Pulse start ballasts and ignitors

Delphinus · #1 02-19-2003, 10:10 PM

Looking through the specs of most pulse-start ballasts (e.g., M135), they pretty much all indicate a "ballast to lamp" (BTL) distance of 2 feet.

BTL is a function of the ignitor used. Advance offers a replacement ignitor for their ballasts which they call a "wide range ignitor" which is good for a BTL of up to 40 feet. But here's the problem: the cost of this ignitor is more than half of the cost of the actual ballast! ($80 for the ballast with standard ignitor, $43 more for the long-range ignitor).

I guess my question is this. How rigid is that BTL distance of 2 feet with the standard ignitors? If you step up the wiring guage, can you extend this distance somewhat? To something more like 5 feet or 6 feet?

The problem is that with a BTL of 2 feet, that puts the ballasts pretty much right in the canopy of the aquarium. It's much nicer to be able to move the ballast into the stand, or even hidden behind the wall behind the tank, or some such. Which (IMHO) puts the typical BTL measurement more like 5' or 6' for the "average aquarist."

...

Or, here is another approach to this question. For the people running Radium 400W's on Sunlight Supply ballasts, does your ballast come with any kind of documentation that indicates a maximum length of wiring between the ballast box and the lamp socket? Please let me know what your instructions say, if they say anything on this topic, that is. That might give me a clue as to what ignitor they're using.

If it's best to use the long-range ignitor, then I can live with that. I just want to be sure that I'm not overstating the issue, if it is an issue at all.

Please and thank you!!!

StirCrazy · #2 02-19-2003, 10:37 PM

Tony, I think the best aproch to this would be to figure out how far you "HAVE" to go and e-mail advance themselves. I know the ignightor on my M80 ballasts are a 5 foot ignitor, maby there would be a suitable one for you also.

Steve

CHEAPREEF · #3 02-19-2003, 10:38 PM

I ran my 400watt with a standard ballast remote mounted 5-6 feet away for a year with no problems at all. Don't know if that helps or not just saying i had no problems. 8)

Clinton

Doug · #4 02-19-2003, 11:12 PM

Tony,
My relectors and sockets, which are from Bluewave, come with a heavy duty cable, that has to be at least 10ft. long. This is one honkin heavy duty cable, I might add.

My ballasts sits on the floor.

Delphinus · #5 02-20-2003, 12:12 AM

Ten feet! It would be really cool to learn that all is needed, is just a really heavy duty cable to make it work with the standard ignitor.

It's too bad you can't open those Bluewaves without voiding the warrantee, to see what part #'s they use, and if they're using Venture ballasts or Advance ballasts.

That would pretty much cinch my dilemma right off the bat. If they use standard ignitors, cool, if not, well, cool to know that too.

Too bad it'd be really uncool to call Perry at Sunlight Supply and ask him what he uses. Hey, um, can you tell me what to use, so that I don't have to buy from you?? Dude!! You're so kind to ... um ... like, not give me the finger!"

I'm thinking the only way I'm going to find this out, is, buy the ballast with the standard ignitor ... and if the light fires, then I guess it's OK. And if not ... then spring for the new ignitor, only bummer is it's like 4-6 weeks delivery apparently. A long time to wait ...

BCOrchidGuy · #6 03-16-2003, 03:25 PM

What about phoning a couple hydroponics shops, they may be able to tell you how ridgid that is.

DJ88 · #7 03-17-2003, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Ten feet! It would be really cool to learn that all is needed, is just a really heavy duty cable to make it work with the standard ignitor.

By increasing the size of the cord from the ballast to the bulb you also increase the distance you can run the ballast away from the bulb. I saw a table for this somewhere recently but can't remember where..

Delphinus · #8 03-17-2003, 03:14 PM

That would certainly be cool info. The long-range ignitors are somewhat pricey ($40-50), so if a person could get away without them, over a two-ballasted tank that's an almost $100 savings, which will nearly pay for a bulb. I kind of doubt a person could stretch a 2' BTL rating into 10' of course, but maybe it could give just that extra little bit of slack to be able to keep the ballasts outside of the hood..

In my case, I decided to not worry about BTL and just spring for the long-distance ignitors. The only thing that is kind of a downer is that I was told it would be "at least" four weeks to get them in, and so far that is holding true. Oh well, they say patience is a virtue ....