Bi-axial Compact Fluorescents
Contents:
- Osram Lighting for a reef
by gqva06-at-udcf.gla.ac.uk (Wilson Angerson) (Fri, 3 Mar 1995)
- Where can I get Osram lighting?
by kristi-at-sc.hp.com (Kristi Bittner) (10 Mar 1995)
- Where can I get Osram lighting?
by root-at-tc1009.pto.ford.com (0000-Admin(0000)) (13 Mar 1995)
- Where can I get Osram lighting?
by root-at-tc1202.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (0000-Admin(0000)) (14 Mar 1995)
- (M) Comments on Biotope lighting?
by oleg-at-Veritas.COM (Oleg Kiselev) (19 Jan 92)
- [F][Q]Help w/Osram bulb selection
by kristi-at-sc.hp.com (Kristi Bittner) (6 Jul 1995)
- [F][Q]Help w/Osram bulb selection
by sanford1-at-ix.netcom.com (gary sanford) (6 Jul 1995)
- [F][Q]Help w/Osram bulb selection
by eisenbra-at-joyce.oit.umass.edu (Benjamin P Eisenbraun) (5 Jul 1995)
- DIY compact flourescents -- need info and wattage advice :)
by pyrojon/hotmail.com (Sat, 13 Jun 1998)
- Cheap Cooling Fans
by Cbbgthdr/aol.com (Fri, 16 Oct 1998)
- SHOlights
by krandall/world.std.com (Tue, 26 Jan 1999)
- RE: SHOlights
by "Paul Secinaro" <pauls/datacube.com> (Wed, 27 Jan 1999)
- CFL lampholders, etc. (APD #1279)
by Zxcvbob/aol.com (Thu, 16 Sep 1999)
- Fan noise in CustomSeaLife ABS hoods
by boingy/ugcs.caltech.edu (Heide Li) (Mon, 26 Jul 1999)
- Subject: CustomSeaLife vs. Hamilton Technology Lighting Systems
by "Monolith Marine Monsters (m3)" <puffie/marine-monsters.com> (Tue, 21 Dec 1999)
- PC vs standard flourescents.
by Zxcvbob/aol.com (Sat, 14 Aug 1999)
- PC Efficiency & Hamilton Compatible Bulbs
by Johan Henckens <johan/mmdg.org> (Thu, 29 Jul 1999)
- Compact Flourescent retrofit kits
by "Bob/Georgia" <luna/mail2.nai.net> (Thu, 26 Aug 1999)
- Ballast info.
by Steve Bansee <Steve.Bansee/PWGSC.GC.CA> (Fri, 23 Jul 1999)
- SHO-light recall
by PGagne2000/aol.com (Wed, 27 Oct 1999)
- Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #1383
by "II, Thomas Barr" <tcbiii/earthlink.net> (Thu, 11 Nov 1999)
by gqva06-at-udcf.gla.ac.uk (Wilson Angerson)
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria
In <1995Feb26.014521-at-opal.tufts.edu> etsang-at-opal.tufts.edu writes:
>A single 9-watt Osram-type of bulb equals to the output of a 40-watt regular
>light bulb. This is listed in the Osram-type bulbs (Philips to be exact)
>boxes.
This doesn't necessarily mean much. Standard fluorescents are also much
more efficient than regular filament bulbs. Watts per gal calculations
are based on fluorescent or MH output, not filament bulb output.
Energy consumption is 9W + 2W (with adaptor) = 11 watts. Anyway,
>sometime ago, a netter in here posted a chart saying that a 9-watt Osram equals
>to a 30W (?) output of a flourescent. Provided that the reflective material
>has a 90% reflectability (in Coralife's Mini-might case). So, your calculation
>of 6 x 9-watt is quite not appropriate. The person who posted the chart I
>mentioned above, please repost that if possible or at least explain one more
>time about the output of Osram 9-watt bulbs. Thanks!!
Well it can't be equal to both a 40W filament bulb and a 30W standard
fluorescent, because the fluorescent is much brighter. The
manufacturer's claim is the more modest one, and I don't suppose they'll
be understating its performance. They may be great bulbs, but I can't
believe that they're more than 3 times more efficient than standard
fluorescents.
