Icecap 660 running NO bulbs

[ags]

I just bought the icecap 660 and while on the icecap website there was an article by Sandy Cohen about how the icecap ballast can overdrive NO 40 watt bulbs SAFELY and produce 80 watts with the same intensity of VHO bulbs. Now I know nothing about flourescent lighting and this could be Icecap propoganda so I thought I would post the question here and see if anyone has tried it. My LFS told me the bulb would blowup but soon changed his attitude once I told him Icecap is posting it on their website. I tried a search on SWF but only came up with wiring instructions so if this topic has been discussed I apologize. I have been holding off from buying the icecap ballast because I just bought 4 new bulbs and, if possible, using them with the icecap would save $100.

 

[coral boy]

I read this on hellolights i don't thinks these are icecaps but the same whould aply
Q. Can I use 40 watt bulbs with this ballast?
A. We don't recommend this. A "Normal Output" (NO) bulb will indeed fire on our ballasts, but you will diminish the bulbs lifespan, and they might cause a warmer operating temperature.

 

[ags]

The article did mention the downside as being a shorter life for the 40 watt lamps but said it would last close to a year AT WORST. Although the last part of this was still non-confirmed. There was nothing mentioned about warmer burning temps but that makes good sense in light of the lamp being in overdrive. I would cut n paste the whole article here but it is rather long. For those of you who know more about this check out the article and let me know if this is complete BS.
Web Address: http://www.icecapinc.com/famaarticle.htm or go to www.google.com and type in icecap. It is a red hyperlink with in Icecap's introductory paragraph.

 

[ags]

Sorry it is the first red hyperlink in the introductory paragraph although the second has some interesting info too.

 

[bang guy]

AGS,
I've done this many time. It really works great. I don't believe it diminishes the bulbs lifespan in terms of a reef. It may burn out prematurely, but it puts out intense light for a full year, just as it would on a NO ballast.
I had some wild configuration with IceCap 660's and I've yet to stump it. The downside to most NO bulbs is the lack of an internal reflector. The upside is the price. The power consumed doesn't go up much at all.
You can also mix & match. ie. VHO Actinics and NO Daylight bulbs. This is a great compromise IMO if $$ is running short.

 

[quazi]

I have mixed NO and VHO bulbs with my 430 with good results. Icecaps are great for their flexibility. I find that VHO bulbs still work best, but NOs are fine in a pinch, like when your VHO bulb needs to be changed, but you do not have a VHO bulb available (lack of planning is my specialty!)

 

[ags]

That is good to hear because after dropping the $ for the icecap I could not afford to drop another $100+ on bulbs.
Quazi and Bang Guy,
did ya'll have any problem with heat? I called Icecap and they said the only two drawbacks were heat and diminished life span, as coral boy posted. Ya'll make any special arrangements due to the heat or did ya'll rely on cooling fans? Thanks for the help.

 

[bang guy]

Well, yes, the bulb put out more heat than when run on NO. Was it twice the heat? No way. Grabbing a NO bulb is quite warm. On the Icecap (putting out twice the light) it was hot but I could still easily hold it. Probably about the same as my VHO. This could be a problem with soft plastic endcaps. But my 3-piece hard plastic ones didn't have any problems.
If you can find some waterproof endcaps you should try a T-8. WOW, those burn almost as intense as PC from what I saw.