhorse.

Also, power factor stays at 1.0 which means it is not overdriving the bulbs by doing this. It is just a more efficient ballast.
 
Sorry to revive an old thread, but I my google skills aren't showing any results. Do the Phillips centium ICN-4S54-90c-2LS-G ballasts require 240v to run 4 54w t5 bulbs, or will 120v do it?
 
The ICN-4S54 just as the ICN-2S54 pictured above, can run on a line voltage of 120 VAC to 277 VAC. So 240VAC is not required to run 4 lamps. These ballasts use switching power supplies so the output of the ballast is consistent through the input range.
 
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