Cheap & Easy DIY Overdriven NO Flourescents - MyFishTank.Net Freshwater Saltwater Aquarium Fish Forum

ecotank · 09-27-2003, 01:53 AM

I found a great deal at my local Lowes store! They had 2 x 40 watt shop lights with electronic ballasts for only $14.00!

So I bought 2 shoplights and only 2 bulbs instead of 4, then took everything apart!

Using the "power end" of both units on the stainless reflector, then soldering the wires so that one bulb is driven per ballast instead of 2 bulbs!

Essentially we now have 2 x 80 watts in the same space of 2 x 40 watts

The life expectancy of the bulbs will be a little shorter, not much, but at $3.00 a bulb who cares.

The light produced is fantastic...Not bad to get 160 watts of light for under 35 bucks!!!

I'm going to have to rig the same thing up for the big tank when it's built

mamba · 09-27-2003, 04:51 AM

this is interesting .. is there any way you might be able to show like a schematic of how you did this ... i would love to increase my current 48w floresant bulb single hood design with something like what you got

catfishmike · 09-27-2003, 05:05 AM

wow that was the most simple and user friendly thread on how to overdrive a shoplight i have ever read.i have read a lot of other ways to overdrive but yours makes the most sense.if you could get a few pics of your setup i would like to sticky this.

ecotank · 09-27-2003, 01:43 PM

I'll get some pics in a few days (2 broken digital cameras at once

)

I'll also try to work up a simple diagram to make this easier to figure out, it was really simple to do, I think it took me about 30 min to complete.

ecotank · 09-27-2003, 03:34 PM

Here's the wiring of one stock shoplight. (sorry for the crude drawings, no time to be more detailed)

ecotank · 09-27-2003, 03:37 PM

Fig 2 shows how one light is hooked up.

Fig 3 is simply the same thing only showing that 2 lights were used in opposite to get 2 overdriven bulbs in one shoplight housing.

Hope these crude drawings help!

catfishmike · 09-27-2003, 03:55 PM

not too bad,sticky'd

Somonas · 09-28-2003, 12:09 AM

And this actually works?
there is no risk of fire or explosions or overheating?
Can you use ordinary ballasts or do they have to be electronic?

I got this kind of light at Home Depot for like $15... it must have really small ballasts inside (electronic??) would this work http://members.rogers.com/artw/IMG_2048.jpg

ecotank · 09-28-2003, 03:42 AM

Yes it really works!

And you MUST have an electronic ballast, a magnetic ballast will overload and then you would have problems.

The lights do run a little hotter, but less than VHO's and not so hot that it causes a problem or tank temp problems.

I don't see the ballast in your picture, I'm betting on electronic because magnetic ballasts are pretty big and heavy...but check close to be sure.

FYI...you can even overdrive most bulbs by as much as 3x or 4x! Simply connect a 4 lamp electronic ballast to one lanp and you have a 4x overdriven lamp...bulb life will diminish quite a bit at 4x, but at 2x or 3x you hardly notice the difference.

catfishmike · 09-28-2003, 06:43 AM

yes this works,although i don't think i would try going into triple and quadruple overdrive.that does sound like a great opertunity to enjoy an electric fire.

09-27-2003, 01:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
ecotank Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Palm Springs, Ca Posts: 1,379	Cheap & Easy DIY Overdriven NO Flourescents I found a great deal at my local Lowes store! They had 2 x 40 watt shop lights with electronic ballasts for only $14.00! So I bought 2 shoplights and only 2 bulbs instead of 4, then took everything apart! Using the "power end" of both units on the stainless reflector, then soldering the wires so that one bulb is driven per ballast instead of 2 bulbs! Essentially we now have 2 x 80 watts in the same space of 2 x 40 watts The life expectancy of the bulbs will be a little shorter, not much, but at $3.00 a bulb who cares. The light produced is fantastic...Not bad to get 160 watts of light for under 35 bucks!!! I'm going to have to rig the same thing up for the big tank when it's built __________________ 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

09-27-2003, 04:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
mamba Little Fish Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 173	this is interesting .. is there any way you might be able to show like a schematic of how you did this ... i would love to increase my current 48w floresant bulb single hood design with something like what you got __________________ Shamokin Unplugged. My website

09-27-2003, 05:05 AM	#3 (permalink)
catfishmike Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: orbiting the earth in a moble suit. Posts: 2,610	wow that was the most simple and user friendly thread on how to overdrive a shoplight i have ever read.i have read a lot of other ways to overdrive but yours makes the most sense.if you could get a few pics of your setup i would like to sticky this. __________________ i'm catfishmike and i approve this message(see now just look how dumb that sounds coming out of anyones mouth)

09-27-2003, 01:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
ecotank Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Palm Springs, Ca Posts: 1,379	I'll get some pics in a few days (2 broken digital cameras at once ) I'll also try to work up a simple diagram to make this easier to figure out, it was really simple to do, I think it took me about 30 min to complete. __________________ 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

09-27-2003, 03:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
catfishmike Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: orbiting the earth in a moble suit. Posts: 2,610	not too bad,sticky'd __________________ i'm catfishmike and i approve this message(see now just look how dumb that sounds coming out of anyones mouth)

09-28-2003, 12:09 AM	#8 (permalink)
Somonas Super Fish Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: O-town Posts: 2,061	And this actually works? there is no risk of fire or explosions or overheating? Can you use ordinary ballasts or do they have to be electronic? I got this kind of light at Home Depot for like $15... it must have really small ballasts inside (electronic??) would this work http://members.rogers.com/artw/IMG_2048.jpg __________________ Art's Pics

09-28-2003, 03:42 AM	#9 (permalink)
ecotank Super Fish Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Palm Springs, Ca Posts: 1,379	Yes it really works! And you MUST have an electronic ballast, a magnetic ballast will overload and then you would have problems. The lights do run a little hotter, but less than VHO's and not so hot that it causes a problem or tank temp problems. I don't see the ballast in your picture, I'm betting on electronic because magnetic ballasts are pretty big and heavy...but check close to be sure. FYI...you can even overdrive most bulbs by as much as 3x or 4x! Simply connect a 4 lamp electronic ballast to one lanp and you have a 4x overdriven lamp...bulb life will diminish quite a bit at 4x, but at 2x or 3x you hardly notice the difference. __________________ 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

09-28-2003, 06:43 AM	#10 (permalink)
catfishmike Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: orbiting the earth in a moble suit. Posts: 2,610	yes this works,although i don't think i would try going into triple and quadruple overdrive.that does sound like a great opertunity to enjoy an electric fire. __________________ i'm catfishmike and i approve this message(see now just look how dumb that sounds coming out of anyones mouth)