IC ballast with NO bulbs

[Larry Grenier]

I've read a few articles/threads about doing this. For a new reefer on a tight budget, what 46-48" 40W bulbs would work well? I'd want bright white and actinic. Would either of your ballasts work this way? Any other comments or cautions?

[Kinesthesia]

Yes, IceCap will drive 40watt bulbs and drive them well !

GE makes a bulb called a Daylight Ultra, they're 6500k and about $7 each in Walmart.

I went to home depot and bought four Phililps 6500k Daylight bulbs for $10.00 total. They sell them in packs of two for $4.59.

Now 6500k may not be the best bulb, but it will do quite nicely until I want to spring for some VHO's. Meanwhile, as I've read repeatedly the IceCap will drive the NO's beyond specs. I don't own a lightmeter, but in about ten minutes I had two of those bulbs wired to the IceCap and I can honestly say that they are about as bright as the four bulb flor fixture in my kitchen, and the one in my office at work. I dare say that I thought it was brighter.

Now I am... an IceCap fan.

http://www.lighting.philips.com/nam/prodinfo/fluorescent/p5136a.shtml

I went to a lighting store near my work looking for some cheap actinics, but the guy offered me URI SuperActinic VHO's for $18. That was the end of that conversation, "Two please !"

Hopefully Andy will chime in and give us some hard info on just how well the IceCap will drive NO bulbs. I heard rumors of 80% of VHO performance, which sounds like 88watts, but we'll wait and see what Andy says.

[ASH]

What I have found is that you get about 1.8 to 2X normal output with a model 660, and about 20% less than that with a Model 430, and use 20% less electricity. T-8's seem to get even better results but we're testing lamp life and lumin depreciation and will announce results shortly.

Do make sure the lamps don't get too hot by allowing some air circulation or passive movement of hot air.

Andy