Wilson
by kristi-at-sc.hp.com (Kristi Bittner)
Date: 10 Mar 1995
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Erik Olson wrote:
: Hi. Quickie note: I'm setting up a tiny plant tank & would like to
: buy one or two Osram tubes for it. Anyone know the cheapest place to
: buy these? ANY place to buy these?
: Clueless in Seattle,
: - Erik
: --
: ---
: Erik D. Olson The Job-o-meter:
: (e-mail) eh... a two-monther
: the computer is back...
Debron Aquatics (in Colorado, I believe) does mail order, and has a full
line of Osram flourescents. Check in FAMA for their phone #?
Kristi
by root-at-tc1009.pto.ford.com (0000-Admin(0000))
Date: 13 Mar 1995
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
In article <3jq498$oi4-at-nntp3.u.washington.edu>, (e-mail) (Erik
Olson) writes:
> Hi. Quickie note: I'm setting up a tiny plant tank & would like to
> buy one or two Osram tubes for it. Anyone know the cheapest place to
> buy these? ANY place to buy these?
You can get the Philips bulbs at Grainger. The 13W 5000K bulbs go for about $7
and the
9W 7100K blue sells for about $9. The Ballasts can also be bought there. The
thing I
had a problem finding was the sockets. I did find them at another lighting store
for
about $2.50 each. Oh, The ballasts were about $3.
joe
by root-at-tc1202.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (0000-Admin(0000))
Date: 14 Mar 1995
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
In article <3jtcgs$m3a-at-emerald.oz.net>, mrhoten-at-oz.net (Matt Rhoten) writes:
|> (e-mail) (Erik Olson) writes:
|>
|> >Hi. Quickie note: I'm setting up a tiny plant tank & would like to
|> >buy one or two Osram tubes for it. Anyone know the cheapest place to
|> >buy these? ANY place to buy these?
|>
I bought my seperate ~5000k bulbs, sockets and ballasts for 13w Osram
for about $12.50 a set from a builders lighting supply.
|> The Fish Store in Bellevue has some way tiny fluorescent lights; I
|> don't recall the vendor offhand. Maybe it was Osram, maybe not. Their
|> Seattle branch probably carries 'em too. The lights are maybe 9" long,
|> with a small attached ballast; they seemed fairly bright for the size,
|> but I didn't measure.
They are bright but the ballasts run pretty hot and wiring multple bulbs
close together requires some planning. I think that they are a good solution
for small <10gal tanks.
Bill Ruffus
root-at-tc1202.pto.ford.com
Disclaimer here.
|>
|> -matt
|> --
|> Matt Rhoten, mrhoten-at-oz.net
by oleg-at-Veritas.COM (Oleg Kiselev)
Date: 19 Jan 92
Newsgroup: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria,sci.aquaria
lim-at-kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>A local pet shop here is selling a biotope actinic bulb (made by OSRAM)
>for $30.00 (including ballast, reflector, UV shield and power cord)
>Is the price resonable?
Well, if you consider the discount retail parts prices, it's not all that
expensive. A normal 11 Watt 4100K U-bulb with a ballast will cost you some
$15, another $2-3 for the cord and switch, $1 for the mounting hardware,
$3-4 for the reflector -- and you are easily over $20 for a DIY light.
I had a chance to talk to one of Biotope people at a BAKA meeting and it
seems these people are operating somewhere between serious experimental
agro-science and a cottage cultivator black magic. Biotope has an ad in
FAMA and they seem to invite calls and questions. Call them and ask them
for their experimental evidence that what they have is worth buying.
--
"and a letter in your writing doesn't mean you're not dead" -- Pixies.
Oleg Kiselev oleg-at-veritas.com
VERITAS Software ...!{apple|uunet}!veritas!oleg
by kristi-at-sc.hp.com (Kristi Bittner)
Date: 6 Jul 1995
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Erik Olson ((e-mail)) wrote:
: newbrdgen-at-aol.com (NewbrdgeN) writes:
: >Dave- I agree that using less wattage would be detramental. Currently,
: >I've got 3 40w tubes running, and I was hoping to use NUMEROUS (3 to 6)
: >Osram bulbs to create a smaller, more efficient, easier to manage light
: >hood. The info I was looking for was more along the lines of which bulbs
: >were good, what color temps to use, heat buildup, longevity, prior
: >experience, etc.
