1500ma ballasts NOT required for VHO

[ren]

Oops got me there lol ok 1500ma NOT required. Ya I noticed that the site ItandFish posted were just ge bulbs - 96 inchers - and not ballasts and they had requirements for 1500ma ( got it right). My URI bulbs had no amperage requirement on the packaging - in fact they listed bulb type as FO40. Now, from what I've learned from this ordeal thx to Mr. Ramey is FO40 is florescent 40W right???? Anyway they ARE VHO 48" 110W (stamped on the bulb). But that bulbs classification is what got me into these lowes ballasts. Don't know if ya have followed all of this but I tried to fire them on normal ballasts that I was running HO 40W bulbs on and they wouldn't fire. Wired up the lowes ballasts and BOOM! Get the shades out!

 

[ren]

ohh choco check the opening line in this topic - Hamilton tech sells 800ma ballasts and they say that they run 2 48" 110W bulbs.
Hehe thinking about it I don't think I would like to see a 1500Ma bulb fire off - wouldn't blind ya it would fry ya!

 

[rhomer]

Man would you guy's finally resolve this, I really want to know for sure If these GE's will power VHO.
All the work that Ren has done could really save us some money. Has anyone thought to call GE about this?? For those that have purchased VHO, this could be a real frustration point that you spent a lot of money for the vho ballasts, but think about it, you could add a couple more bulbs cheap.
The greater good here is that we could force Icecap, Hamilton, and Coralife to lower their prices to compete with GE.

 

[krusk]

rhomer
not just that, we also concern about the Bulbs life on those GE ballast
Will it last us 6-8 months

 

[krusk]

but yes, if we can prove it can be done, it can definitly safe us some $$$$

 

[ren]

It can be done. I am running it. And hammilton, like in the first post, has a ballast for 55 bucks that is only 800ma to run up to 2 48" bulbs.

 

[lordofthereef]

ok, lets end this once and for all. i'm getting sick of this. i called g.e.. iasked about the ballast in question, and this is what i got from them. yes, the ballast will fire the bulb. no, the bulb will not be at full power. the bulb will loose its affectivness in about a month, which means the bulb will not do anything but shine. YOU NEED VHO BALLASTS TO RUN VHO BULBS PEOPLE!! now lets put this thread to rest.

 

[lordofthereef]

ALSO, heres a list of 800ma ge ballasts. which one do you have so you can be proven wrong again.
<a href="http://www.vanltg.com/georder/ge-page29.htm" target="_blank">ge ballasts</a>

 

[krusk]

thanks LordOfTheReef
that's information answered my questions

 

[lordofthereef]

that was the 800's. now heres the vho.
<a href="http://www.vanltg.com/georder/ge-page30.htm" target="_blank">ge vho ballasts</a>

 

[krusk]

LordOfTheReef
are they Electronic ballast? the GE VHO ballast 1500 mA
I think you may have the infomation

 

[lordofthereef]

that i do not know. a little more research can find out for you. all i was doing is proving that you DO need a 1500ma ballast to run vho bulbs to their fullest power. i think i have proven that now.

 

[wamp]

If your sick of it don't read it..

 

[dirtybilge]

ICECAP all the way!
ED

 

[wamp]

Found something on Graf...
<a href="http://www.garf.org/news20p2.html" target="_blank">http://www.garf.org/news20p2.html</a>
About half way down the page.. Does not go as deep into the whole theroy behind it.. but.. might be food for thought at least..

 

[ramey70]

LOTR
Thank God for you. You might want to provide Ren with the phone number for GE so he can argue with them about their own product.

 

[deucey]

Hey Ramey,
You have Icecap right???....well if you do then take the cover off the ballast and see if the ballast is Icecap! I don't know but I really don't think that you will find an "ICE CAP" ballast and look at the lable on the ballast in side the box.....see what the amper rating is on that.....one other thing.....there are not that many companies that make ballast and I really think that the ballast at HD can actually handle more than 160 WATTS of POWER........NOT ELECTRICITY...see you have WATTS of POWER NOT ELECTRICITY!

 

[ramey70]

I don't have an Icecap. I have the HelloLights electronic ballast.

 

[deucey]

well the bottom line is like I said before it is not but so many companies that manufacture ballast and I can almost bet that whatever kind of ballast you have Hellolights, Hamilton, Icecap whatever when you take it apart it will not be the same brand of "ACTUAL BALLAST" inside! i.e.....I bought a dual 65watt PC fixture from a friend, it was Custom Sealife and I had to remove the ballast from the fixture and install the lights in my canopy....well you guessed it these ballast inside this "CUSTOM SEALIFE" fixture were NOT "CUSTOM SEALIFE BALLAST" the were WORKHORSE BALLAST!! THE WERE IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PET SUPPLY COMPANIES! The bottom line is how do you know what that the "ACTUAL BALLAST" inside the "NAME BRAND" fixture is exactly what the ppl say it is.......who knows you may have that same HD ballast in side that nice little black box from HELLOLIGHTS!......

 

[jakepilot]

Originally posted by Ramey70:
<strong>These setups do NOT fire VHOs to their full effectiveness. Do not waste your money on this. I spoke to people at Icecap and Coralife and both said that although the ballast will fire and light up the bulbs they will not put off VHO quality light. More than one person on this board has been very skeptical of this setup. Ask yourself, why would companies like Icecap, Coralife, and Hamilton make a special VHO ballast for x amount of dollars when GE has been making them for $30? Why wouldn't the sharks on this board know something about it? If there is any lesson to be learned in this hobby it's that if something sounds too good to be true then it usually is.</strong><hr></blockquote>
keep in mind that icecap and coralife and all the other companys exist to sell products, supply and demand my friend....if they can talk you out of a product to stll you theirs they will, the fact is that if the GE ballast works, then by all means try it, i mean it will save money, and as for output its the bulbs that do the output, the ballast simply supplys power, a 110 watt bulb will put out 110 watts of power regardless of the ballast...