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Heather2018
Reginald5073
Rei, please tell me, are the T5 lamps themselves the ones that are written on and shine blue, or am I misunderstanding something? Best regards, Alexey.
Joseph591
T5 two blue actinics 20k
MH bulbs Coralvue 175 W ReefLux 12k SE
This is how it looks before the modification.
Andrea6761
Where can I find T5 lamps, specifically two blue actinics 20k (I can't find their price)? Wherever I've asked, people look at me like I'm an alien.
Javier5186
If we are talking about a very good actinic light, it is the JBL actinic. It is blue-purple and illuminates corals very well, but it only works with a good German electronic ballast. The downside is that it is sold at a rather high price of 26 euros.
This lamp has blue actinics; if you liked it, send me a message, and I will send it to you.
I always have electronic ballasts for metal halide lights in stock, as well as metal halide bulbs of all spectra, reflectors, and fixtures.
Kenneth7210
I can't send you a private message because your inbox is full. I have a question: JBL Actinic T-5 blue-violet, complete with a German electronic ballast, ready to use. What's the price, please? Also, can I install a JBL Actinic lamp on a regular T-5 fixture? Please let me know. I'm interested in the T-5 JBL Actinic.
Marie5348
Sorry, I figured out the personal message.
I can buy JBL actinic T-5 blue-purple lamps and send them with ballasts; an electronic ballast for T5 costs between 28-35 euros, depending on how many lamps and their wattage.
The question is, can you install a JBL actinic lamp in a regular T-5 fixture? Yes, but a Chinese ballast won't even light it up halfway.
We can do everything with the fixture, but the price for good lighting is astronomical; we charge very little for the work.
Whitney
Do you use regular T-5s or not? If not, then why?
Theresa5149
Ordinary ones are white; if there is MG, then why, if there is no MG, then I use it.
T5 is used in the sea as auxiliary lamps for creating dawn-sunset, but there is an approach only for T5, so it needs to be taken seriously.
Patricia
Do you use Marina Glo or why if you have MG?
Wendy2244
unused
Kristin
I understand, that's lame.
Jerry
German ballasts for T5 - power. The lamps shine completely differently. I've understood this for a long time. But the original ones that are in the San-sans are not only terrible but also dangerous to life. One such ballast burned out a lamp for me. I disassembled the fixture and got my hands dirty with some black stinky liquid leaking from the ballast. What if it were in the aquarium?
Nicole2404
Stas, I will show you the ballast for the Mg Coral Vue, which is filled with the same black smelly liquid, and if a diode bridge had burned instead of a field effect transistor, the liquid would have leaked out as well, only there are 3 liters of it. Almost everything is now made in China, regardless of what is labeled on it.
Devon107
Not everyone...
Daniel8015
It leaked but not into the water, the electronic MG ballast is located at a great distance and not over the water.
Allison
Ah, well, yes, also in Odessa.
Chad4168
You probably just have bad luck. Sometimes the good salt petrifies, and sometimes the branded ballast burns.
Michele
Judging by the Bucks' photo, this is terrible! What brand is this??
Jonathon8514
The photo of the Baks is not indicative. These are the best ballasts from CoralView. It's like showing a photo of a broken BMW and then concluding that the "Kalina" is the best car. This could have happened, I think, due to short-circuiting the wires leading to the lamp socket or due to serious (very serious!) overheating.
Amber6362
Stas, I specifically struggled with it while figuring it out because I wanted to study its scheme. We can show it to a specialist if you don't believe me. I don't want such a gift for myself.
Christopher4125
I won't argue, I haven't seen it in person. But it's the first time I've seen a genuine branded item made like this, and even poured.
Samuel6138
We just didn't understand each other. I looked through the fan into my ballast. Mine is not filled with anything. I bought my ballasts from reliable places and I'm confident in their authenticity. How much does a Chinese counterfeit weigh? My 1x400W ballast is quite heavy in my hands. Definitely more than 3 kg. It might even be close to 5 (well, I'm just like a fisherman).
Kristen2246
400W! Everything is of course different there... I would love to see the schematic.
Karen1649
I wasn't planning to criticize CoralVue or Tetra. I just wrote about what I observed (negatively). I think you have the right ballast. To dissipate heat, you definitely need a fan or very thick metal. The case (ribbed) won't last long otherwise. It's also quite heavy, around 5 kg with the resin. Now that I've poured out the resin, it's no more than 2 kg (including the case). I helped Denis a bit with his new aquarium (with the electrical setup), and he also has a 400w but with adjustable dimming, and they probably weigh around 8 kg.
