work worse 5 ballast ??

[robin coggan]

I was just wondering if you can hookup 2 4ft t5 lamps to this ballast and if so how do I wire it up bc all I have is 4 red wires and 1 yellow




Thanks Robin

[Mike31154]

Check out the Fulham web site, they have diagrams for all the configurations.

[Snookster]

Yes, you can. I have 2 of the wh5s ballasts running 4 lamps. Do a search for the wiring diagram ad you show have no problem finding it.

[madadi]

two wires to one end. two wires to the other end from the other bulb. yellow wire gets connected to the empty, two ends from both bulbs, you will have to split the yellow.

[robin coggan]

oh from the Wiring Diagram i get something different are you saying use all the wires out of the ballast put two of the red coming out to one end cap and the other two to the other end cap and then have yellow going to the opposite side

thanks Robin

[uncleof6]

Robin,

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/wire11-1.gif

Are you wiring up 3 piece German endcaps, or tombstone instant start endcaps like the wiring diagram is for? The workhorse ballast is an instant start ballast, and T5 lamps are programmed start. (Improper ballast) This wiring diagram shows jumpers at the endcaps, however, the 3 piece (water proof) endcaps cannot be jumpered.

Jim

[robin coggan]

thank you Jim for the wiring diagram clear as mud


Robin

[uncleof6]

thank you Jim for the wiring diagram clear as mud


Robin

Would you like to know how to wire these things up or not? I know how, but I am not gunna try and explain it, till I know we are on the same page. What type of end caps do you have?

A lot of people have trouble wiring up the workhorse ballasts, because they are improper ballasts for T5/HO-- so the wiring is weird. I you have the type of end caps the above diagram is for, it makes perfect sense, if you do not you will be playing in the mud. :)

Jim

[robin coggan]

lol sorry man i have the tombstone style like in the wiring diagram but if they are not safe with the water being so close to them then i will up grade to the T5 3 piece Waterproof End Caps


Robin

[uncleof6]

lol sorry man i have the tombstone style like in the wiring diagram but if they are not safe with the water being so close to them then i will up grade to the T5 3 piece Waterproof End Caps


Robin

Unless you are completely enclosing the fixture, it would be better to use the 3 piece German end caps. Less chance of arcing due to moisture/salt vapor etc.


The "improper ballast" thing is because I try to talk people out of using workhorse ballasts for T5 (they don't run the lamps correctly), however I don't always succeed at doing that (cost factor) so to the ends of getting you going, with 3 piece end caps: (the black dots at ends of green wire connect to your reflectors.)

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/workhorse2lamp.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/workhorse2lampballast.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/workhorse2lampred.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/workhorse2lampyellow.jpg

No more mud......... I am working on a 4 lamp/2 ballast also......

HTH,

Jim

[robin coggan]

so are the workhorse ballast ok to use if wired right....thank you for all your information i will let u know how it goes thank do u have any pics of your build


Robin

[Gremraf]

Jim,

Have a question, why do you need two wires to the 1st light, and only one to the second.

[DOTZ]

uncleof6, please explain why they don't run the bulbs right. Not saying you're wrong by any means, but I have seen a lot of people run them for years with no problems and just want to know your ideas.

Thanks

[uncleof6]

so are the workhorse ballast ok to use if wired right....thank you for all your information i will let u know how it goes thank do u have any pics of your build


Robin

The lamps light up, and they run without issue, however, they are not started correctly: start instantly, rather than the specified programmed start. This wiring is from a Hamilton retro. I do not run the fixture, as the ballasts are workhorse ballasts. The fixture runs fine however. Hope that makes sense. I have a couple shots of 2 lamps running on T5 specific ballasts however: (don't wire them up like this, was illustrative-- don't remember the thread they were in)

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/DSCN0220.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/DSCN0219.jpg

Jim,

Have a question, why do you need two wires to the 1st light, and only one to the second.

I have no idea. Ask Hamilton. In the four lamp fixture, only one set of lamps is wired like this, the other set is wired with a single wire. They operate independently. See below.

uncleof6, please explain why they don't run the bulbs right. Not saying you're wrong by any means, but I have seen a lot of people run them for years with no problems and just want to know your ideas.

Thanks

The T5 lamp specification calls for "programmed start", this is a function of time/current/temperature. The workhorse ballast is an instant start, which forces the lamps to start before the lamp conditions are right.

A ballast is a current limiting device. The T5 lamp specification calls for a specific current, if the ballast and lamp are not matched the current will not be correct for the lamp (usually overdrives the lamps.) Both of these conditions reduce the useful lamp life. IceCap was doing a test on the use of the 660 ballast to overdrive T5 lamps, however they have not, as yet, published the results (been over a year.) I don't want to speculate as to the reason.

Below is the entire fixture (4 lamps) as wired from the factory.

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/2ballast4lampworkhorse.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/2ballast4lampworkhorse1.jpg

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/uncleof6/2ballast4lampworkhorse2.jpg

The only difference is I am showing grounding for 4 individual reflectors, rather than the single factory reflector. The second set of lamps fire, whether the first set (with the double wires) is on or off, and vice versa. Can't give a good answer for the double wires. The first lamp in the fixture is on a different (horizontal) plane as the others.

Regards,

Jim

[DOTZ]

Thanks for the explanation.

[robin coggan]

looks good man thanks for all the help

Robin