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Instant start ballasts, Short night plants




From: Erik Olson <eriko at wrq_com>
Date: Sat, 30 Nov 1996 19:07:40 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Instant Start

> From: "G.Tong" <gtong at sirius_com>
> Date: 30 Nov 96 10:35:19 -0800
> 
> >HOWEVER, often in the APD, when we are refering to T-8's, we are talking
> >about a TYPE of fluorescent light, not a size.  Specifically, T-8 is
used
> >to refer to high-efficiency Instant-Start bulbs.
> 
> Erik, you meant "Rapid Start," right? Instant Starts are short-lived.

No, I meant Instant Start.  That's what it says on the ballast, at least.
T-8 ballasts are hooked up totally different than Rapid Start NO's... BOTH
pins are tied together at each end, so there is no separate starter wire.
I don't know they start exactly, but I followed the directions.

    - Erik

- ---
Erik D. Olson					         amazingly, at home
eriko at wrq_com


------------------------------

From: JOlson8590 at aol_com
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 1996 02:19:12 -0500
Subject: Short night plants, etc

Paul Krombholz' explanation of short night versus long night plants is
entirely correct, and _very well stated._  (Thanks, Paul, it saved me from
looking the entire subject up again.  I used to teach this to Extension
Service audiences, but it has been quite a few years and I didn't want to
goof up the explanation.) 

To find deep red bulbs or filters - 
(a) Try a photo shop. Many black-and-white photographic films and papers
used
to be totally insensitive to red light, hence both pure deep red bulbs and
deep red filters for "safe lights" were used.  

(b) A 9-watt deep red "compact fluorescent" bulb is available. I got some
at
Mail Order Pet Shop.  I have NOT checked to see if they would trigger plant
flowering, but they do seem to work pretty well if you just want to see
what
the night-active fish are doing. 

Hope this helps.

-