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repost of T-8 system setup



I think I may have figured out the problem.  I'm
reposting this.

I have been reading APD at the website for a while.  I
just subscribed so I could begin posting.  I've been
reading about T-8 lights in some old posts from Karen
Randall.  I called my local lighting distributor and
found out they have T-8 fixtures ready to use with the
ballast and everything.  When I went to the store and
saw them I was dissapointed.  They wre bulky and heavy
and really more for industrial uses.  The 4 bulb
fixture was 23 inches wide, way too much for my 75
gallon tank.  There was no way I could put a reflector
behind it or even add aluminum.  Furthermore, the
salesperson told me that the ballast factor varies
because they could have either advance or magnatek but
wasn't willing to open each one to find out.  I left
dissapointed because I wanted to buy a ready-made
system.

After reading more old posts, I decided I could put
together my own system.  I am hoping to buy a high
ballast factor electronic ballast and then use GE
SPX50 T-8 lights with Coralife End Caps or Triton End
Caps and Coralife heavy duty bulb clips.  I have a few
questions about setting all this up.

1.  How do I attach the ballast to the Coralife or
Triton end caps.  The picture in my Mail Order catalog
only shows one part of the endcaps.  Do the leads end
with bare wire?  How do you put the end caps and
ballast wires together?  Do I have to twist the wire
from the end caps and the wires from the ballast and
use a Heat Shrink to keep them together?  All the T-8
ballasts I have seen in local stores have ballasts
which have wires with bare leads.
2. Do you encase the ballast in metal or can you just
mount it in the wooden hood.  I noticed all the
store's ballasts were in metal casing.
3. The salesperson recommended that I not put together
my own system.  He said when you mix one
manufacturer's ballast and add another one's endcaps
and put them together yourself it is not safe ( would
noe be fireproof) and would never meet fire codes.  Is
there any reason I couldn't add coralife endcaps to a
Slyvania or Advance ballast?  Was he just trying to
sell me his finished system?  I'll pay more to avoid
my house buring down and get the finished system if I
have to.
4.  A more specific question about electronic
ballasts:  Lets say you have a 3 bulb T-8 ballast.  Is
it possible to start with 2 bulbs and then add a third
bulb later?  Does the circuit run with 1 bulb out in
case I need to lower light levels later.
5.  I have heard that if you have television with
rabbit ears or a radio that the electronic ballasts
can interfere and cause static on your tv even if on
another floor.  I know there are many people who use
these ballasts. Was this an exaggeration?
6. Is the most important thing to get a high ballast
factor?  One website I was at suggested that if you
can't find a high ballast factor not to go with T-8
lights.

Thanks,

Brian

Hopefully this goes through better

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