IceCap Ballast?

Nikki Casali · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 48

Is this the holy grail of electronic fluorescent ballasts?

http://www.aquadirect.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=907&cat=340&page=12

Anyone ever used one? I'd like to use it to power 4x24W T5 bulbs and
also to simulate sunrise and sunset.

With the current exchange rate I can't go wrong!

Nikki

Archived from group: rec>aquaria>freshwater>plants

Pete · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 1

Nikki Casali wrote in$kpu$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk:

> Is this the holy grail of electronic fluorescent ballasts?
>
> http://www.aquadirect.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=907&cat=
> 340&page=12
>
> Anyone ever used one? I'd like to use it to power 4x24W T5 bulbs and
> also to simulate sunrise and sunset.
>
> With the current exchange rate I can't go wrong!
>
> Nikki
>
>

You might want to be really careful and make sure of a good return policy.

I'm in Canada and I tried some icecap ballasts for my MH lighting as the
electroic were low noise and low heat VS the old transformer types. I
never got them to work, only one bulb of my pair ever fired up and this
stoped firing up after a couple of days, tried different bulbs etc but no
go. After talking with the store (in the USA, they were very good and
helpful) I found that they can be finicky depending on your power supply.
They didn't have many problems with customers in the USA but have had
before from the ones in Canada. So if your local hydro cheats a little bit
and gives you 105 instead of 110v say (220 230? in the UK) you might have
problems.

Cheers.
P.

Nikki Casali · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 48

Pete wrote:

> Nikki Casali wrote in
> $kpu$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk:
>
>
>>Is this the holy grail of electronic fluorescent ballasts?
>>
>>http://www.aquadirect.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=907&cat=
>>340&page=12
>>
>>Anyone ever used one? I'd like to use it to power 4x24W T5 bulbs and
>>also to simulate sunrise and sunset.
>>
>>With the current exchange rate I can't go wrong!
>>
>>Nikki
>>
>>
>
>
> You might want to be really careful and make sure of a good return policy.
>
> I'm in Canada and I tried some icecap ballasts for my MH lighting as the
> electroic were low noise and low heat VS the old transformer types. I
> never got them to work, only one bulb of my pair ever fired up and this
> stoped firing up after a couple of days, tried different bulbs etc but no
> go. After talking with the store (in the USA, they were very good and
> helpful) I found that they can be finicky depending on your power supply.
> They didn't have many problems with customers in the USA but have had
> before from the ones in Canada. So if your local hydro cheats a little bit
> and gives you 105 instead of 110v say (220 230? in the UK) you might have
> problems.

I have been searching the Internet for information on these ballasts.
No-one appears to be using these to light planted aquariums, mostly
reefs. One experience from a website mentioned that the IceCap MH was
terrible, e.g. flickering that couldn't be corrected, but the IceCap
for fluorescents was excellent.

Nikki

JockoBailey · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

"Nikki Casali" wrote in message$kpu$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...
> Is this the holy grail of electronic fluorescent ballasts?
>
>
http://www.aquadirect.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=907&cat=340&page=12
>
> Anyone ever used one? I'd like to use it to power 4x24W T5 bulbs and
> also to simulate sunrise and sunset.
>
> With the current exchange rate I can't go wrong!
>
> Nikki
>

I think that ballast would be overkill for a 100 watts. I have an icecap
ballast burning 4x96W PC's and it works great. BTW it has a 3year warrantee.

Jocko

Nikki Casali · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 48

JockoBailey wrote:

> "Nikki Casali" wrote in message
> $kpu$1$8302bc10@news.demon.co.uk...
>
>>Is this the holy grail of electronic fluorescent ballasts?
>>
>>
>
> http://www.aquadirect.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=907&cat=340&page=12
>
>>Anyone ever used one? I'd like to use it to power 4x24W T5 bulbs and
>>also to simulate sunrise and sunset.
>>
>>With the current exchange rate I can't go wrong!
>>
>>Nikki
>>
>
>
> I think that ballast would be overkill for a 100 watts. I have an icecap
> ballast burning 4x96W PC's and it works great. BTW it has a 3year warrantee.

I don't think there is a cheaper alternative around that allows dimming.
The overkill doesn't really bother me, at least in terms of functionality.

Nikki