: >Any help would be appreciated.
: One thing I have learned is that you are not limited to just Osram bulbs.
: Phillips also manufactures Compact Fluorescent (CF) bulbs that fit in the same
: socket.
: One problem I have seen with the Osram tubes is they only go up to 5000K
: in temperature; I'd like to have a 6000K bulb. Perhaps Phillips makes
: one of that sort. (I'd be interested in this info as well.)
I'm using the Osrams PL/s for my little SW tank - I use 2 13 watt 'white'
bulbs (5000K, I believe), and 1 9 watt, blue (7100K) bulb. Seems to
work ok. Mine is pretty much a DIY thing (the hood only came with one
bulb originally). My dealer carried the parts and supplies - ballasts,
sockets, etc. He went out of business, so it's great to hear that
Grainger also carries these. This is MUCH cheaper than coral lifes set
ups!! Though even coral life can be purchased cheaper thru mail order -
I know Debron Aquatics has had good prices.
Again, my use is for SW (some soft inverts - mushrooms, polyps,
anemones, etc.), so I don't know how these will do for plants. (my hair
algae grew pretty well :-) :-)!) Can you mix the 5000K and 7100K
instead of a 6000K, for plants?
: If you like, I have charactaristics and spectra of the Osram tubes digitized
: (faxed to me by Sylvania) & can put them on the Krib.
Yes, yes! But then I was most interested in the 9W 7100K bulb - do you
have that one? Actually, even for the 5000K bulbs I would learn to
venture into the world of the Krib! (:-) I'm a SW person - been looking
for a while, and finally found a picture of a 'krib', and that's about
all I know!)
Kristi Bittner
PS oh, by the way - for those who might get fooled like me - the 9 and
13 watt bulbs look the same, except for length. HOWEVER, neither the
ballast OR THE SOCKET are interchangeable - they don't really fit!
by sanford1-at-ix.netcom.com (gary sanford)
Date: 6 Jul 1995
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
In <olson.804738203-at-thebrain> (e-mail) (Erik Olson)
writes:
>
>newbrdgen-at-aol.com (NewbrdgeN) writes:
>
>>Dave- I agree that using less wattage would be detramental. Currently,
>>I've got 3 40w tubes running, and I was hoping to use NUMEROUS (3 to
6)
>>Osram bulbs to create a smaller, more efficient, easier to manage
light
>>hood. The info I was looking for was more along the lines of which
bulbs
>>were good, what color temps to use, heat buildup, longevity, prior
>>experience, etc.
>
>>Any help would be appreciated.
>
>One thing I have learned is that you are not limited to just Osram
bulbs.
>Phillips also manufactures Compact Fluorescent (CF) bulbs that fit in
the same
>socket.
>
>One problem I have seen with the Osram tubes is they only go up to
5000K
>in temperature; I'd like to have a 6000K bulb. Perhaps Phillips makes
>one of that sort. (I'd be interested in this info as well.)
>
>If you like, I have charactaristics and spectra of the Osram tubes
digitized
>(faxed to me by Sylvania) & can put them on the Krib.
>
> - Erik
>--
>---
>Erik D. Olson Mail to me bouncing?
>(e-mail) Try (e-mail) instead
>
I believe there are actinic PL bulbs available now.
I guess adding a couple would raise the average color
temp of your lighting.
I'm going to try a couple of regular actinic tubes in
my FW tank (2 of 8) and see what happens.
Let you know!
GS
--
"Without deviation from the norm,there can be no progress"
by eisenbra-at-joyce.oit.umass.edu (Benjamin P Eisenbraun)
Date: 5 Jul 1995
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria,alt.aquaria
Ford Donald (fdonald-at-newbridge.com) wrote:
: I've been looking around for a low cost, low power consumption solution
: to replace the standard 40w flourescent tubes over my 55 gal. FW plant
: tank. I think the 9w or 13w Osram Super PL bulb my be the answer, but I
: want to DIY, not a prefab black box from CoraLife.
