Ice Cap Metal Halide Ballast

[sobe]

Was wondering if anyone has experience with using Ice Cap Metal Halide Ballast?

Currently, has 3 x 250 Watts bulbs running on a ballast that may be broken (the ballast/lighting system makes a strange noise when the 3rd bulb is turned on from the timer). Because this tank was bought as second hand, it's not clear what kind of a ballast it was installed with.

Was wondering if someone can share their experience with using the Ice Cap ballast? Also, please include all the parts and some instructions that I may need to installl for this ballast. This ballast will be supporting 3 x 25O Watts bulbs.

Thanks:(

[jag1979]

I have 3 250 icecap MH ballasts...they all work great. as far as parts and instructions, if you just buy the ballast alone you will need a plug and some electrical wire, after that connect the wires and plug it in!

[crabsy]

Check out PFO electronic ballasts at Premiumaquatics.com, great ballasts and no wiring,just plug and play and they offer an adapter wire/plug to connect to systems other than PFO. Rumor is they use Icecap anyway. I have 3 and wouldn't use anything else. Jeremy at Premiumaquatics is a great help, ask for him if you look into that. Just mho.

[johnnybravo234]

EVC makes a good 250w balast for $99

[Acroholic]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8501979#post8501979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sobe
Currently, has 3 x 250 Watts bulbs running on a ballast that may be broken (the ballast/lighting system makes a strange noise when the 3rd bulb is turned on from the timer). (

Are you trying to run 3 250W MH bulbs on one ballast? What IceCap ballast do you have? Maybe this is your problem?

I have 3 IceCap elec. MH ballasts driving 3 MH bulbs and they work great.

[sobe]

Thank you all for your replies!

I'll attempt to remove the ballast box and check out the ballast(s) that are currently installed. Due to its current position in the canopy, it will take some effort to get it removed. Anyhow, my original thought was to get a single ballast to support 3 MH bulbs. But, from what I've gathered from the replies, this idea may not work.

Any additional suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.

[killereef]

Icecap ballast are great. I have 2 250w and 1 660 ballasts. My 660 stop working one day and I shipped the ballast back to Icecap to be fix or refurbish. Icecap services sent me the day they received the ballast an email me saying the ballast is working fine and they are going to replace for free the connector that was a little broken and not charge me for the services and they will run the ballast for 8 hours straight to see if there are any other problem. The service and the Icecap people did a great job. Their sevices if second to none.

[jag1979]

I would be careful about running ballasts inside of a canopy, especially w/ 3 mh's running. Can you mount them outside the canopy?