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re: Hood retrofit
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 06 Aug 1996 15:55:41 -0500 (EST)
From: DIONIGI MALADORNO <MALADORD%A1%RNISD0 at mr_nut.roche.com>
Subject: Hood retrofit
To: AQUATIC PLANTS <Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com>
Jonathan_Kirschner at Energetics_com (Jonathan Kirschner) wrote:
> I recently purchased a VHO fluorescent lighting kit from Champion Lighting
> and Supply Co. in Pennsylvania and have a question about retrofitting
> my existing Perfecto Double Brite Strip Reflector <snip>
If you mentioned to them your intentions (to upgrade an existing light
strip), it seems that the supplier you used keeps selling unnecessary parts
to his customers. Two years ago they did the same thing to me, and then I
found out that the existing sockets of a Perfecto light strip (or similar
brands) work perfectly with the IceCap. Of course you must have a glass
canopy between the lights and the water. I have two aquaria with IceCaps: a
20 gal with a 24" single strip powered by an IceCap 430 (it has been working
well for ~18 months), and a 180 gal with two of the four 36" double strips
powered by an IceCap 660 (no problems in the 12 months of use). In both
cases I have wired the harness into the existing sockets and switch and
mounted the ballast and the heat sink externally.
By the way, for your information, I recently heard from the ballast
manufacturer (Lestician Ballasts, at 609-5885338) that it is possible to use
the new T8 bulbs with Ice Caps, with slightly more lumen output than regular
VHO lights, which are much much more expensive. I did not ask information
about efficiency (lumen/watt ratio) data however, which is deemed to be the
downside of using VHOs. Why don't you try to call yourself, and see if they
confirm what they told to me? Apparently, this information is based on very
recent tests they just completed.
Dionigi
dionigi.maladorno at roche_com
PS Many thanks to Cynthia for patiently posting my messages, while I wait
for the computer people who promised fix my E-mail address problems.