VHO to PC is it possible!
- Thread starter reeforme
- Start date
NO bulbs will work.. That's what's commonly referred to as ODNO (overdriven NO). Heat is an issue, as well as bulb life (like Wazzel said), but it works fairly well.
It will work for PC if it's an electronic ballast as well, though you'll want to check wiring diagrams to see what to do.
It will work for PC if it's an electronic ballast as well, though you'll want to check wiring diagrams to see what to do.
It's an electronic ballast but, I don't have a wiring diagram for it.
I bought it from hellolights. I have contact them and asked for a wiring diagram but, they don't want to help in anyway. So they are not on my recomended list and I probably will not buy from them again. I have spend a lot of money at their store.
I bought it from hellolights. I have contact them and asked for a wiring diagram but, they don't want to help in anyway. So they are not on my recomended list and I probably will not buy from them again. I have spend a lot of money at their store.
With out a wiring diagram I will be of no help. Someone else may be able to give you some insight. If you are brave go to the icecap web sight and compare the 4-vho to the 4 pc diagram. You may be able to work something.
Disclaimer: I have never done this and do not know if it would wotk.
Disclaimer: I have never done this and do not know if it would wotk.
how many wires come out of each ballast? 2 or more? Technically speaking you should be able to get 2 -55w PCs off each ballast, but if there's not the wiring in place to do it... gotta think of something else. You could probably go with the longer PCs.. what are they 96watt?
Oh 1 ballast runs all 4 VHO bulbs? Hmm, how are the wires currently hooked up?? don't know why, but I have a feeling it's ready to fire off 6 110w bulbs.. but don't quote me on that. If you have 440w (atleast) at your disposal, then yah your options are near limitless to what you can do and with multiple wires on an electronic ballast switching to any sort of fluorescent bulb (sorry no halides) should not be an issue.
What there typically is a hot wire and a neutral wire. Now you can often run a hot wire to one end of each bulb, then splice a neutral to all the other ends, although depending upon how many amps it pulls it could be safer to put seperate neutrals on each bulb.
Lets see with 12 wires, I'm thinking either 6 hots and 6 neutrals, (which is why I was thinking 6-110w bulbs) or actually might be 8 hots and 4 neutrals (each bulb gets 2 hots as might be the case when you're running larger bulbs), are they colored different to give you a clue? or anything else?
What there typically is a hot wire and a neutral wire. Now you can often run a hot wire to one end of each bulb, then splice a neutral to all the other ends, although depending upon how many amps it pulls it could be safer to put seperate neutrals on each bulb.
Lets see with 12 wires, I'm thinking either 6 hots and 6 neutrals, (which is why I was thinking 6-110w bulbs) or actually might be 8 hots and 4 neutrals (each bulb gets 2 hots as might be the case when you're running larger bulbs), are they colored different to give you a clue? or anything else?
I believe it's all in the wattage. For example, if you have a ballast that is rated for 110 watts, you can run a single bulb that is rated for 110 watts OR you could run 2 bulbs that are rated for 55 watts.
The wiring schematic would change for the different configurations of bulbs. For the 110 watt bulb, you would have a hot wire attached to one end ( both posts ) of the bulb and a ground to the other end ( again both posts)
For a dual 55 watt setup you could actually have two ways to wire it.
The first would be to "split" the hot and ground wires and wire the two bulbs just like you had two pairs of wires. You could look at this a wiring the bulbs "parallel".
I have heard ( but not tried ) that the second way works also. In this setup, you would run a hot wire to one bulb ( two posts ), a jumper wire would connect the other two post to two posts on the next bulb and the ground would be connected to the remaining two posts on the second bulb. This would be running the bulbs "in series".
You can overdrive bulbs but it will produce extra heat ( but it will also produce extra light from a non VHO bulb). You can safely overdrive a bulb up to 4 times its rated wattage but you hit a "point of diminishing returns" at twice the rated wattage. After that, you are just basically creating heat with little extra light. Many folks think that if you overdrive a bulb that it will explode. Nonsense!
If you are going to try something like that, you might want to get an IceCap ballast. They are expensive but they have a starter circuit that can help your bulbs last longer. It is not an "instant on" starter circuit so it brings your bulbs up more "gracefully".
I run overdriven "daylight , 6500 )bulbs but I buy them from the hardware store and they only cost about $3.50 each so even if they only run for half as long ( but they DO last longer ), I'm still money ahead.
The wiring schematic would change for the different configurations of bulbs. For the 110 watt bulb, you would have a hot wire attached to one end ( both posts ) of the bulb and a ground to the other end ( again both posts)
For a dual 55 watt setup you could actually have two ways to wire it.
The first would be to "split" the hot and ground wires and wire the two bulbs just like you had two pairs of wires. You could look at this a wiring the bulbs "parallel".
I have heard ( but not tried ) that the second way works also. In this setup, you would run a hot wire to one bulb ( two posts ), a jumper wire would connect the other two post to two posts on the next bulb and the ground would be connected to the remaining two posts on the second bulb. This would be running the bulbs "in series".
You can overdrive bulbs but it will produce extra heat ( but it will also produce extra light from a non VHO bulb). You can safely overdrive a bulb up to 4 times its rated wattage but you hit a "point of diminishing returns" at twice the rated wattage. After that, you are just basically creating heat with little extra light. Many folks think that if you overdrive a bulb that it will explode. Nonsense!
If you are going to try something like that, you might want to get an IceCap ballast. They are expensive but they have a starter circuit that can help your bulbs last longer. It is not an "instant on" starter circuit so it brings your bulbs up more "gracefully".
I run overdriven "daylight , 6500 )bulbs but I buy them from the hardware store and they only cost about $3.50 each so even if they only run for half as long ( but they DO last longer ), I'm still money ahead.
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