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Author Topic: Im a DIY idiot  (Read 5438 times)

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Bwlr

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #25 on: March 13, 2008, 22:33:49 »
Quote
the black wire from that bunch goes to the switch.
And the other side goes to the plug, right?

Black is the hot wire, white is the common, and green is the ground.

I'd use the small black wire to the other side of the switch.
Connect the big white wire to the little white wire.
Take 2 red wires from the ballast... like that litte picture I tried to make, and connect them to the red wire.
Take the other 2 red wires from the ballast and connect them to whatever color wire you want.
Take the yellow from the ballast and connect it to the yellow wire.

That's all you need. you won't need the other wires.

Bwlr

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #26 on: March 13, 2008, 22:55:11 »
No... wait.
The small black wire doesn't go to the swich... the black wire from the ballast goes to the other side of the switch.
And the big white wire also goes to the ballast.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2008, 23:05:19 by Bwlr »

Bwlr

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #27 on: March 13, 2008, 23:18:14 »
Here's another attempt at drawing...


That blurry mess above the yellow, red and white wires on the left are all the other wires... you won't need them

Does that help any?

Offline Amstar

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #28 on: March 14, 2008, 11:23:33 »
that makes alot of sense actuall.  let me put all of the wires together, tape everything up, screw the grounds to the ballast housing and fire it up.  I'll let you know.

Offline Amstar

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #29 on: March 14, 2008, 13:09:45 »
JACK POT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

thanks for everyones help with the ballast wiring.  My actinics are up and running and everything looks great.  thanks again soooo much.

no onto the ato.  I looked at a hardware store for a relay, they didnt have one.  i make just go the route that i make sure its grounded.

Offline Secondgen

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #30 on: March 14, 2008, 14:49:32 »
Radio Shack might carry the relay you need.

Offline ohioreef

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #31 on: March 14, 2008, 15:05:32 »
He will need a relay and also some sort of low voltage ac/dc adapter.

Offline Amstar

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #32 on: March 16, 2008, 14:19:28 »
okay back to the lights.  this morning when the actinics kicked on, i heard something almost like a short circuit.  sounds like buzzing.  I looked up at one of the end caps and noticed orange bursts of light inside of it.  the end of the lamp was bright pink.  I unplugged everything and noticed that the end cap had a burnt smell to it.  I then replaced the end cap and turned everything back on.  again the end of the bulb lite up bright pink and the rest was a faint blue/purple.  alittle bit of buzzing going on in the end cap.

any ideas or should i just foget my actinics at this point.

Bwlr

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #33 on: March 16, 2008, 14:40:11 »
Sounds like you lead wire to the cathode is shorting inside the base.
Copper wires do not stand up to salt creep.

Do you have another bulb to try?

Offline Amstar

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #34 on: March 16, 2008, 16:32:33 »
so your thinking it maybe the light and not the encap???  if so I have many extra bulbs on hand, that are new as well.  ill try that

Offline Amstar

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #35 on: March 16, 2008, 18:17:42 »
alright i scrapped the whole actinics on the my retro kit.  I put 10k bulbs (2 of them 175 watt) in the retro kit.  then with an extra set of vho's i put 4 110 watt vho actinic bulbs on the tank.  got the look and the whole lighting that I wanted.


slandis3

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Re: Im a DIY idiot
« Reply #36 on: March 16, 2008, 18:25:42 »
I have 14k blueline mh on my tank with no actinics and I think it has just the right amount of blue to it.

 

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