Greg Moore
January 8th, 2002, 12:01 PM
Since the original post by StirCrazy is getting long I am starting this in a new post.
This is to add additional information to StirCrazy's original post about overdriving electronic ballasts and includes additional info and tests done by myself.
First off, the ballasts I am using are Sylvania model QuickTronic 4x32/120IS Simply put, electronics made to run up to 4 32w T8 bulbs.
The bulbs used for this test are a ZooMed 10000K, a ZooMed actinic (both T8's) and a Philips 03 (40w standard actinic). I wish now I had a VHO to test as I expect it would produce the results we want.
This thread is longish, but if you want to know what can be done for a much lower cost then conventionals, read on!!
Ballast cost, $2.25US each. Yes, thats right $2.25us, I bought them in bulk from eBay where they are very often found. Currently there are the same ballasts in 240v for about the same price.
Bulb cost, the ZooMed's are on par with other reef bulbs and come in all the reef colour ranges. A T8 by nature is more efficient then T12 (NO's) giving 95% of the par at %80 of the wattage so opperation is cheaper and at 1" dia, more can be fit in a hood.
Power draw results, these are interesting and suggest a VHO bulb would run at VHO output in this configuration. I base that on the fact that a VHO has slightly more mercury in it and will draw more amperage (if available) then NO bulbs. In this test, more amperage is available then the NO's are drawing.
Draw no bulbs 22.92watts
Draw 1 T8, wired for 1 = 50.4 (27.48 net per bulb)
Draw 2 T8's, wired for 2 = 70.8 (24.3 net per bulb)
Draw 1 T8, wired 2X = 67.2 (44.28 net)
Draw 1 T8 wired 3X = 75.6 (56.8 net)
Draw 1 T8 wired 4x = 83.4 (60.48 net)
Draw 1 T12 40W wired 4X = 72w ((49.1 net)
Also of note, the T8 actinic drew less then the T8 10K did (7 watts less in 4X mode).
Unfortunatly I do not have a light meter so I used a camera, aimed at the bulb(s) from 6' with an otherwise black room. The numbers on the cameras meter are useless except for comparison in this test (1-10 range).
The T8 output peaked at approx 2.5 times it's base when wired 4X which goes inline with the draw. The Philips however didn't fair as well by not quite doubling output (again, crude light meter and the actinic colour may be playing games too).
Now for the research side of it, to fire a tube, you basically either heat and vapourize mercury (normal ballast, conventional start) or you excite it with RF range voltage (instant on electronic), you then supply voltage to it to cause it to interact with the phosphores and produce light. The voltage required is a constant for a given tube length. The amperage is varied, to some degree, but the amount of mercury available (or load it can consume). This test clearly shows, like StirCrazy's, that you can overdrive NO bulbs easily, but we know that because even Icecap tells us that. They also point out that an NO bulb will run brighter on their ballast, but not as bright as a VHO.
These Sylvania ballasts have a max capacity of 120w total of tube (they state either 3 40W NO's or 4 32W T8's or anything less). I fully expect that wired together in 4x mode (4x32W), they will drive to full output, a VHO 110W 4 footer (and consume a wattage inline with the higher output). In a nut shell, it is my belief they can be used to run VHO's properly and without undo stress on either the bulb or the ballast.
2 addvantages become clear to me, 1 is cost, even at the normal CDN price of $45 each, 4 of them will drive 4 VHO bulbs for $180, at the eBay or other discount prices, the sky is the limit. In my case I can use 4 of them for 4 VHO bulbs for $10us :) The other advantage is one that kept me from using something like Icecap in the first place. I don't want all my tank lights to come on at once. I want an actinic on first, followed by a 6500K (ZooMed has) followed by 2 10,000K's and reversed at sun set. You cannot do this with the Icecaps, you can with 4 seperate ballasts..
Feel free to ask any questions, don't be foolish enough to try this with normal tar ballasts, they WILL burn! Try other electronics at your own risk, but know these Sylvania's do work. Also note, the wattages expressed are RMS using an RMS amp meter on the ballast feed. They are total consumed watts, not bulb consumed. For peak (what you are shown in adds) go roughly 20% more. Ie a T8 wired 1X consumes about 32.9w, wired 4x is about 75W. Following the listed lumin output for a T8 vs a T12 NO bulb, this would equal around 90W of NO required to match 1 T8 wired 4X
Imagine, VHO lighting for even $50 per 4 bulb ballast with the ability to turn on or off 1 bulb at a time. It's going to work for me. For now I will run the T8 bulbs, maybe someone can test this system with a VHO bulb? (I will eventually...)
