Re: [APD] Ballast help needed

["Pete" <peteal at sympatico_ca>]

Thanks for the info, yeah it's what I thought when I read the Amps ratings.  Not an easy thing to find, and Coralife ballasts are a total pain as you just can't get them or they're in kits.  That was my 'other' wiring experience, some cool MH hoods that came with electronic ballasts that just wouldn't work.  So returned the ballasts and got some Coralife ballast that originally went with Coralife hoods....but of course to be proprietary Coralife had the ballast output switched to a non standard funky three pronged female design so only their hoods would fit.  Had to chop that and the hood plug off to hardwire the two together with good crimps and lots of electical tape as all that bare wire was close to water, a pain for nothing.

Thanks
Pete.

>All xxwatt ballasts are not created equal.The wattage rating assumes a particular kind of bulb, that requires a particular operating voltage and exhibits a particular >impedance. Diff kinds of bulbs will operate diff on the same ballast -- and the ballast will operate somewhat diff one each of those bulbs.
> 
>How a ballast is wired for a particular type of bulb depends on the ballast.
> 
>My best guess is that the rapid-start starting voltage is not quite enough to get the bulb started and/or it's not allowing the filaments to get hot enough before firing, >which is what a starter does. The filaments have coating that, when heated, emits ions to initially charge the gas in tube until it is buring. Heating the filaments also >vaporizes the tiny amount of mercury in the tube, making the gas conductive (turning it into a plasma). Also, the slightly lower voltage is possibly borderline for >keeping the bulb burning.
 
>I'd try to get a Coralife ballast or one with the same specs.
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