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Re: T8 End caps and 18awg solid copper wire
Rod Hanks at rhanks at benchbuilt_com wrote:
> I'm getting things together to build a new hood and have two
> problems.
>
> The Motorola T8 electronic rapid start ballasts I bought from
> a local lighting contractor came without any wire, but they
> specify 18awg insulated solid copper wire. 6 colors would
> be real nice since that is how many colors they have on the
> wiring diagram, but I'll go color blind if I have to.
>
> I didn't even think about it at the time I bought the ballasts but
> it turns out that this wire is unavailable! I can get 12, 14,
> and 16 awg at the drop of a hat, but 18awg is always stranded
> in the local hardware stores, etc. Any ideas on this?
RadioShack.
> The lights will be above the water surface with no intervening
> glass. I don't even know of a source of endcaps for t8's, but if
> I did it would probably cost nearly 10 dollars a pair, a
> signifigant fraction of the cost of the whole thing. I can get
> regular open end caps for less than two dollars a pair. Any
> ideas on how these could be used?
I use the low profile "tombstone" sockets in my hood with no glass top
without any problems. I suppose the contacts will eventually oxidize, but at
45 cents each, big deal. The ones I got have a "U" shaped indent in the
middle of the base which I used to fasten them to my hood using screws.
Dan Dixon