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11-05-2001, 04:04 PM
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#1
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI
Posts: 596
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Ring Ring..It's for you.
Ok, I finally got my hood set up yesterday with the 2X250 MH. Holy crap! If I knew I was missing that kind of color, I would have done it much earlier.
The only problem is the MH bulbs. They are 250W Aqualine 10K's running off of IceCap ballasts. Occasionally they will give off a ringing noise like something is vibrating against something else inside the bulb. It will do that for about 30 seconds to a minute then stop for a few minutes, then start again. It gets a little annoying after a while, except for the reaction of the cat.  She is scared of the rainbow shimmers on the floor, and then the ringing starts, and she bolts upstairs to 'guard the bed'. 
Anyone know what this ringing is and how to make it go away?
Also, does anyone know of anyplace online to the instructions for the IceCap timers? It would be nice to use these instead of the appliance timer since they came with the balasts and stuff, but I can't figure out how to program the *%&^*(%)$(%^#& things.
Cherrio!
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Wisconsin Reef Society Member
<a href="http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=22919#post22919">My Specs</a>
Last edited by Wrasse Man; 11-05-2001 at 04:08 PM.
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11-05-2001, 04:12 PM
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#2
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The Border Collie Mod
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: right now? in my chair
Posts: 13,218
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Jerel slaps Scott with a frozen tuna.
Woops, wrong thread! LOL
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Anyone know what this ringing is and how to make it go away?
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Call Dave (609-588-5338) in tech support and ask him. Whatever it is, that's not right. We have icecap with 175w 10K RedSea/Ushio bulbs and had to have the ballasts retuned for them. You might have to do the same.
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Also, does anyone know of anyplace online to the instructions for the IceCap timers?
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Nope, but I can try to walk you through it. You have them wired up right all ready?
Booga Booga
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Clifford TRT's Mascot --> 
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11-05-2001, 04:32 PM
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#3
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI
Posts: 596
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Jerel slaps Scott with a frozen tuna.
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Hmm, you are too good to me!
I will give Dave a call tomorrow. I have a couple of older bulbs (8 months) that he sent me also, so I will see what brand those are and if they make that ringing noise.
__________________
Wisconsin Reef Society Member
<a href="http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=22919#post22919">My Specs</a>
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11-05-2001, 05:16 PM
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#4
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The Border Collie Mod
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: right now? in my chair
Posts: 13,218
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You still need help with the timers?
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Clifford TRT's Mascot -->
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11-05-2001, 05:25 PM
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#5
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI
Posts: 596
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You have them wired up right all ready?
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Sort of. They are running on their batteries right now. I couldn't figure out the programming, so I hooked the ballasts up directly to the sockets, and have the ballasts on an appliance timer right now. They still appear to be charged up from the previous owner. According to IceCap's website, they appear to be wired correctly. (guess I should have just said that the first time.)
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Wisconsin Reef Society Member
<a href="http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=22919#post22919">My Specs</a>
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11-05-2001, 06:12 PM
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#6
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The Border Collie Mod
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: right now? in my chair
Posts: 13,218
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This is what my instruction sheet says.
Set the clock first, it's at the bottom
1. Push the PROG button once. 1on will appear in the lower left corner of the display. It's your first power ON time.
2. Press the HOUR and MIN buttons to enter your first power on time.
3. Press the WEEK button to select the desired day. I just press until it says MO TU WE TH FR SA SU all at the same time.
4. Press the PROG button again. 1off will appear. This is your off time.
5. Repeat 2 & 3 to program power off time and days of the week.
6. Press the PROG button all the way through the cycle to be sure they are correct.
7. Press CLOCK to return to a real time clock display.
8. Press ON/AUTO/OFF button until the bar below the display is positioned above the Off legend.
Clock
1. Hold the CLOCK button and press WEEK until the display indicates the correct day.
2. Hold down the CLOCK button and press HOUR until the display indicates the correct hour. You may have to cycle to get the proper AM & PM diplay. Seconds will reset to zero.
