Advance M58 Magnetic ballast

[gold strip]

Are these any good? I am slowly putting together a 180 gallon setup. Plan on getting the tank the first of the year but looking for good deals on ---- right now.
Found a 3x250w with "Advance M58 ballast" with sockets, reflectors and 10k bulbs for $325
I want something that will last but have to be reasonable about the cost as well.
I got a CSL 1/3 chiller for $325 and an Iwaki 70 for $50 already. Both are in great condition.
Thanks for the input!

 

[rangermonroe]

I use two of them. I built a plixiglass enclosure for them with a twenty dollar fan from radio shack that keeps them cool.
Instead of the RS fan, go to your local appliance repair shop as ask for a fan motor from a broken microwave.
They'll probably give it to you.

 

[golfish]

its hard to beat that deal on ----....from what I've seen it will run just about any modul base 250 watt bulb out there. I'd like to get a single one but I can't find it..

 

[lonestar]

I ran them for about 6 months. I do think they are great ballast but the heat they put off was too much for my new house air conditioner. I was running 6 of them on my 190. I changed over to 3 each 400w ballast M57's (I think). The 3each 400w were much cooler than the 6 250s. If you are planning on running a 180 gallon tank, you shoud go ahaed and splurge on 400w mhs. The difference in the price isnt 5 bucks each. Here I can but the ballast and the socket and power cord for barely over 50 bucks. The bulb is a different story, but I do not know what the quality of the bulb is from the ----.
Good Luck,
Jeremy

 

[lonestar]

Correction, the 400W ballast are M59s.
Jeremy

 

[gold strip]

Thanks all. Sounds like they will work for my setup. My 180 is going in the family room which shares a wall with my garage. My chiller and ballasts are going to be mounted in the garage so the heat will not be an issue. My chiller for my 90 is out there now and works great. I will have cooling fans on them and the garage has an exhaust fan that keeps the temp reasonable so they should be fine out there.
I think I am going to stick with the 250s though. I like softies and some lps but not really into the sps and the tank is only 24 deep so I dont want to cook the softies.
Thanks again!

 

[golfish]

Gold Strip,
These are the same ballast as the PFO's and the SLS, the heat sink is just different

 

[flatzboy]

Yeah I'm running the 2x175 watt ones from that ---- seller and they are great!! They come in a nice case. Goldfish email the guy and ask him to put on a single mh retro. I opened up the casing and all it is to seperate ballasts wired into the same swith so he should be able to just put a single ballast in and make a smaller case.

 

[golfish]

Originally posted by FLATZBOY
. Goldfish email the guy and ask him to put on a single mh retro. .
That's an idea Fatboy, maybe I should shoot them an e-mail, I only need the ballast tho..

 

[flatzboy]

I'm sure he will sell you one. They have awesome customer support. I just ordered a 2x96 watt pc retro to supplement my mh.