: So, has anyone experimented with the 9w or 13w Osram bulbs? I love to
: hear any info on ordering, color temps available, longevity, suitability
: or output vs. standard bulbs. My local supplier says he can get 20w
: Osrams no prob., but he thinks they would be too powerful for an
: aquarium.
: Thanks! Ford Donald
I don't have it with me or I would check, but the Grainger
catalog has a good selection (if I recall correctly) of the PL type
bulbs. They have an 800 number so they should be in the 800 directory
(1-800-555-1212). Thier nmber is also in the RKFaq, which can be found
at ftp.cco.caltech.edu under /pub/aquaria. Grainger has bulbs and
ballasts and fixtures for them also. The catalog also has a lot of neat
stuff which could be used in aquaria.
-Ben
Check out the RFD for the *.aquaria reorganization in news.groups. People
are deciding your future-don't you want to have a say?
by pyrojon/hotmail.com
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998
Newsgroup: alt.aquaria,rec.aquaria.marine.misc,rec.aquaria.marine.reefs,rec.aquaria.tech
In article <Ajng1.4840$Ec7.3041405-at-news1.atl.bellsouth.net>,
"Gizmo" <Zmicheleh-at-bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> First off, I'd like to apologize for all the cross-posts. I'm in a wee
> bit of a time crunch as I expect to be starting my new job soon and it looks
> like I'll be putting in some hours (read "won't have time to rig things!")
> Thanks for your understanding :)
>
> I've spent hours on Deja News and search engines trying to find
> specific info on how to DIY compact fluorescent fixtures for *small* reef
> tank and haven't had a whole lotta luck. I need part numbers/manufacturers
> for sockets/ballasts/bulbs and, if possible, sources, MO or otherwise. I'd
> like to use a 13w blue and 3 13w daylights in the 6500k range along with
> remote ballasts, if at all possible.
> I've got a 14 gallon tank that is 20" high and I want to keep an
> anemone with a pair of clownfish and some live rock so I need a lot of
> light. I'm trying to fit the lights into a built-in compartment in the hood
First of all, that's not nearly enough light for an anenome. The minimum
recomended amount of light to keep anenomes is 4W/g that setup only gives you
2.7W/g. (I really don't want to get into the whole Watt measurments are
useless discussion, cuz the fact remains it won't be enough)
> of the tank that measures 12 3/8" X 5" X 1 1/2". I've looked at Hamilton's
> Mini-Deluxe but not only is it expensive, it also only has one 13w blue at
> 7100k and one 13w white at 6700k, and I'm worried it won't be enough light.
> I've also looked at Custom Sea Life's 28w + 9w retro kit -- again, expensive
> and it's a little too big for the lighting compartment. Coralife's
> Mini-Might would fit but it has less wattage than the other two. I haven't
> been able to find either a phone number or URL for US Aquarium to look into
> getting Powermaxx parts, but, in any case, I have a feeling those would be
> even pricier.
Let me tell you what I have done. I have made a DIY hood for my 10g reef and
saved a bundle doing it myself.
I used two Custom SeaLife 28W 6700K Linear Quads and one 9W Blue bulb. That
gives me about 6.5W/g of light, plenty to keep anenomes.
I went to Home Depot and picked up two light fixtures that hold linear quad
lights, normally used for outside your house. I hacked them appart to remove
the electronic ballasts and the fixtures. (I think there about $15 each)
I called Champion Lighting and ordered a ballast w/socket to run the 9W blue.
(about $20) (Home depot sells 13W light fixtures so if you can get the 13W
blue light you can go that rout for a little cheaper)
I built the sockets into my hood and ran wires to a box containing my
ballasts.
All done.
My setup is a little large then your availble space, but the bulbs are spaced
out a bit, it may fit in your hood if you are clever.
Cost was about $80 including the bulbs. The Custom SeaLife with only a
single 28W and 9W bulb costs about $75. So I got a custome hood/light setup
with more light for only $5 more.
Let me know if you would like a more specific description.