Paul
Which EPR is the photo in post #15 from? What is the power and who is the manufacturer? Thank you.
Karen
I will add about the ballasts. Besides CoralVue, there are a bunch of other models. I have been using two of them for 3 months now:
I bought them directly from their website with delivery to Germany (shipping is free). Then my friend brought them here for free. They are heavy. They have a ribbed metal casing. Completely filled. There is no fan. They sit on top of the cabinet. They heat up slightly over the course of a day. There are no issues with their performance. The manufacturer offers a 5-year warranty (3+2). It's unlikely to rely on it, but the defect rate is clearly not high. The price is cheaper than CoralVue. I plan to buy a couple of 400-watt ones from them.
Joseph8842
For comparison (in terms of heat dissipation) black - CoralVue type (3x175w) and silver, another, not CoralVue (2x250).
CoralVue = 3x175 = 525w
not CoralVue = 2x250 = 500w
Cover
And the electronic part itself.
For those interested, here is a link to a homemade ballast (250w). It contains everything: the schematic, description, firmware (file ilh001v1_software_hid_ballast_firmware_libraries_v 1_0_0.exe - rename to zip).
Another link to a homemade MH ballast (400w) Oleg - this is for you.
Schematic of a dimmable MH ballast (250w).
Rodney7316
I think you have good ballasts. Also, if we believe Reef Central, different lamps work differently on different ballasts. And there, they value the performance of Reef Lux lamps specifically on coral-view ballasts. That's why I made that choice.
Joseph8592
It turns out that Coral Vu is just an overhyped brand trying to pass off ordinary junk under its loud name, or even worse, has started selling "licenses to the name" to everyone.
Tasha
No, the Katays don't care whose brand to counterfeit. All good ballasts are the same price, and Coral View doesn't stand out. My Coral View doesn't look like what's shown in the burned photos.
Stephen
There are many good ballasts there, I even know what's inside. I've seen it, and there were photos of the board somewhere. But the cost... And then to bring it and clear customs...
I don't recommend repeating this scheme. It tears the lamp burner bulb apart. I don't understand in bourgeois terms, but nonetheless, thank you!
Aha! That's where the dog is buried... And then: Company... America...
Mike
Here I have America! Maybe everything in this life is made by the Chinese, but for the American market - it's a completely different product. My aluminum case will be thicker than in the picture. When I turned it on for the first time, I thought I had been deceived: it turned on and lit the lamp without a single sound. Moreover, it was properly packaged and the installation instructions were inside, not stuck on the case.
Barbara
By the way, we have strayed far from the first post. I really liked the lamp. What is the most valuable thing in a San-san? That's right - ONLY the housing. That's why he took it, inserted proper reflectors, proper bulbs, and moved the ballasts outside. Moreover, he didn't use the cheaper ones that DIY enthusiasts might solder together, but those he trusts. And it turned out to be a product that is not embarrassing to present to the client.
Sydney
I am aware of the entire range. If possible, please provide a link to the photo of the board. So, what do you think of it from your professional perspective? As for customs duties, there is no tax for amounts up to 200 euros. And that is exactly the cost of 2 ballasts at 250 watts. Although, of course, there will also be a shipping cost of about 30 euros. Still, it turns out to be cheaper than Coralview.
Christine864
Oleg, I'm sure you didn't repeat that scheme - what makes you confident that the bulb will break? I haven't found anyone who repeated it; they wrote on Xbit that the scheme works, but I don't remember in which thread, old or new. The bulb could break if a 70W lamp is connected to a 250W ballast; there can also be acoustic resonance from the grates, but the lamp doesn't break. Here's another scheme, though it's 70W, but it can be recalculated. Stas, is this thread not for nothing? Everyone immediately assessed the ribs of their ballasts.
John3187
Yes, the branch is not in vain. It would be great to have more comparative branches like this. The same should be done with the pens: place two side by side in one system and see which one is better.
Jeremy
I think I found a way to distinguish Chinese from non-Chinese.
Photo of the original
And here is this wonder.
Leah
People I trust repeat this. The bulb bursts due to acoustic resonance. You cannot power MH lamps with high-frequency current! The arc is unstable and bent. That's why quality (correct) electronic ballasts for MH lamps are so heavy, as they operate at a frequency of only up to 100 Hz. In the Chinese models and that circuit, on IR, the frequencies are in the range of 10-30 kHz. That's why the bulbs burst. IR has long shut down that project.
