Advance M80 Ballast

[Jedi68]

Hello! Let me start by saying what a wonderful board this is. :D I have been reading this board for almost three years and quietly absorbing all the juicy info. I just got into the world of reef for about 2 years. Yes...this is my first post.
I have a 77gal (48"x16"x20"??) reef tank supported by a 20gal refugium. My tank has nothing but softies. I am tired of putting everything on the top 8" of my tank since I only have PC's. In the next couple of months (depending on my tax return), I am hoping to switch over to MH rather than 4 VHO setup. The setup I want is:
2 x 250w MH with 2 - 20,000K bulbs
2 x 40w NO Actinics

I called Commercial Lighting on Annacis Isld and they quoted me $80 :shock: for the Advance M80 Ballast. By the way, thanks to Bryan for the info. :lol: Is this too good to be true? J&L sells the bare HQI ballast for $149. Is the M80 the only ballast that would burn the 20,000k the best?

I was thinking about the PFO HQI dual ballast with enclosure from J&L for $339.

I love to start keeping some SPS, but with my shoe string budget :( , I am finding it really tough to get there unless I can find some short cuts.

Please help...

[StirCrazy]

I would check again and use the part # I have posted.. I also have gotten low ball quotes but they are realy for a different ballast that is not a real M80 (there is a cross reference page that says this other ballast can be used instead of a M80 but it won't give you the same effect) you will find that the real ballast is not listed in the canadian catalog and they must go to the world catalog to find it and get a proper quote..

the part # you want to make sure they are quoting you on is

Advance 71A5880 and make sure they are including the starter and the capacitor also.. I think you will find your quote will climb to over 150.00 when they look it up for real..

Oh and Welcome to the Board!

Steve

[Doug]

Welcome and hi.

[Jedi68]

Thanks for your quick replies! :D

I just called Commercial Lights back to make sure that I am getting the real thing. Sure enough the quote he gave me was for something else made by Advance??? :x The guy's first reply was that Advance is the only brand that he carries... Then I literally had to beg him to double check the part # :evil: and oops...he gave me the wrong quote. Now I have to wait two weeks and pay a little bit more. To make the long story short; I can get the whole package (ballast and capacitor) for $94.19. I hate disappointments so I will probably drop in and order it in person and show them the spec that I got from Advance Transformers Co.

The person on the phone also mentioned that since I am using the ballast with MH bulb, I won't need a starter. Any comments on that!

[GregJ]

Jed, I just went there today to buy mine. I quote you got was probably only for the core and coil and capacitor. You will have to put that into a box and get it wired. Thats what I am getting done. I asked thee if they could do it and was told that I would have to take it to an electrician :cry:
,but it was still a lot cheaper

Greg

[StirCrazy]

I still think he is quoting you the wrong ballast or just a bare ballast... take the part number I gave you and demand only that number with all the parts. tell him you don't care if it will work with out a starter.. it is harder on the bulbs with out the starter. The problem is all thease places are only used to dealing with North american bulbs and do not have much experiance with the european design so they think they all have starters..

Yes a bulb will light with out a starter but it stresses the bulb needlessly.. this is why a lot of the LFS and places in Canada think that it is perfectly ok for a 10000K bulb to take 2 or more atempts to start..

Steve

[StirCrazy]

here they are all in there beauty :wink:

http://members.shaw.ca/s.l.s/temppics/HQIballast.jpg


Steve

[StirCrazy]

ok I know it isn't clear in the pic above as every MH ballast looks like that pretty much.. this is what you want to see to conferm you have a M80 HQI ballast. this is located pasted on the side of the steel around the coils.

http://members.shaw.ca/s.l.s/temppics/tag.jpg

if the lable doesent say that then you have a different ballast.
if it does say that and you don;t have both a starter and a capacitor then go get them.. you want dry film capaciters if you can.. the ones from advance are dry film and a plastic case ignightor.

Steve

[Bryan]

You can also buy from them, for a reasonable price, a aluminum or steel vented enclosure. I think it runs about 20-30 bucks depending on the size.


Thats what I am getting done. I asked thee if they could do it and was told that I would have to take it to an electrician :cry:
,but it was still a lot cheaper

Greg

[Bryan]

Sometimes it's better to just go to the advance or venture website and print out the spec sheet for the ballst you want. Fax to them for a quote with the comment NO cross referenced substitutions.

Thanks for your quick replies! :D

To make the long story short; I can get the whole package (ballast and capacitor) for $94.19. I hate disappointments so I will probably drop in and order it in person and show them the spec that I got from Advance Transformers Co.
!

[GregJ]

Bryan, I had asked if they had that(ballast box) and was told that they didn't. The guy that I talked to even went and asked if anyone knew how to wire them up,and couldn't find anyone. Oh colin isn't there anymore, he their travelling salesman now, or so I was told

[Bryan]

The ballasts are simple to wire up, just refer to the schematic on the spec sheet or the label on the ballast.

Bryan, I had asked if they had that(ballast box) and was told that they didn't. The guy that I talked to even went and asked if anyone knew how to wire them up,and couldn't find anyone. Oh colin isn't there anymore, he their travelling salesman now, or so I was told

[StirCrazy]

Jed, I just went there today to buy mine. I quote you got was probably only for the core and coil and capacitor. You will have to put that into a box and get it wired. Thats what I am getting done. I asked thee if they could do it and was told that I would have to take it to an electrician :cry:
,but it was still a lot cheaper

Greg

Greg the ballast you got are not HQI ballasts and do not come with a starter or do they need one.

I thought the price you said was very cheep.

Steve

[GregJ]

Steve the post that I was referring to was the "Son argos ballasts" thread

greg