Good luck
jS
> Thanks for everyone's time :)
>
> Michele
>
> PS If anyone feel I'm over/undershooting on the amount of light or the
> combination of bulbs, please let me know!
>
>
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
by Cbbgthdr/aol.com
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1998
I just bought a 2 Lamp 55w (110w altogether) Compact Fluorescent Retrofit Kit
for a 29 gallon planted acrylic tank. I glued it into my hood with super glue
and voila. An hour later I noticed that the sheet of acrilyc that one screws
onto the hood to keep water out had bowed considerably. I checked the water
temperature and it was 83 degrees F!!! Luckily the fish didn't seem to mind
too much and there wasn't any damage to the actual aquarium. I unplugged the
lights as soon as I realized what was happening.
I could just get a sheet of glass to replace the sheet of acrylic, but I'd
still have 83 degree water. Chillers are three hundred buck and up, way too
expensive for this college kid. Pet Warehouse sells a cooling fan kit for 50
bucks. That's 50 bucks for the fan (nothin' fancy either), two pieces of
plastic ("finger guards"), and a foam filter (a sponge). I'm not a poor guy or
anything, but that's like throwing your money at the wind. I mean how much
could the cheapo wiring in the fan possibly cost, and the finger guards cost
ten bucks a piece... for plastic. You can by a real (big) fan to cool a whole
room for under ten bucks.
Anyways, does anyone know where I can get a tiny 4"x4" fan and two finger
guards cheaply (around twenty five dollars). Maybe at the Home Depot or a
electronics store or some other pet mail order houses? Please e-mail me with
your suggestions and with *any* other solutions to my dilemma. Thanks.
by krandall/world.std.com
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999
>A new product called the SHOLight has
>come out from Perfecto, and it seems quite nice. It's basically a high
output
>light which gives out 55 watts on a 21 inch tube. The shape of the tube
is more
>of an elongated U as opposed to the straight line of a regular tube. They
>advertise that the spectrum (daylight) will remain stable for 3 years!
That's 6
>times as long as regular tubes. You can get more details by buying the
March 1999
>issue of AFM, the product review is on page 86. It's now available
through the
>Pet Warehouse (www.petwhse.com).
Just a warning. We recently bought these lights for a small reef tank we
are setting up at school. The tank has not yey been set up, and the lights
were still in the box. I got a call from the LFS asking ust to return the
light. They have had several returned to them with the endcaps actually
burned away, and with the plastic cover near the vents melted. They have
contacted everyone they've sold them to, and are returning the whole lot to
the manufacturer. They were very relieved to hear that I hadn't installed
it yet. They had visions of being responsible for burning down our brand
new school building.<g>
So much for superior design and quality construction.<g>
Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association
by "Paul Secinaro" <pauls/datacube.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999
> From: krandall@world.std.com
>
> Just a warning. We recently bought these lights for a small reef tank we
> are setting up at school. The tank has not yey been set up, and
> the lights
> were still in the box. I got a call from the LFS asking ust to return the
> light. They have had several returned to them with the endcaps actually
> burned away, and with the plastic cover near the vents melted. They have
> contacted everyone they've sold them to, and are returning the
> whole lot to
> the manufacturer. They were very relieved to hear that I hadn't installed
> it yet. They had visions of being responsible for burning down our brand
> new school building.<g>
>
> So much for superior design and quality construction.<g>
Karen,
I haven't heard about the melting problem, but I've tried twice to order a
24" SHOlight from That Pet Place and both times it arrived broken in exactly
the same place -- where the heavy reflector/bulb/ballast assembly attaches
to the plastic cover (at four very flimsy attachment points). Perfecto
packs them very poorly. They basically just throw the thing in a box, with
no padding whatsoever to support the delicate parts. So no matter how well
the mail order house packs it, a hard enough knock will break something (in
both cases the box from TPP arrived in excellent condition, with the
contents broken). I've tried ordering another one from Pet Warehouse to see
if it fares any better, but I'm not optimistic. The thing I like about the
SHOlights is they look narrow enough to sit on my glass canopy and still
allow me to open the access door fully.
