So which ballast then??

[cvrle1]

Well reading all the posts about IceCap ballasts and from what other people said, which ballast should I get now. I wanted to get IceCap but as all of you read, something smells "fishy". I want to run VHO's for now and then maby change to PC/MH once I get a bigger tank (few years down the road), or keep VHo's and add MH's. Also can you post the price for the ballasts so that I can compare them and make a good decision.

Thanks a lot.

Marko

[StirCrazy]

Darren is going to do some side by side comparasons between different balasts, I am also doing some tests too. when we have the results of our tests we will be releasing the data.

Steve

[Shadetree]

Marko,

I do not think that you can go wrong with the Ice Cap VHO ballast. They are still a high quality ballast, extremely versatile and good customer support. With that said, it will be interesting to see the output that Darren will be measuring. I think the results might show that the output between all the ballasts are comparable, just that the Ice Cap uses less input for the same output. In which case it continues to be a great choice. Victor and Steve are exploring a cheaper alternative as seen in the DIY forum you might want to check out.

Scott

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

I guess it depends how handy you are with your hands (DIY)...

The safest route is Icecap -- allows you change your mind on the fly. It will drive PCs, VHOs, NOs, HOs and most tubes under the sun (2 feet to 8 feet). Like the stock market, less risk means you pay a premium for this stuff. There is still a bit of DIY...but it is manageable.

Another route is Hellolights(a.k.a.lampsnow). They are considerably cheaper, but they do have limitations. Mainly, they can only drive VHOs and maybe HOs. That's it... Their VHOs may not last as long...but that remains to be seen (the 6 months thing).

Okay...the other routes are DIY Albrite. You can purchase an electronic VHO or HO ballast from them (I think they run from $60 to $100 each). They will run the VHOs to its design intent -- the questions is that better or worse for VHO...I guess Darren will find out. HO ballasts will basically emmulate what an Icecap is doing...slightly less output than regular VHO but the output is more consistent over time.

Another alternative is ODNO (Overdrive NO. I think very few people are thinking of doing this and even fewer are actually doing it. You can get VHO lighting for less...and using less room in your hood.

Hope that helps. But...just the Icecap ballast costs as much as a MH/MV setup....so that's something to think about. I would just get the MH. Its a bit more expensive...but then you don't have to wonder..."do I have enough lights". AND it will save you money in the end.

- Victor.