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Thread: DIY MH Light or Retrofit PL to MH

  1. #1
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    DIY MH Light or Retrofit PL to MH

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    Hi Seniors,

    While waiting for my MH light to be delivier, I am planning to DIY or retrofit my existing PL lighing to MH light.

    Anyone have done it before or any pointers?

    Thanks in advance
    Bregds

  2. #2
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    not sure if anyone has done it before. several things you should know,
    1) mh is very much hotter than pl
    2) ballast used are different
    3) tube dimensions are different

  3. #3
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    To add ..:

    1) Need to lift the PL hood to more than 6 inches above the water surface.... Of u risk cooking your fishes
    2) Space is a consideration. Metal Halide's reflectors are much wider.
    3) The ballast is also need to be considered , correct choice based on model and brand had to be decided. Especially if you choose electronic ballast over the magnetic coil ones...
    4) Fans... Cooling is a must and ventalitation is important.
    5) Socket based or double ended connections for the MH
    6) Other than height of metal halide lamp, it is sometimes advisable to place a shielding glass(tempered or strong), to avoid the lamp exploding from water contact.... Should be no problem if you are not using any aeration to cause water bubbles to splash on the lights
    7) PL Hoods are not designed to hold MH so I recommend building one or get a carpenter to do it for you. Or no hood at all, use a pulley system...

    Regards.

  4. #4
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    Thanks for inputs.

    Have the following accessories from EYE lighting
    - 2 x ballasts
    - 2 x iwasaki MH buld double ended (UV cut), 1 inch dia.
    - 2 x mounting kit for MH buld (socket), plus 2 spares

    Retrofit parts
    - reflectors
    - PC fan
    - existing 2 inch thick PL light holder

    Dis-assamble the PL light and remove the ballast, drill hole to fit the socket
    sideway. Another 2 holes for hanging the light from the ceiling or under the diy plywood hood.

    Unable to install the socket top down and found sideway also can.
    The light holder only hold the MH socket and MH buld and connect to a remote ballast via a long wire.

    It is not possible to install the ballast into the light holder but still can place the ballast remotely. The holder are a lot lighter without the ballast.

    Will need to go cut a piece of glass to protect the MH.

    Not all PL light can fit the MH sockect, out of my 3 spare lamps on 2 can be retrofited.

    Also the url http://www.cyberreefguru.com/diy/index.html are usefull.
    Next week will go get plywood for the above diy lighting hood.

    Bregds

  5. #5
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    bro, care to disclose your costs of diying your own MH light?
    any pictures to show how your light looks like?

    any other information u can add?
    maybe can write a guide on how to change PL light to mh light even

  6. #6
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    Price for the MH buld and ballast.

    http://www.viclite.com/Eye20k.htm
    http://www.viclite.com/ballast.htm

    I think the key to the fitting is the base/socket Rx7s or E27.
    Also depend on the type of buld you bought.
    It is not easy to fit the E27 into existing light fixtures but possible depends on the existing light holder.
    The Rx7s look like a 'u' shape which you can drill a small hole on top of the light holder and secure with screw. So the socket look like a inverted 'u'

    My only digital cam which is my 7600 now in nokia intensive care for 1 week due to sw bug. Will get photo of the diy and post it here once the phone out from intensive care.

    BTW, how to post photo here?

    TIA

  7. #7
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    2 x 150W MH + 2 x T5(or T FL lights? (cool combo)
    Could be a total of 410 W if the T5 is 55 W....
    Add a few LEDs for moonlight.....
    I like the EYE 6500k MH too...

    Total cost should be around 500 to 600 bucks hood and all.... Compared to a few thousands bucks for some of the "commercial" lamps.....

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