Paul
by Zxcvbob/aol.com
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999
> In 1993 or 1994 while living in Vermont
> (i.e., no big cities), I was able to order a pair of
> lampholders and clips for F40/30 'biax' compact
> fluorescent lamps. I just asked the person at the
> electrical supply store if I could look at their
> Leviton catalog. . .
> <snip>
> And as for using ballasts to drive lamps that they are
> not specified for, here's a quote from a GE Electronic
> Ballast catalog which addresses this subject:
> "Many GE Electronic Ballast models are designed to
> allow for application with different types or
> quantities of lamps. All recommended applications
> are listed in the performance data charts(pages 8-17).
> Use of products other than those noted is not covered
> by UL Listing and/or CSA certification and cannot be
> warranted."
>
I too have ordered the Leviton lampholders. I like the lampholders from E. Gaynor Corp. a lot better, but they cost a little more.
Motorola's disclaimer was probably written by their legal department rather than by the engineers. UL listings are for very specific combinations of lamps and ballasts, and any other combination would not be approved. But some manufacturers (not Motorola) do list their T8 electronic ballasts for use with F40/30BX lamps (both require about 270ma). F39BX lamps operate at 430ma, just like a F30T12 or a F40T12. I would venture to guess that they were originally designed to operate using existing F40T12 ball
asts many years ago. So from the ballast's perspective, the lamp easily falls within its operating range. The problem will be whether or not the ballast provides enuf starting voltage to ignite the lamp. And the combination may not be UL approved, not because it is unsafe but because the manufacturer has not paid the $$$$ to have that lamp/ballast combination tested and listed.
best regards,
bob
by boingy/ugcs.caltech.edu (Heide Li)
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999
(a bit behind on my APD reading.)
Hi Michael,
I've got a 24" CustomSeaLife ABS hood with 2 55-watt bulbs,
though lately I've only been running one of the bulbs on
my 29 gallon tank. When I first got it the fan noise drove
me nuts, too! Since the bulbs don't run very hot (even
without the fan), I decided to just replace the fan with
a quiet 12VDC computer case fan. I used a small DC power
transformer that can output at a range of voltages, so I
can run the fan slower (and quieter) if I want to. Usually
it's set at 4V, but on hot days I sometimes turn it up to
the full 12V. It's been working great for 7 months now.
Oh, I also stuck small (1mm thick) strips of rubber at the
corners of the fan before mounting it to the case, to help
avoid vibration noise.
On the con side, I'm sure this method voids any warranty on the
hood/bulbs. :)
Hope this helps,
- -Heide
- --
http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~boingy/aquaria.html
> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 07:00:36 -0700
> From: "Rubin, Michael" <mrubin@visa.com>
> Subject: Fan noise in CustomSeaLife ABS hoods
> I recently purchased a 36" CustomSeaLife ABS hood with a pair of 24" PC
> 6700K bulbs and an internal fan, and the plants in my 50gal really
> appreciate the 110w. However, the hood produces a high-pitched whine that
> is driving us nuts. The fan itself is nearly silent, but there's some sort
> of resonance occurring within the hood. I've explored this with the LFS
> that sold me the hood, and they all do it - not just mine. We tried
> dampening the reflector and mounting the fan on isolators, but so far
> nothing has helped.
> Has anyone faced this challenge before?
> - --------------------------------
> michael rubin
> mrubin@visa.com
> 1(650) 432-4685
by "Monolith Marine Monsters (m3)" <puffie/marine-monsters.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999
>Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 00:41:29 -0600
>From: afishy <afishy@gateway.net>
>Subject: CustomSeaLife vs. Hamilton Technology Lighting Systems
>
>Does anybody have a good comparison between the Compact Flourescent
>lighting systems that are manufactured by CustomSeaLife and Hamilton
>Technology? The feedback that I have gotten in the past for
>CustomSeaLife is that it is a very good product with the only exception
>that the cooling unit fan is a bit loud. Does anybody have any feedback
>on Hamilton Technology?
CustomSeaLife carries the Panasonic bulbs. Hamilton Technology carries
German & Panasonic bulbs (of course that you may specify). The 2 types of
bulbs, their end-pins and the end-caps on the fixtures are all different and
*incompatible*. So once you have decided on one type, you will have to
stick with it.
