has anyone made there own DE system

[SLOreefer]

well the heading says it all....im looking into making my own DE system. i think a 150 watt should be good....if anyone has done this and has the part numbers on ballasts or knows where i can get the actual fixture for the bulbs let me know.

[cal3v]

You can use a fixture for halogen lights from what I hear. check RC in the DIY section, they have a whole thread on it.

[glazer]

SLO,

Dunno if this will help or not, maybe get you started thinking on some ideas. I bought an PFO hqi ballast but used one of the halogen fixtures that cal spoke of to mount my bulb in.

The fixture was a 250 or 500 watt outdoor Regent halogen fixture. I can't remember which one now but doesn't matter as both fixtures were the same size. Removed the socket assembly and took a dremel to the interior castings that hold the halogen fixtures.... you need to cut/grind them off. The sockets for the DE bulb I bought from HelloLights.... was the more spendy set, spring loaded and mounted on a metal bar. (highly recommended)

I don't know if you can tell from the pic or not but there is a screw mounted directly in the center of the fixture that holds the reflector in... I removed the shorter screw, cut a longer one to length and used a piece of aluminum tubing as a spacer. This new screw arrangement goes through and existing hole in the socket mounting bar.... holds the whole thing in place. Wiring from the sockets run up behind the reflector and exit through the mounting arm, this is just like the original halogen wiring was done. The sockets were like $16, um maybe? You'll have to look... and the Regent halogen fixture was um...... FIVE dollars!

I was going to mount this whole thing in a wooden pendant but changed my mind and ended up ordering a hood from PSL. Which is another thought for you by the way.....

[SLOreefer]

hey glazer....that helps alot. gives me some direction. does that regent setup come with glass or will i have to rig soemthing for that also? im going to be putting this in a wooden canopy also...is that going to be easy to mount in?

[cal3v]

sloreefer the reagent fixture comes with the glass.

[glazer]

and as I understand.... since the light fixture is rated for outdoor use AND holds HID type lighting the glass is tempered, BONUS!

 

I think once you have the fixture in hand SLO, you should be able to come up with some ideas for how to mount it... I thought of several different possibilities and all a piece of cake. The mounting arm on the light fixture is lockable in any position. I have no idea the technical name for the threads and connection means.... but the mounting post has threads on it and uses the type of nuts you find in the metal electrical boxes and conduit connectors. You could just mount a block of wood to the inside surface of your hood drill a hole in it, poke the mounting arm through it and put the nut on the back, eeeeeeeezy!

[BCOrchidGuy]

I just want to be really clear here Glazer, you can use the Halogen fixture and fire a DE MH?.... The ceramic end caps need to be changed.... wow.. amazing I wondered if it would work but never thought it would because of MH needing an ignitor etc.... I've got a couple of these fixtures laying around and if I can make one accept a DE MH that would sure solve some issues I was anticipating with a new tank I am considering.

[glazer]

hey BC,

The fixture is simply that.... nothing else. Halogen bulbs require NO ballast to fire.... they wire directly into household current. Metal halides DO need a ballast. The sockets that hold a halogen bulb will not work on the MH/DE bulbs.... those were removed from the fixture to allow me to retrofit the DE sockets in to it. I am indeed firing the bulb with a PFO hqi ballast.... basically all this is is a 5 dollar version of the 100 dollar PFO mini-pendant which itself is nothing more than a fixture for mounting a bulb in.

[BCOrchidGuy]

Wow, cool I guess I need to start looking this stuff up. Thanks for the info.