anyone heard of this ballast before?

[hng]

I'm searching for inexpensive options for lighting and found this ballast that drives a single T5HO 39 watt bulb for only $10. Has anyone had experience with this brand? Are all electronic ballasts about the same? It's an instant start ballast, is that better than pulse start?

 

[nm354]

never heard of it. Why only one bulb? I would go with a few bulbs and an icecap ballast.

 

[chicagoman_35]

How long of bulbs you wanting to run? I have a few extras that will fire 1-2 54w bulbs each, they are Advance electronic ballasts, I sell em for $20 each! Oh, and they are brand new!

 

[hng]

nm354 wrote: never heard of it. Why only one bulb? I would go with a few bulbs and an icecap ballast.

Well...I have a 30 gal tank which is pretty shallow. I currently drive my T5's with an icecap 660, but feel like it's too much light :doh: . I'm looking for a ballast that will not overdrive the lamps. I'm looking for a ballast for a 39 watt lamp since that's a 36 inch bulb, the longest I can fit over my tank. So...does anyone think that this ballast will cause any problems? It seems like a pretty standard ballast to me.

 

[jessezm]

Try it. If it doesn't do what you want it to, at least it's not much of an investment. Then let us know. You could buy a whol pallet of those things if they're decent, and put together some cheap retrofit kits!

 

[hng]

Yeah, I'll probably try it, I just wanted to make sure it was going to blow up or something weird. It seems like it would work, it says that it will work for a 39 watt T5HO bulb, which is exactly what I need.

 

[goodfortune]

From the looks of the ballast on the website, it looks like a Triad Ballast Clone...Triads are stock ballasts for T5 HO lamps.

If your'e still in doubt, you may want to get in touch with the folks behind the website and tell them what you are trying to do...I think they should be able to answer any questions you might have. Good luck!!!

- Michael

 

[centerforce]

I just hope that you have better service than I did on getting your order from them. I ordered 2 250w mh ballast from them and after 2 weeks I was told that they shipped the day before, after 7 more days I was told that they would go out the next day, after 7 more days , I was told that they had them in stock and they would ship on the following Monday, another week later I was told that they did not have them and I would get a refund. So fimally after more thatn a Month and a Half from my order date, I got my refund. If I do order from them again, I will make sure that I call and triple comfirm that they have them in stock and ready to ship before I make the order. Good Luck

 

[hng]

Hmm...sounds like a pretty bad experience. I haven't decided for sure if I'm ordering from them, but I'll post about the experience.