According to the advertisement by Hamilton, some of their German bulbs are
30% brighter and the blue ones are genuine actinic blue, instead of the
Panasonic's 'blue'. I don't really know whatever that means or whether to
believe them or not. But I am merely reproducing what their ads say. I
have no info on the ABS fixtures or cooling-fan used either.
There are other newer compact fluorescents released onto the market as well.
One manufacturer being Philips, another being Osram, then some brands from
Asia too. In Asia, they called the CF bulbs PL lighting. Some of these PL
bulbs have bi-color on one tube. That is, one side white and one side blue
on the same bent tube. Pretty unique.
Merry X'mas to everyone!
Edward
Monolith Marine Monsters (m3)
www.marine-monsters.com/fresh.html - Freshwater Planted Equipment
>Thanks, and everybody have a good holiday!!
>
>Aaron
>
>e-mail: afishy@gateway.net
by Zxcvbob/aol.com
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999
Bob Dixon sez:
> So, if these things are more efficient than standard flourescents, how much
> PC do I need to get the equivelent of 160 watts of standards? Are they
> available in different color temps? Any advice?
PC lamps are not more efficient than normal fluorescents. The long tube ones
are about the same as linear lamps, and the short tube ones are not very
efficient. The most efficient fluorescent lamps that I am aware of are 4 or
5 foot long T8 lamps with "800" series phosphors. If you have a 4 foot long
tank you should seriously consider using 5000K F32T8 lamps and an electronic
ballast intended for general lighting. I would try using a 4 lamp
instant-start ballast that is capable of driving 3 lamps to a high ballast
factor (like 1.1). Then use 3 Philips "Ultralume Advantage 850" (I think
that's the right name) lamps. They give you 100 lumens per watt. Equivalent
PC lamps with the same phosphors would give you about 86 lumens/watt.
You also might build a hood that uses four 39W PC lamps (22" long with 2G11
base) and operate it with a 4 lamp F32T8 electronic ballast. The lamps would
cost more that 4' linear lamps, but you could get a lot of light in the
equivalent space as two F40T12 lamps.
regards, bob
by Johan Henckens <johan/mmdg.org>
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999
Dan P wrote:
> Hi There. Does anyone out there know whether the increased efficiency and
> extended bulb life of power compacts ever make up for the relatively
> expensive initial investment. In addition, does anyone know of a power
> compact bulb manufacturer that makes bulbs compatible (pin-wise) with the
> Hamilton system for less money. Hamilton's bulbs are almost forty dollars
> plus some shipping. Thanks in advance.
>
Dan, PowerCompacts are what is called single-end fluorescents
(pin-wise)and are almost standardized. I say almost because apparently
you have to change the sockets if you want to swap 55W Japanese tubes
for 55W German tubes. Anyway, Hamilton does not make their own bulbs,
they're made in Germany and Japan.
Extended bulb life: Customsealife (who uses the same bulbs) says it's at
least 12 months and Hamilton recommends replacing them every 14-16
months.
That's not really all that long and Customsealife even tells you to
replace them after 12 months, regardless of lighting cycle and operating
temperature.
Increased efficiency: go to
http://customsealife.com/cost_calc/cost_calc.html and use their cost
calculator to see for yourself how much more/less your system would
cost.
I've been looking around for cheaper prices myself and the best I've
found so far are at Jeff's Exotic Fish -
http://www.exoticfish.com/default.htm
Pet Warehouse's prices (www.petwhse.com) are within a dollar for the
smaller models.
Hope this helps,
Johan Henckens
johan@mmdg.org
by "Bob/Georgia" <luna/mail2.nai.net>
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999
Just a short note about the AH Supply CF kits. My kits (2 X 55 watt) were
shipped on Monday via priority mail and they were delivered on Wednesday. It
took 1 1/2 hours to convert my Perfecto Double Bright 4' strip light. The
results have me very pleased. I called Kim twice for advice and he was more
than willing to answer the questions I had ! If you have been contemplating
these kits I recommend them for anyone a little handy with hand tools. It
only takes some basic tools, drill, screwdriver, wire stripper and a
screwdriver to do the install. The strip is noticeably brighter than the
Perfecto SHO strip light that it sits next to and I now have 220 watts of
5400K CF on my 55 gallon tank! You can find a link to AH Supply on my links
page at: http://w3.nai.net/~luna/Fishpics/Fishlinks.html If you have an
interest.
