How To: Majorly Tweak 13w PC to Rapid Start

i figured out how to solve my problem with my 13w/9w bulbs driven on an electronic fulham ballast.

ok this is kinda scary so don't do it unless you know what you're doing X)

http://www.clubvb.com/Focal.Yokels/eBay/On...onvertTubes.htm

have fun, don't die.

Hmmmm....interesting:D.

Cameron

too much trouble to take i tihnk but if ure up to it kudos

Was your fulham ballast designed to run multiple bulbs?

I have an advanced (electronic) that is designed to run 4 bulbs. I would like to run 4 13w bulbs off it.

How did you wire your bulbs? Do you need seperate red leads for each of the 2 tubes per bulb (my ballast has 4 red leads)?

I am asking if when you remove the starter, does it require additional leads to light the bulb? Or do you jumper from on to another?

Would I be able to use this ballast on 13w bulbs from HelloLights just as they are, or would I need to modify them like this?

Hope you understand my limited ability to ask a questions about something I understand only minorly.

fulham's workhorse ballasts are not designed to fire two pin biax bulbs for the reasons suggested on that website and fulham's (www.fulham.com)

most advance ballasts are not built to light t4 tubes (i.e. compact fluorescent) but i've read that you can use models REL-2p32 or REL-4p32 with 2x32 and 4x32 respectively... but if you look at the lit on advance's website, you'll see that they suggest you don't.

jumper.

13w from hellolights are the same 2-pin biax shown in the picture. you'd have to pop them open and tweak if you want to run them on an electronic ballast.

hth.

all they are doing is removing the starter. Sort of defeats the purpose and seriously decreases the life span of the bulb. Why not just buy a 20watt NO ballast from home depot for 4 bucks and call it a day?

Originally posted by SaltyDawg

all they are doing is removing the starter.

:|

Originally posted by SaltyDawg

Sort of defeats the purpose and seriously decreases the life span of the bulb

fewer starts increases tube longevity.

Originally posted by SaltyDawg

Why not just buy a 20watt NO ballast from home depot for 4 bucks and call it a day?

because they run hot.

The 13W fluorescents that are available for the aquarium hobby have an integrated glow-plug starter and only can be used with magnetic ballasts. The purpose of removing the integrated starter (glow-plug) is so that you can use a normal (either magnetic or electronic) rapid start ballast with the lamp.

Starts should be more reliable and you can use an electronic ballast.

I saw the same link from an eBay auction and was already contemplating doing this when I saw this thread. I'm not sure I want to f-up my 13W actinic lamp I bought from hellolights though. It would suck if I opened it up only to find they cut short the other two leads I need to splice into.

foo, you are my hero. thank you.

Wierd, I never knew that. I just use the little magnetic ballasts and put them on long wires so I can put them where the heat doesnt matter. I had no idea they had a little glow plug in there.