Stas, I'm curious, who is offering homemade electronic ballasts for MH? Give me two.
James
Just out of curiosity. Why is it so difficult to solder such a ballast? What's the catch?
Jacob4800
I think it's not easy. There are complex processes involved and practically no documentation in Russian. Engineers are reluctant to take on these projects. It can be done, but it's not worth it. Making simple ones for DNaT lamps is not difficult at all, but for MG, especially 250+, it's simply unmanageable for an ordinary radio enthusiast.
William5838
Honestly, I don't believe in the complexity. People solder computer boards, which have a topology of roughly 10 layers. Here, there are just a couple of dozen inductors and bridges, etc. I think the issue lies in the narrow focus of the product. We can count the marine cans on our fingers, and they haven't been available for freshwater for 300 years. Therefore, you could say there is no demand. You are right in noting that it probably isn't worth it.
Jeffrey6189
Soon, the MG ballast will arrive from China. We'll unpack it, take a look, and discuss.
Vanessa
Yes, there really is something to mess around with...
The latest version is already similar to a product.
It seems to work...
In any case, for me, it's better than buying something else...
Everything burns out, but at least these can be repaired and replaced.
Larry9400
It would be very nice! To see what the advanced thought is thinking there...
James5032
I'm curious to see at least a few photos of SPS rigs installed by our "companies."
Sarah
Old work is making itself known. Well, whatever. I think there are about ten. Although again, what to consider as a marine aquarium. My buddy has shrimp and worms living in his aquarium—though that's also the sea. Stas, there are really no successful SPS tanks in Donetsk. It's just acropora and that's it. P.S. Actually, the conversation started about redoing San-San and ended as usual.
Travis572
I don't think you will see it.
Crystal
Nuance of buying things abroad:
Option 1 - Germany. The cost of 2 ballasts is 198 euros - 19% VAT = 165 euros + shipping 30 euros = 195 euros. Shipping takes 2-3 weeks.
Option 2 - USA. The cost of the Coral-view ballast 2x250W is 190 dollars + shipping 50 dollars = 240 dollars. Shipping takes 4-5 weeks.
It is cheaper for me to get it from the USA. Although I buy many products in Germany.
A person living in the USA helped me with the delivery. I don't think he is registered on this forum. They delivered it to my home within 2 weeks.
Joshua
Today I received from Germany the Giessemann INFINITY 3x150 + 4T5x80, 1800 mm long, new, sealed, with MH lamps 14500 K and T5 22000 K. I assembled it, turned it on... it's an excellent branded item made to order! They painted it as I wanted to match the wallpaper! The assembly and quality of materials are simply amazing! The design, the thoughtfulness of the light flow direction, attention to detail... China is very far from the brands. Even though it is ten times cheaper, it's still like comparing a Mercedes to a Daewoo.
The item, delivered to Kharkiv, cost 1400 euros and comes with a two-year warranty.
For those interested - photos!
:-)
Brent7831
With this approach to creating a sea, I would gladly look at the photos in your thread in the "My Marine Aquarium" section.
Leslie
Since my visit and seeing your wonder, a lot has changed and been added))) A cabinet has already been ordered from AKVATIKA, all the processing equipment has been purchased, the return pump from LAGUNA has arrived, mixing pumps, and a bunch of other interesting and necessary things. I think I will launch it in late autumn—I want to have a relatively calm vacation))). Plus, to wait out the heat. I will set up the aquarium (the glass one) and invite you over. I will need your advice on how to arrange everything. If you don’t mind, of course). And of course, we will have some cake with tea)
Christopher3770
Of course, it will be very interesting to participate in the process.
Yvette209
Aquariums vary in quality. We don't have any reefs yet.
Whitney
Each of your posts covers several separate topics.
Brandi
Modification of the SunSun HLD-1500C light fixture to MH 3X250W with electronic ballasts and T5 2X80W actinics. Stainless steel reflectors. The client was very satisfied.
Jeremy3637
Are the ballasts taken outside? A larger photo of the reflector would be nice...
James5032
Electronic ballasts are naturally placed outside, making the fixture lighter and the ballasts do not heat the water. The fixture turned out to be inexpensive due to the low-cost electronic ballasts and is of good quality.
I cannot provide a photo of the reflector because the fixture is successfully lighting up for a happy client from Donetsk (Edik).
However, these reflectors are separate from the lamp, and a photo will be available.
Stephanie4990
Hey, what are some inexpensive and high-quality electronic ballasts? Can you provide the brand and their prices?