Fix your Odyssea 250W Ballast for less than $15!

[evilc66]

Yes, the exact same part, and used thermal paste. I used a model P4400 Kill A Watt.

Not sure what I did wrong. The light still looks yellow when actinics are on, and even worse without. It is still the bulb that came with the unit (2 weeks old).

 

 

 

 

 

Now that is the draw through an on/off timer (Kill O Watt between timer and ballast). Maybe I should test without the timer.

 

Wow, thats kind of strange. Taking the timer out won't make any difference. You did replace both MOSFETS right? Just trying to rule out any possibilities.

[Whacked]

Local fish places usually don't carry odyssea. Atleast none of mine do.

mine does. Price is what I would pay aquatraders plus shipping.

They have basically everything aquatraders has plus a little more.

when I cracked my skimmer intake tube, they gave me a new one no charge.

[divinginjupiter]

Wow, thats kind of strange. Taking the timer out won't make any difference. You did replace both MOSFETS right? Just trying to rule out any possibilities.

 

Yes, both MOSFETs.

[SeeDemTails]

Mine looks blue even without the mod done yet. I am not sure whats up with reports of yellow looking bulbs. Maybe some of different than others, but mine is without a doubt blue.

 

Try a new bulb, the guy who originally started to mod the ballast put a 14k phoenix in it and just with thermal paste it was pushing a full 250.

[Burks]

Local fish places usually don't carry odyssea. Atleast none of mine do.

 

One of mine does. If you ask them anything about the fixture, they never reply to you! They just double up the cost from Aquatraders.

 

Same place that now has their own salt but won't give out any water parameters after using it. Hmmmmmm.......

[SeeDemTails]

One of mine does. If you ask them anything about the fixture, they never reply to you! They just double up the cost from Aquatraders.

 

Same place that now has their own salt but won't give out any water parameters after using it. Hmmmmmm.......

 

Print out the costs online, and then test their water, go back and show them. EZPZ. I hate LFS's like that, they give the good ones bad names.

[divinginjupiter]

Mine looks blue even without the mod done yet. I am not sure whats up with reports of yellow looking bulbs. Maybe some of different than others, but mine is without a doubt blue.

 

Try a new bulb, the guy who originally started to mod the ballast put a 14k phoenix in it and just with thermal paste it was pushing a full 250.

 

 

Yes, I think I'll try another bulb before I buy a new ballast.

[SeeDemTails]

I also own two 150w halides using phoenix bulbs right now, so I am familiar with what blue should look like, and I was fairly impressed with the color considering what I had heard about them.

[Grendel0501]

I guess I could go ahead and order my stuff today , maybe get it in by Wednesday.

[evilc66]

I will be really dissapointed if the two ballast I did were flukes.

 

SDT, you need to get yours done soon so we can verify if this still works.

[SeeDemTails]

Waiting on the parts, they should be here the beginning of this coming week.

[Grendel0501]

Mouser link

I wanna make sure I'm ordering the right parts , bc Mouser's site confuses me alittle with the check boxes on the order form for the mosfets. Do I want any of those to be checked? When I load the link only the first two boxes are checked , manufacturer and category. Is this the correct item?

 

 

Also a secondary question for you guys who have actually seen the unit , I am ordering 3 timers for the unit , and I need to know if they are all 3 prong plugs or if some of them are 2 prong.

[evilc66]

Those are the right MOSFETS, but I provided a link in the first post to remove confusion.

 

All but the LED moonlights are 3 prong if I remember. The MH is definitely 3 prong.

[Grendel0501]

Those are the right MOSFETS, but I provided a link in the first post to remove confusion.

 

All but the LED moonlights are 3 prong if I remember. The MH is definitely 3 prong.

I know , that's the link I used. Just confused by the check boxes on the page.

[SeeDemTails]

Ok I got my mosfets, I am going to do the mod later today or tomorrow.

[evilc66]

Keep us posted. Do you have a Kill-a-Watt or similar to measure the draw after the mod?

[SeeDemTails]

I am getting one today. Need some of that wick too.

[evilc66]

Sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, are ya done yet?

[Grendel0501]

Sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, are ya done yet?

[SeeDemTails]

Not till later, gotta work until 2pm. How much is that soldering wick? Can you get it at Home Depot?

[evilc66]

You can get it at Radioshack.

[Grendel0501]

Evil , where did you get your wattage meter? Would radioshack have it?

I can't find anything that measures watts , just multi meters , that I think only check for volts and ohms.

 

I do have a buddy with a multi-meter though , if I can use that , but where would I put the probes?

[evilc66]

I got mine from Harbor Freight, but you should be able to find the same or similar at hardware stores or other major stores. I know I've seen them, I just can't find any on the online stores for the local stores.

 

It's just a meter that you plug into the wall, and then you plug whatever you want to test into it. It will then tell you the wattage used by the device. It will tell you other things to, like your wall voltage, frequency, and the current (which is used to calculate watts).

 

You can't easily measure this with a multimeter. There is a way to do it, but honestly, I don't feel its safe to do unless you know what you are doing.

[Grendel0501]

I definatley DON'T know what I am doing.

 

 

I'll run by the home depot and see if I can find something like it , maybe radioshack has one.

[MitchReef]

I have an old EVC 250w electronic ballast that, when new, was rated as one of the very most powerful ballasts there was (very high comparative scores on Sanjay's page) but now it is just pitiful, not even getting a reeflux 12000K out of the yellow. Does anybody know if this mod might help the old warhorse? I cannot afford a new ballast, but a couple transistors might be possible!