technical flourescent question

[Geoff]

What is the difference between a VHO ballast and a regular flourescent ballast? Can any flourescent ballast handle VHO bulbs if the wattage is within its limits? I can not find any information about ballasts out there.


G~

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Hi Geoff! Here is a link that may give you some info on HO vs VHO:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/librar.../aa031300c.htm

[OodleyBoodely]

Geoff, one of the interesting things about the VHO electronic ballasts is that they can 'overdrive' normal output flourescent bulbs. This can not be done with tar ballasts or normal output ballasts. The VHO e-ballasts have been demonstrated to actually drive NO bulbs at very near the output of the VHO bulbs. I have been using NO bulbs in my 440w VHO system for close to a year now and they work great! Talk about a major $ savings. VHO bulbs = $24.00, Home Depot 6500k 40w Phillips bulb = $4.95.

I have not found a cheap source for actinic bulbs yet, so, I still buy URI VHO actinics but mix with the HD bulbs for the whites.

Something else to keep in mind if you are planning a lighting purchase- cost of the bulbs and frequency of replacement. My URIs look like they should last close to a year, but, the Corallifes that came with the light system didn't last 4 months and they cost about the same as the URIs. The Home Depot bulbs are almost 6 months and I will probably change them soon, but, hey! At $5 ea. twice a year, I'm still saving a bundle. Hope this sheds a little flourescence on the subject!

[billc]

I have seen a little about overdriving NO bulbs before.. What balllasts are you using??

[Geoff]

Thanks all for the infor so far.
I am looking to get a ballast. I find ballasts that say the power 72" bulbs. Are VHO's the only bulbs that come in 72" lengths? These ballasts are @$40. I keep looking for ballasts that say VHO on them, but the only places that say that are aquarium places. Are Aquarists the only people that use VHO, I find that hard to believe.

Thanks,

G~

[OodleyBoodely]

Billc,

I don't know the brand as it is not printed anywhere on the ballast. It is a VHO retrofit kit I purchased from hellolights.com. As I understand it, any electronic VHO ballast will overdrive NO bulbs, although most of the threads I read regarding overdriving ballasts were refering to Icecap ballasts.

Geoff, I don't know of any other common uses of VHO lighting-possibly hydrophonic gardening, perhaps. I've never seen any ballasts in the hardware stores suitable for VHO lighting (but I don't really look for them, either). As far as I know it is still a specialist's product which is why we still pay through the nose for it.

[billc]

Thanks Oodley.

I am curious as I have seen differnt posts using eballasts and over driving NO bulbs by doubling the hot leads of the ballast but I have not heard of running NO off a VHO ballast for the overdrive effect.. Thanks for the info..