Bob Buettner
looks like rain again in northwest Connecticut
Visit my new Freshwater Aquarium site
http://w3.nai.net/~luna/Fishpics/Fishpicstn.html
by Steve Bansee <Steve.Bansee/PWGSC.GC.CA>
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999
Hi all,
Don't know if this will help anyone, but... I'll post what I have found.
I am thinking of making a new hood and increasing the amount of light on my
25gal tank (just got the high pressure CO2 setup from Dave G., way cool). I
was planning to use 55w Power compacts, found a source for everything
locally (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), but the ballasts were pretty expensive
$70 CDN or so. Soooo I called Fulham Ballast (www.fulham.com) and asked
about a ballast that will run two 55w PC, cost $12.00 US. I think the same
ballast are used by AllGlass and CustomSealife.
Steve Bansee
by PGagne2000/aol.com
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999
My LFS owner just told me about a recall affecting my Perfecto SHO-light, and
gave me a copy of the letter. It says that the layout of the wiring and/or
possible excessive heating in some lights can create a shock or fire hazard,
and to discontinue use immediately. The affected lights are ones which were
built in July '99 or before, and all 36" lights with two bulbs. Perfecto
will repair the lights for free.
I'm sure the repair is pretty straight-forward on all but the 36" lights.
The letter says that the (double 55-watt bulb) 36" units will be replaced
"with improved, single-bulb 36" configurations." Since I bought the light
for the combination of high output in small package and price, this didn't
sound good.
I called Perfecto, and sure enough, the single bulb is the same one I now
have two of. When I explained to the woman on the phone why this was
unacceptable to me, she said she would see if I could be shipped two of the
new units in place of my old one. When I wasn't thrilled with this either,
she said Perfecto would send me a box to ship the light back in and issue me
a check for my purchase price.
Just thought I'd let you know, since Perfecto can't reach all their customers.
Perfecto can be reached at 1-800-241-7485 from 9:00 to 5:00 EST on weekdays.
by "II, Thomas Barr" <tcbiii/earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999
>Subject: CustomSeaLife PowerCompact Lighting
>
>Does anybody have experience with using the PowerCompact Hoods from
>CustomSeaLife on planted fresh-water tanks (as advertised in Pet
>Warehouse catalog)? For a 125 gallon tank I was using the Perfecto 36"
>SHOLights to get the extra wattage but since they were recalled it put
>me back to square one again trying to get more wattage. If yes, any
>recommendation on the bulbs for it, I see that they typically have 6700K
>& 7100K Blue 55 96 Watt lamps available for my type of application.
>
>Any available info that can be provided would be appreciated. Thanks.
>
>Aaron
Get the 6700k bulbs only. I tried both set ups and found the 6700k's did a
much better job with many plants. The blue reef bulbs don't do much and
don't grow the plants that well as nothing but the 6700k's(I had a 55watt
7100k and a 6700k then switched to 2x6700k). Add a 5400k bulb if you can
find them also but 6700k's by themselves certainly do a super job. I also
use a Hamilton fixture and am very happy with both and there's not much
difference except Hamilton is cheaper most times. I believe
www.reefpacific.com has the best prices for retrofits from many mail order
places. 215$ 36" for 2 x 96w retro kit. Worldwidepetsupply.com has good
prices on full hoods too. They'll also give a choice of bulb color and how
many bulbs in a specified length of hood (4(599.99) or 6 (769.99)bulbs x for
a 72" long hood). I got the 6x96watt
hood with 6700k's and it's very nice and very bright.
If your handy or know someone who is... you can build a very nice unit from
AH supply for alot less than CSL/Hamilton sells them. All you need is a nice
box to hold the lights in and put it all together.
They sell all the bulbs too.
Regards,
Tom Barr
The Krib
Lighting
The Krib