Wired my new lights...Is this safe?

[jackson6745]

I ordered 2 spider reflectors with quck disconnects for a PFO hqi ballast, which I am still waiting for the balast to come

I wired the fans and the mogul sockets using wire caps and electrical tape. I plan on mounting the connection to the back of the canopy so moisture does not hit it. Is this ok the way it is? Is there a better way this should be done?

Also, On the disconnect cable there was a green ground wire which I capped off. I emailed marinedepot about this and they said it was ok?

 

[jackson6745]

 

[jackson6745]

 

[wedfr]

yup its safe.

 

[jackson6745]

Thanks Danny. I did make one change though. I connected the grounding wire to the mogul socket. I'm not sure what that does but a few people on RC told me to do this

 

[wedfr]

doesnt really do anything, I belive in residential area the negative acts as the ground. although im not 100% positve on this I never hook that ground wire up never had a problem

 

[jackson6745]

Are you still going through with the bulb testing?

 

[wedfr]

id like to, but no one has even responded to teh thread in over a week, and not 1 dollar was donated. so i doubt its going anywhere. JBNY will probalby end up taking care of it in a couple of months

 

[Rebels23]

Nice job Rich! How much did you get your PFO reflectors for?

I am planning on putting two actinic T5 bulbs into my hood as actinic supplementation. We'll see how that goes.

Rebels23

[ December 04, 2003, 03:59 PM: Message edited by: Rebels23 ]

 

[jackson6745]

Thanks Ray. In a few months I will switch from 20k bulbs to 10k and add VHO actinics. By then you will be able to give me some wiring advice with the actinics...LOL

 

[jackson6745]

Here is what the finished product looks like. I like it a lot better than my 175w 10k's

 

[wedfr]

lookin good, i definatly like 20000K's better then 10000K's Really bring out the colors much better, i think it looks more natural too. Go dving on a reef and its not white looking at all.

Im putting my hood together this weekend, 2 250W 20K hqi's + 2 T5 supplemnets. either 2 actinic or 1 acitnic 1 50/50 Hopefully ill get it done and get some pics up

 

[jackson6745]

Danny I eventually want to upgrade to 2-250w 20k DE pendants and VHO actinics but not until May. I an upgrading too much crap on my tank right now. I would love to see how your setup looks once you get the new lights on it.

 

[wedfr]

yeah ill defiantly post soem pics, im in the middle of putting it together right now. just came up for some dinner and then im headed back

 

[jackson6745]

Done yet? How's it look? I'm dying to see your set up because that will determine if I will go the 250de 20k route or just stay with my SE setup and go 10k with VHO's. 2-400w SE 20k relly isn't an option for me.

Rich

 

[wedfr]

Hey rich, im done putting it together. I would have it up and runnign except for the fact that i gutted a RedSea Phazer IV fixture and mounted everythign in there. It had a lexan shield but it woulda melted under HQI's and when i went to go slide in my glass shield it didnt fit in the slot for it. i think the lexan was 1/10 - 1/16 thick and and i have 1/8 glass. it misses by so little. so im either gonna try spreading the slot open a little or make an sadpter.

Also have to get a ballast to run my 2 T5 supplemts with it. thats what i may use your helios ballast on if its compatible. or i may just go with an icecap 430 and overdrive them

What differences are you looking for between the HQI and single ended? why switch to 10K moguls?

 

[wedfr]

BTW if you do switch to 10K moguls let me know i have a pair of brand new coralc vu 10K's if your interested i can let them go for $45 a piece. I gotta pick up that green digitat form you still , i forgot all abotu it.

 

[jackson6745]

Hey Dan,
I don't feel that I have enough light right now with the SE 250's. It just doesn't look intense enough for me. If your DE 250's were closer to the light output of Se 400w's I would switch to DE pendants since I have an HQI ballast. I really like the radiums but I need more light than I have right now so if I went with the 10k's and VHO's I would get much more PAR and hopefully decent color also.
As for the Helios ballast, I have no idea what is insided of this thing. It says model HS-22110. It's a dual 55w pc ballast with seperate on/off and quick disconnects

 

[jackson6745]

Thanks for the offer on the bulbs but I am going to go with the 10k XM's. According to JB's stats those things really crank on the pfo hqi ballast
Send me an email whenever you want to pick up the digitata and you can take a look at the ballast.

later,
Rich

 

[wedfr]

ok ill give the ballast a check on teh internet and see if i can dig anything up.

Im running coralvue 20K's which i think are whiter then the radiums. Also im runnign them off of icecapps so im sure they arent getting full intensity as they would off of a True HQI ballast. I had one setup next to a 10K mogul and by no means does it compare to intensity and brightness but i actually liked it better. I think it gave a much more natural look. i wish i would have known, i have a spare 20" HQI pendent that was setup with the 20K in it for a month just sitting on my floor , i coulda brought it over and hooked it to your Ballast and let you take a look. BTW i Coralvue now has 12K and 15K HQIs available i think teh 15K is bluer dimmer then the 20K but im not sure what the 12K looks like. Might be what we are both looking for. ive been thinking abotu ordering one just for comparison