More power out of your NO lights.

[StirCrazy]

Well I did a pre wire on my 03/actinic NO bulbs and ballast to check its operation, and against better judgment I decided to use my expensive bulbs for a over drive comparison.. I am glad I did as the blues show the difference in intensity better.

first the data, I am using a GE Electronic
B340R120HP PC#80156 3 lamp rapid start ballast and 2 Philips 03/actinic 36" bulbs.

the first picture is the two light being driven normally (this was just a functional test)
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/bothNO1xEa.jpg
the next 3 are the pics of the one bulb over driven and the other bulb normal so you get a side by side comparison

far shot
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/01top2xbottom1x.jpg

a closeup
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/02top2xbottom1x.jpg

and a end view
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/03top2xbottom1x.jpg

and finally the end cap arrangement used to over drive compared to the normal one
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/endcapoverdriven.jpg

I only ran it for about 30 min and the over driven was a bit hotter than the other but it was hardly noticeable.

After this I went out and bought a light meter and a new multi meter so I can have #'s to show the actual gains out of doing this.

I also have to state I got the idea to try this from reefburnaby's experiments with overdriving NO bulbs.

StirCrazy

[afss]

Hey, its not delivery, Its DELISSIO!!!:jester:

So I assume that the brighter one is 2* ovr. Or is it more than that?

Just trying to get a visual of what mine will be like when i manage to get to the home depot to get a ballast to go 4*

Thanks
Scott :cheers:

[StirCrazy]

hehe, ya the wife would kill me if she caught me doing this with out protecting our dinning room table :lol2:

the brighter one is 2 over, tomorrow I will be redoing the test and recording wattage and lux and also trying 3X out put also

StirCrazy

[afss]

Cool:cheers:

Keep us posted with more pics if you can.
Thanks

Scott:thumbsup:

[StirCrazy]

Ok now that I am complete my testing for this ballast and lights here are the results. First to mention the equipment I am using again 1, GE Electronic
B340R120HP PC#80156 3 lamp rapid start ballast and 1 Philips 03/actinic 36" bulb.

to record this info I am using a new radioshack digital auto range multimeter, and a GE light meter.

first, the test setup looks like this
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/testSetup.jpg
I took initial reading and then again took readings after 25 minutes of the set up running and having a chance to settle out.
here is the first test running the bulb at normal power.
the initial current was 0.330 amps (39.6 watts)and it climbed to 0.332, (39.84 watts)not a significant change so I only recorded the start current, the ballast was cold after this test and the bulb was warm.
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/current1x.jpg
the light output remained constant at 13 foot candles @ 12" and 190 foot candles at the bulb surface
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/lightoutput1x.jpg

for the second set I used 2 sets of leads to the power side of the bulb.
the initial current was 0.460 amps (55.2 watts) and the final current dropped to 0.455 amps (54.6 watts), the ballast was 84 degrees F and the bulb was warm (about the same as test 1).
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/current2x.jpg
the light output remained constant at 19 foot candles @ 12" and 320 foot candles at the bulb surface
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/lightoutput2x.jpg

Steve

[StirCrazy]

for the 3x test I wired up the power endcap like this
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/wiringFor3xTest.jpg
The current rose from an initial 0.524 amps (62.88 watts) to a final of 0.549 amps (65.88 watts), the ballast rose to a temperature of 89 degrees F, and the bulb was still only warm ( I could have held my hand on it all day)
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/current3x.jpg
the light output also increased over the 25 minutes from a start of 23 foot candles @ 12" and 400 foot candles at the bulb surface, to 25 foot candles @ 12" and 420 foot candles at the bulb surface.
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/lightoutput3x.jpg

ok now the best for last.. I took a overview picture for each test and I will put them in order of the tests one on top of each other so you can see the difference.
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/test1xoverview.jpg
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/test2xoverview.jpg
http://members.home.net/s.l.s/test3xoverview.jpg

well there is that test, I will be doing it on my 96 watt PC bulbs also to compare there out put and I am thinking I will get a 5900K daylight bulb and try it also (actinic light shows up as a lower output on normal light meters so that is why the numbers for the foot candles look low for a 30 watt bulb. I meant the numbers as a comparison factor not the actual out put of the bulb)

Steve

[StirCrazy]

Ok out of curosity I flashed up my 36" 96 watt PC's and measured the light only on them
my 10000K was putting out 410 foot candles @ 12"(4413 lux) and 5100 foot candles at the surface (54896 lux).

the 6500K was putting out 375 footcandles @ 12" (4036 lux)and 4600 at the surface (49514 lux).

with both bulbs running I took a measurment at 12" and I got 630 foot candle @ 12" or (6781 lux)

I am going to be taking my light meter out with me so when i stop by stores and such I willl try to get a reading off there lights.

Steve

[canadawest]

Great Job Steve, this is exactly the thing the hobby needs; factual controlled testing, rather than "I heard that...", or "Someone told me that..."

