Cheap & Easy DIY Overdriven NO Flourescents

Balloon Fish · 07-23-2004, 03:59 PM

ok so how do you tell if its an electronic ballast? i'll take a picture of my light thing and post it so someoen could tell me if it would work. if mine isn't an electronic ballast could i get one from homedepot? how much is it?

ecotank · 07-23-2004, 04:02 PM

An electronic ballast will be small and light, a magnetic ballast will be the size of two eyeglass cases and will have some weight to it.

You can usually find electronic ballasts at most hardware stores.

Balloon Fish · 07-23-2004, 04:02 PM

wait a minute, say i have an electronic ballast that is connected to one light tube how am i gonna make it let off more watts? does that mean i gotta get anther electronic ballast?

ecotank · 07-23-2004, 04:06 PM

Ok, I don't want to put you down, but if your asking that questiuon then you didn't at all understand this post or the principal of overdriving lights. The idea is to use an electronic ballast designed to power 2 or 4 tubes, and use it to overpower 1 or 2 tubes, thus giving you more watts per tube in less space.

If you are not 100% sure what you are doing, please don't continue, I don't want to read a post on here that you burned your house down while trying to do this.

Balloon Fish · 07-23-2004, 04:07 PM

sorry for posting so much but in 5 minutes my brains rushing everywhere, anyways my dad has these light fixtures taht are like somonas, so if i were to take that electronic ballast and put it into my light fixture on my fish tank that has a 24" light tube how many watts do you think i could produce? it produces 20 watts right now

ecotank · 07-23-2004, 04:17 PM

It depends on what the output of the electronic ballast from his light fixture is?

You won't get full wattage, so putting a 40w ballast connected to a 20 watt tube you'll get somewhere around 30 watts out of it.

Balloon Fish · 07-23-2004, 04:18 PM

ok cool thx, i'm gonna try to ask my dad if i can have it but he'll probably say its a waste of time and money but it is kinda old and he did say he kinda wanted it, :/ anyways if i can get it i'll have more questions for you

he he thx for the help

oh ya my dad has these two broken lights in his restaurant that are the same one as the one at home, do you think its the light thats broken or the ballast? because both lights aren't on, i'll try to ask him for one

Balloon Fish · 07-23-2004, 05:17 PM

ok i've gotten a picture of the ballast but it doesn't look like electronic

i think it could be magnetic, please take a look at it and tell me it is electronic :/

Balloon Fish · 07-23-2004, 05:18 PM

heres another picture of the ballast and the tiles are 12" so it'll help you measure

ecotank · 07-23-2004, 06:05 PM

That's a magnetic ballast, sorry but it won't work.

If you used that you'd definately burn your house down!

07-23-2004, 03:59 PM	#21
Balloon Fish Super Fish Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 3,025	ok so how do you tell if its an electronic ballast? i'll take a picture of my light thing and post it so someoen could tell me if it would work. if mine isn't an electronic ballast could i get one from homedepot? how much is it? __________________ Check out my blog for advice on gifts and presents at Gift Channel! 20g Planted Journal 40g Invert Breeding Tank

07-23-2004, 04:02 PM	#22
ecotank Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Palm Springs, Ca Posts: 1,379	An electronic ballast will be small and light, a magnetic ballast will be the size of two eyeglass cases and will have some weight to it. You can usually find electronic ballasts at most hardware stores. __________________ In an effort to eliminate spam, I have trained my robotic dog to bite the electronic mailman Our Fish Tanks Desert Fish Club My Fish Blog

07-23-2004, 04:02 PM	#23
Balloon Fish Super Fish Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 3,025	wait a minute, say i have an electronic ballast that is connected to one light tube how am i gonna make it let off more watts? does that mean i gotta get anther electronic ballast? __________________ Check out my blog for advice on gifts and presents at Gift Channel! 20g Planted Journal 40g Invert Breeding Tank

07-23-2004, 04:06 PM	#24
ecotank Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Palm Springs, Ca Posts: 1,379	Ok, I don't want to put you down, but if your asking that questiuon then you didn't at all understand this post or the principal of overdriving lights. The idea is to use an electronic ballast designed to power 2 or 4 tubes, and use it to overpower 1 or 2 tubes, thus giving you more watts per tube in less space. If you are not 100% sure what you are doing, please don't continue, I don't want to read a post on here that you burned your house down while trying to do this. __________________ In an effort to eliminate spam, I have trained my robotic dog to bite the electronic mailman Our Fish Tanks Desert Fish Club My Fish Blog

07-23-2004, 04:07 PM	#25
Balloon Fish Super Fish Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 3,025	sorry for posting so much but in 5 minutes my brains rushing everywhere, anyways my dad has these light fixtures taht are like somonas, so if i were to take that electronic ballast and put it into my light fixture on my fish tank that has a 24" light tube how many watts do you think i could produce? it produces 20 watts right now __________________ Check out my blog for advice on gifts and presents at Gift Channel! 20g Planted Journal 40g Invert Breeding Tank Last edited by Balloon Fish; 07-23-2004 at 04:09 PM..

07-23-2004, 04:17 PM	#26
ecotank Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Palm Springs, Ca Posts: 1,379	It depends on what the output of the electronic ballast from his light fixture is? You won't get full wattage, so putting a 40w ballast connected to a 20 watt tube you'll get somewhere around 30 watts out of it. __________________ In an effort to eliminate spam, I have trained my robotic dog to bite the electronic mailman Our Fish Tanks Desert Fish Club My Fish Blog

07-23-2004, 04:18 PM	#27
Balloon Fish Super Fish Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 3,025	ok cool thx, i'm gonna try to ask my dad if i can have it but he'll probably say its a waste of time and money but it is kinda old and he did say he kinda wanted it, :/ anyways if i can get it i'll have more questions for you he he thx for the help oh ya my dad has these two broken lights in his restaurant that are the same one as the one at home, do you think its the light thats broken or the ballast? because both lights aren't on, i'll try to ask him for one __________________ Check out my blog for advice on gifts and presents at Gift Channel! 20g Planted Journal 40g Invert Breeding Tank

07-23-2004, 06:05 PM	#30
ecotank Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Palm Springs, Ca Posts: 1,379	That's a magnetic ballast, sorry but it won't work. If you used that you'd definately burn your house down! __________________ In an effort to eliminate spam, I have trained my robotic dog to bite the electronic mailman Our Fish Tanks Desert Fish Club My Fish Blog