Greg Moore
This is to add additional information to StirCrazy's original post about overdriving electronic ballasts and includes additional info and tests done by myself.
First off, the ballasts I am using are Sylvania model QuickTronic 4x32/120IS Simply put, electronics made to run up to 4 32w T8 bulbs.
The bulbs used for this test are a ZooMed 10000K, a ZooMed actinic (both T8's) and a Philips 03 (40w standard actinic). I wish now I had a VHO to test as I expect it would produce the results we want.
This thread is longish, but if you want to know what can be done for a much lower cost then conventionals, read on!!
Ballast cost, $2.25US each. Yes, thats right $2.25us, I bought them in bulk from eBay where they are very often found. Currently there are the same ballasts in 240v for about the same price.
Bulb cost, the ZooMed's are on par with other reef bulbs and come in all the reef colour ranges. A T8 by nature is more efficient then T12 (NO's) giving 95% of the par at %80 of the wattage so opperation is cheaper and at 1" dia, more can be fit in a hood.
Power draw results, these are interesting and suggest a VHO bulb would run at VHO output in this configuration. I base that on the fact that a VHO has slightly more mercury in it and will draw more amperage (if available) then NO bulbs. In this test, more amperage is available then the NO's are drawing.
Draw no bulbs 22.92watts
Draw 1 T8, wired for 1 = 50.4 (27.48 net per bulb)
Draw 2 T8's, wired for 2 = 70.8 (24.3 net per bulb)
Draw 1 T8, wired 2X = 67.2 (44.28 net)
Draw 1 T8 wired 3X = 75.6 (56.8 net)
Draw 1 T8 wired 4x = 83.4 (60.48 net)
Draw 1 T12 40W wired 4X = 72w ((49.1 net)
Also of note, the T8 actinic drew less then the T8 10K did (7 watts less in 4X mode).
Unfortunatly I do not have a light meter so I used a camera, aimed at the bulb(s) from 6' with an otherwise black room. The numbers on the cameras meter are useless except for comparison in this test (1-10 range).
The T8 output peaked at approx 2.5 times it's base when wired 4X which goes inline with the draw. The Philips however didn't fair as well by not quite doubling output (again, crude light meter and the actinic colour may be playing games too).
Now for the research side of it, to fire a tube, you basically either heat and vapourize mercury (normal ballast, conventional start) or you excite it with RF range voltage (instant on electronic), you then supply voltage to it to cause it to interact with the phosphores and produce light. The voltage required is a constant for a given tube length. The amperage is varied, to some degree, but the amount of mercury available (or load it can consume). This test clearly shows, like StirCrazy's, that you can overdrive NO bulbs easily, but we know that because even Icecap tells us that. They also point out that an NO bulb will run brighter on their ballast, but not as bright as a VHO.
These Sylvania ballasts have a max capacity of 120w total of tube (they state either 3 40W NO's or 4 32W T8's or anything less). I fully expect that wired together in 4x mode (4x32W), they will drive to full output, a VHO 110W 4 footer (and consume a wattage inline with the higher output). In a nut shell, it is my belief they can be used to run VHO's properly and without undo stress on either the bulb or the ballast.
2 addvantages become clear to me, 1 is cost, even at the normal CDN price of $45 each, 4 of them will drive 4 VHO bulbs for $180, at the eBay or other discount prices, the sky is the limit. In my case I can use 4 of them for 4 VHO bulbs for $10us :) The other advantage is one that kept me from using something like Icecap in the first place. I don't want all my tank lights to come on at once. I want an actinic on first, followed by a 6500K (ZooMed has) followed by 2 10,000K's and reversed at sun set. You cannot do this with the Icecaps, you can with 4 seperate ballasts..
Feel free to ask any questions, don't be foolish enough to try this with normal tar ballasts, they WILL burn! Try other electronics at your own risk, but know these Sylvania's do work. Also note, the wattages expressed are RMS using an RMS amp meter on the ballast feed. They are total consumed watts, not bulb consumed. For peak (what you are shown in adds) go roughly 20% more. Ie a T8 wired 1X consumes about 32.9w, wired 4x is about 75W. Following the listed lumin output for a T8 vs a T12 NO bulb, this would equal around 90W of NO required to match 1 T8 wired 4X
Imagine, VHO lighting for even $50 per 4 bulb ballast with the ability to turn on or off 1 bulb at a time. It's going to work for me. For now I will run the T8 bulbs, maybe someone can test this system with a VHO bulb? (I will eventually...)
Greg Moore