need MH and PC ballasts

[segraves1]

I just ordered:

a pair of Iwaski 6500K 400Watt bulbs

and

4, 7100K (460nm) 65Watt PC bulbs


what ballasts should I run these off of? As I understand it, the MH "should" be run off a Mercury Vapor ballasts (right?), but what about the Power Compacts? I'm trying to stay away from the "IceCap" kind of/big $$$ ballasts and trying to stay with the DIY kind of ballasts.

Part numbers help.....

thanks guys

[davejnz]

Get you a pair of Advance H33(400wMV/Iwasaki)magnetic/core&coil ballasts.Check e-bay,they shouldn't cost much more than $35 a piece.For your PC's,a single Workorse 5 ballast should fire both PC's.It costs about the same.
Check with Dakar too,he might have an extra 400w saki ballast lying around.

[dakar]

I'll need to dig up the part numbers I have for H33 ballasts.... I've got 3 of the waterproofed Advance H33's (these are employed at the moment) and 1 Magnatek H33 setting as a spare collecting dust... let me find you the part numbers and such and we can go from there. And Yup a single WH5 will fire a pair of 65W PC's, though at slightly reduced output, WH5 is rated @ 128w output (99.9% sure this is right, need to double check my memory), the 55 and 65w bulbs are pretty much the same thing, it depends on the ballast as far as their output.

[segraves1]

checked on the WH5 output and it is indeed 128W

COULD I:

run 2, 65W PCs (130W total) off of the higher output capacity WH7 (rated at 220W) or would that cause problems?

as I understand Fluorescent Ballasts, they can power anything UP TO their max rating.

[lReef lKeeper]

http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=2940

[dakar]

checked on the WH5 output and it is indeed 128W

COULD I:

run 2, 65W PCs (130W total) off of the higher output capacity WH7 (rated at 220W) or would that cause problems?

as I understand Fluorescent Ballasts, they can power anything UP TO their max rating.

Actually according to Fulham a WH5 will drive a pair of 65w... but a WH7 will drive them as well without doing any harm.

Here's a great reference page I wrote up for the bulb types and #'s for all of Fulham's fluorescent ballasts.
http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=2371

[segraves1]

Actually according to Fulham a WH5 will drive a pair of 65w... but a WH7 will drive them as well without doing any harm.

Here's a great reference page I wrote up for the bulb types and #'s for all of Fulham's fluorescent ballasts.
http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=2371

which one would be "better" to use?

[davejnz]

THe WH7 is rated at 220w.It would be able to fire another pair of PC's if you wanted to.Since your only gonna use 2 actinics,there's no reason to get the WH7 IMO unless you plan on useing it to fire 4 tubes.

[segraves1]

THe WH7 is rated at 220w.It would be able to fire another pair of PC's if you wanted to.Since your only gonna use 2 actinics,there's no reason to get the WH7 IMO unless you plan on useing it to fire 4 tubes.

I actually do want to run 4 tubes (I'm running a pair of 400W Iwasiks and 4, 7100K 65W PCs)......

but 65W * 4 = 260Watt? will that mean the bulbs won't output their max output?

[dakar]

The WH7 is only recommended to fire 3 x 65w PC's.