I'd be curious to see what the results are for a GE 6500K Ultra-Daylight NO tube? The $4.50 kind that I buy at Canadian Tire when I don't feel like spending the $40 right away on a URI Aquasun! I would think that a couple of the GE ballasts with 3 GE 6500K lamps would produce a lot of output, for less than $100.

Powered on my Icecap ballast they run almost as bright as the Aquasun anyway, but that is just visually comparing, not actually testing with a light meter...

Hmmm... Next time you are over for a meeting, we might have to do a little Icecap 660 experiment at my house????:idea:

[StirCrazy]

ya I am going to get over for a meeting after Christmas.. I am planning on doing this with a cheep daylight bulb also (36" length though) and I am going to buy another one of these ballast and use two ballast and kind of create a home made dimmer for the lights by staggering the start time of the different ballast.

Steve

[ajx22]

...and when you two do this...PLEASE be sure to POST that info too. The more information the better!!!

Thanks all.....

[Kenzy]

Good job Steve!

Where did you get the light meter and how much? I've got a few tests of my own that I'd like to do.

[StirCrazy]

I got the meter from a lighting supply store out here called Albrite lighting.. and it was ~ 30.00 the multimeter is the big ticket idem, oh and the PAR sensor I think I might buy after Christmas

Steve

[Greg Moore]

Stir Crazy
Excellent results and experiment!!

Not only usefull info but doing some simple math on your results shows a slight increase in efficiency in the ballasts when triple loaded as well, a very important detail given the cost of hydro.

Some things people need to keep in mind with this test and/or your equipment. That light meter cannot be used to compare (acuratly) one type of bulb to another (ie 10K to 5500K) because it may favour one spectrum over another giving higher readings to a bulb that may actually have lower output. It would also not be fare to use it to compare 48" to PC directly since a PC has its light concentrated in a closer pattern, just as a halide would show incredible output with a point based meter.

The other 2 things I would love to know from your test but are not practical, how long does the bulb last being over driven (it only has to last 1/3 as long to match cost and I bet it does better then that) and how much, if any, shift in spectrum is there when it is over driven.

Makes me curious now, I have several Sylvania electronics on hand that drive 4 48" T8 bulbs. I am using them to drive Zoo-Med bulbs (only maker I know of that sells conventional reef colours in a 34W T8). Since these bulbs are more effecient to begin with and are designed to run brighter and hotter.... May have to give it a whirl :)

Greg Moore

[StirCrazy]

Yes thanks for restating that Greg, I kind of mentioned it at the bottom of the last experiment about Actinic not showing its full light on the meter and so it can only be used to compare the same bulb.. that I also why I used the same bulb for the test.
I am going to redo this test using a daylight bulb (probably after Christmas) the light #'s should be higher but the ratios should be close to the same. also by that time I hope to have a PAR sensor for my multi meter, this would allow some truly useful comparisons between different types of bulbs being overdriven.

Steve

[afss]

Where do you get your philips actinics?
how much do you pay for them?
Do you have a part/model number?
I was at home depot tonight and could not find them.
Thanks
Scott

[StirCrazy]

they are Phillips 30 watt 03/actinic 36" long.. I got them at a ligghting specialty store out here called Albrite lighting (comercial lighting supply place) and they are 17.99 each.

TL 30W/03 RS is the part number on the box

Steve

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

Overdriving T8 is possible -- that's what I have been using for a while. I think the tubes will last 6 to 12 months (judging by the blacking of the ends). I currently overdrive them 4x to 80W. The output is high enough that I can get shimmering effect in my reef.

Most electronic ballasts will work in overdriving (instant start, program start or rapid start). Steve used a rapid start ballast (ballast drives each pin on the fluorescent seperately like an Icecap) and I used a instant start ballast (ballast drives both pins with one wire - like most T8 ballasts).

The other vender for actinic T8 is Sylvania, Corallife and Hagen (Marine Glow). Sometimes, Marine Glow is cheaper by $4 to $5.

I think you can get actinics from HD if you special order. The four foot version is Philips TL40W/03RS.

Hope that helps.



- Victor.

[Greg Moore]

Afss
I have never seen the Philips 03 (where 03 originally was termed) in a hardware store. I have found them in most major aquarium stores, generally for about $24 as apposed to the $32+ for name brands..

Greg Moore

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

03s are a specialty lamp...sort like a black light. Commercial lighting stores carry them for the newsprinting industry.

- Victor.

[StirCrazy]

Here is the info sheet on the Philips 03 bulbs

http://members.shaw.ca/stircrazy/philips.jpg

Steve

[StirCrazy]

and here is the back of the sheet
http://members.shaw.ca/stircrazy/philips2.jpg

Steve

[george81]

Steve
Is there an Albright store on the Island? Maybe I should check arround up here too.

Lee

[StirCrazy]

ya there is one in Victoria, they are waiting for another shipment of bulbs (might have it by now) I cleaned them out a couple weeks ago..

Steve