PC lighting without ballast
 

Hey guys... I just made a dual PC light fixture for under 10 bucks for my refugium...

I bought a couple of regular sockets $3 each...
an extension cord for wire $2
couple of bolts $1

That's 7 dollars...

I mounted it in white rain gutter (eavesthrough) plastic and cut it to sit right on top of my refugium...

The bulbs are the more expensive part though.. Each bulb was $19 (but I used my Canadian Tire money)... the bulbs are screw in bulbs not needing a ballast made my GE, it is the daylight bulb and on the box it says 6500K as colour temperature. There are cheap bulbs $6.99 but the colour was pretty warm. This is a quick easy way to make a light without much heat...

I don't know anything about lumens or anything but it says it puts out 950 lumens. It's only 15 watts but says it's equivalent to a 60 watt bulb...it's one of those energy saver bulbs...

What do you guys think? A cost effective everygy efficient way to have lighting... good for 100 000 hours...

des

[ 19 April 2002, 09:39: Message edited by: Dez ]

PC lighting without ballast
 

I was thinking in doing pretty much the same to put some lights on my sump and grow algae there.
I read of a few people with similar setups, so seems that it's not a totally crazy way to do it.
I have a question, how do you keep moisture out and reduce the risk of water getting on the wires ?

PC lighting without ballast
 

Emil...

I just made it yesterday...my system is not running yet... but there hasn't been a problem with my other fixtures in the past. there is not much exposed wire at all...except under the screw where you screw the wire in.. I guess you could have glass tops...but I prefer not.. I just clean my bulbs regularly..

des

PC lighting without ballast
 

put a dab of silicon on all exposed wire ends. That will keep the moisture out. Or just go crazy with the electrical tape!

Simon

PC lighting without ballast
 

Someone did something similar on reef central:

http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin...threadid=71801

PC lighting without ballast
 

Seen this done a few times. Yes, very cost effective. I'm not crazy on the colour but certainly for what you're using them for it's a good fit.

Now, if only they could come out with an actinic version. ;)

PC lighting without ballast
 

Whoa, Im going to hav to check into this. I was just thinking of how I was going to do some cheap fuge lights. They are good on power too!

PC lighting without ballast
 

On my 20g I use two Panasonic 23 watt 5000k PC's(lights don't look green or yellow at all) with 1420 lumens and compared to 90 watt. These bulbs were $19.99 and are guaranted for 18 months or bulb will be replaced over the counter if they stop working or anything besides being shattered. These PC's are SWEET!!! Definatly good for NANO's and refugiums. ;)

PC lighting without ballast
 

My Communications teacher at Olds College assured the class that the most commonly misspelled word in the English language is "occurrence), but I feel that on SW bulletin boards it is "definitely", it usually comes out as definatly, and "fluorescent", it seems to come out as flourescent, or sometimes as florecent. What do you guys think? :D :D :D
Bob
sometimes called "the grammar police"

PC lighting without ballast
 

More like the "Grammar Slammer" for the old show "House of Frightenstein."