3 Hold the Clock button and press MIN until the correct minutes.
Let me know if you need help.
Jerel
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Last edited by Spanky; 11-05-2001 at 06:14 PM.
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11-05-2001, 07:48 PM
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#7
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI
Posts: 596
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Great thanks! I have printed them out. I think I found the problem with the bulbs also. There is a metal frame running inside the bulb, and it appears that the frame is vibrating lightly against the glass. No I just need to figure out how to get it to stop!!
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Wisconsin Reef Society Member
<a href="http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=22919#post22919">My Specs</a>
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11-05-2001, 11:44 PM
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#8
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reefer
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 1,650
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Cool Scott!
How is everything in the tank reacting? Once my frags get big enough to make more frags, there is going to be some serious trading going on. I have a beautiful blue-tipped acro, can't wait to frag.
Regarding the ringing, my Iwasakis do this for about 30 seconds after being fired-up, but I don't hear it after they have gotten warmed up. I think you are just "weird" 
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Jerel slaps Scott with a frozen tuna.
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Andrew takes the now thawed tuna and makes a tuna sandwhich. ...Then throws one sandwhich at Jerel, and two at Scott. When Scott asks why he got hit twice Andrew responds by tossing a rainbow trout at him. When people wonder why I ramble on, I say that I need an excuse to put off my homework.
Dewq |
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11-06-2001, 09:57 AM
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#9
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI
Posts: 596
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Quote:
When Scott asks why he got hit twice Andrew responds by tossing a rainbow trout at him.
Dewq [/b]
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Why does this statement give me visions of 'Waiting for Godot'?
__________________
Wisconsin Reef Society Member
<a href="http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=22919#post22919">My Specs</a>
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11-06-2001, 01:03 PM
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#10
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI
Posts: 596
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Just an update.
I just got off the phone with IceCap, and they said that they had never heard of a bulb doing this, and that it is probably faulty bulbs. They said that the ballasts and bulbs are a perfect match. Last night I noticed that the wire inside the bulb has started to etch a circle inside the glass. Well, time to go bulb shopping!
Thanks for the help!
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Wisconsin Reef Society Member
<a href="http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=22919#post22919">My Specs</a>
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11-06-2001, 01:55 PM
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#11
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Medicine Lake, MN
Posts: 3,021
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You better do that before the bulbs decide to explode all over your tank!
Brooke
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Be kind to your reef! Research care and compatibility of animals before purchasing.<br><a href="http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threa
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11-08-2001, 10:43 AM
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#12
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Pleasant Prairie, WI
Posts: 596
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Ok, I just wanted to post one final update. I think I have fixed the problem. The bulbs were not faulty. Inside the Aqualine bulb is a metal wire that goes to the end of the bulb. The wire ends in a circle of wire the rings about 7/8 of the inside of the bulb. I removed teh bulbs from the sockets, and lightly tapped them on my other hand. When I did this, I found that each bulb had an area that did not vibrate the metal against the glass when I tapped them. I then rotated the sockets as best I could so that when the hood is down, the position of each bulb matched what side was down when I tapped them.
So far, no more ringing, or internal etching.
Hopefully that took care of the problem, and saved me some cash.
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Wisconsin Reef Society Member
<a href="http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=22919#post22919">My Specs</a>
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11-08-2001, 10:52 AM
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#13
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TRT Staff The Mominator
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Just South Of Seattle
Posts: 10,493
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Good detective work, Scott!
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 "A BRW Original"
Only Dead Fish Go With The Flow... 
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11-08-2001, 11:16 AM
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#14
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Goldmember
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Posts: 84
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The fact that it's vibrating is what bothers me. Its possible one of your fans is off-balance or something like that and is vibrating the entire hood; or maybe some pump or accessory is touching the hood. Either way with the temperatures associated with your MH bulbs I would worry about any vibration or metal-glass contact. Try to isolate the source of the vibration.
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Don't upset the gods of the nethertank - feed your sump!
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