DIY MH for Less Than a Buck a Watt...Part 2

squidd

squidd

Active Member
Did this thread a month or so ago, then lost the pics in the "up-grade"... Kinda looses the effectiveness with out the pics... :yes:
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Well I went and did it...Set up a Frag tank down near the fuge and needed some lighting to kick things off...
Sure I could have gone out and bought a fixture, but where's the challange in that...??
I had a 10K 150 watt DE IceCap bulb I bought almost two years ago...(can you say "procrastionation"... )
and needed a ballast to fire it up...
I like the results I'm getting from my PFO Magnetic HQI ballast on my reef, (250 watt over 54 corner) so I thought I'd build one to match...
Ballast is an M-81 Advanced 150 watt Magnetic HQI... Several on-lne distributors were out of stock for like forever, but Kip hooked me up with "Reefgeek" ... Had 'em in stock and on the road the next day...
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
All I had to do was figure out where all them wires went...(wiring diagram on the transformer helped... )
Mounted all the components in a NEMA switch box I snaged from work...a little big but the price was right...
Bolted transformer and Ignitor down for ground and soldered and shrink wrapped all the connections but the lead to the pendant...(in case I move this thing and need to "string it' through a canopy or something)
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
For the "Pendant" fixture I used a Reagent 500 watt Halogen yard light ...
Technicly the 150 DE MH bulbs will fit in the halogen mount (if you snap off the porcilin end covers) But I had an IceCap DE socket and switched them out in the fixture...
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
The reflector is "B" level aluminum with a "Dimple" pattern and I'll probably end up replacing it or at least "polishing" it to see what performance increase I can get...
The glass shield is tempered but not "Low E" but from my reading should supply all the UV protection needed...
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
Mounted the NEMA Transformer box to the wall and hung the fixture with an "adjustable" chain set, so I can raise and lower the light...
Put it on a grounded timer and fired that puppy up...
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
Funkyman...You mentioned you might have the hookup on a 98% reflector... :thinking:
Blank measurements are 6 1/4" X 10 3/4"... :D
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Another source of cheap halide parts... Police auctions. Those busted pot growers use top quality equipment but a lot of it is 1000 watt.
 
reefraff

reefraff

Active Member
Yeah, but the reflectors don't care what lamp was in it. I know a guy that scored a luminarac(SP?) A PFO double ballast and a lawnmower cheap:D
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
Looks OK for the "price" ...BUT...
Be sure you know what your getting...
M-57 is a 175 watt Magnetic MH ballast....not a 250...
They list a 250 watt mogul "base"..... and your choice of 10k or 20k "bulb" ....
But if the ballast is only capable of 175 watt...what do you think your going to get???
Look on this thread...Stuckinflorida has the M-57 and an M-58 ballast comparison
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=163479
 
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