Overdriving lights.
 

they said that you have to use a MH balast.. that a MH bulb will run in a MH balast only.. but I was on the Iwaska page and they even say there NOT to use a MH ballast... so I will have to not tell them what I want .. so the only difference between the two bulbs is a UV shield? do we need that? I found a better drawing of the two different bulbs.. looks like a lot of difference besides a uv shield.. the "R" one has a carbon resistor and the other doesent..
http://www.carlosreef.com/iwasaki_comparison.htm

hey I found a company in BC that is a distrubitor for thease bulbs..
Standard Products Inc.
103A-81 Golden Drive
Coquitlam, BC V3K 6R2
CANADA
Phone: 604-945-4550
Fax: 604-945-9019

mabe some one over there can call them or stop buy and get the real info on thease bulbs and a price.. and what the diff is between the r and the non-r besids the carbon resistor.

Steve

[ 14 December 2001: Message edited by: StirCrazy ]

Overdriving lights.
 

Steve,
http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin...asaki+resistor

That should explain it [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Yah...just tell them you want a Metal Vapour ballast and capacitor (if required for that ballast). Iwasaki is a MV conversion lamp -- a MH lamp design to run in a MV ballast.

- Victor.

Overdriving lights.
 

What would happen if you use a standard ballast for a 48" on a 24" would this over drive the lights too? Or is there something I'm missing?

Lee

Overdriving lights.
 

If you mean doinging what I did but using a balast made to run 4 foot tubes and running 4 foot tubes ya it will be ther same idea..

Steve

Overdriving lights.
 

Hi,

I am assuming the 1.5" diameter tubes right ?

The problem is that 40W and 20W usually uses approximately 430mA of lamp current -- that is the current flowing through the fluorescent tube. In order to overdrive either lamp, you would need to bump up the lamp current -- that is why we attach multiple ballasts in parallel. When we attach the ballasts in parallel, we are driving more current in to the lamp. So the main different between the 40W and 20W tube is the voltage across the tube -- the 40W has double the voltage.

What I am trying to say is that you will need the same amount of equipment to overdrive a 40W as you would a 20W.

- Victor.

Overdriving lights.
 

I get the parallel part this makes more sense, but is the operating voltage different for different length bulbs? I have found some ballast that say 18"-24" and other that say 36"-48"

Was thinking if I got a ballast for a 48" x 1.5" and only installed a 24"x1.5" if this would explode, or be in overdrive.

I think it would be best to get the right ballast and put the outputs together. Just haven't found ballasts up here that handle more than 2 bulbs. Will try HD in Nanaimo on Friday.

Lee

Overdriving lights.
 

Hi,

The 18" to 24" thing...I think that is true for electromagnetic ballast. Since the operating voltage and current for those lamps are approximately the same (within 15%), the 18" will be overdriven slightly and 24" is underdriven slightly -- but the same ballast is used for both.

As for lamps exploding...unlikely. The worst it will do is burn out like a light bulb or not start at all.

If you want to overdrive a 20W, you can buy a F32T8 ballast and drive 4 outputs in to one lamp (or even two in series may be possible)....that should overdrive it by 2x.

- Victor.