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Registered Member #50
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 04:07AM
Location: Vernon, B.C, Canada
Posts: 324
So Being a DIY person, I decided to make my own light for my reef aquarium. Now the ballast is a 150w Magnetic ballast with a 120V Grounded input, and a Three pin output (Two larger pins and one smaller center one). Now I hooked it up, complete with the Metal Halide Ignitor (a potted circuit) as the bulb is pulse start. Now I wired the ground on the light case through the smaller center pin of the ballast guessing it was the ground (as It was the odd one out) I fired it up and it ran fine; although after unplugging it and touching the Lamp case (not the ballast) I received a nice shock; enough to make me throw the fixture (thankfully it didn't break). I tested continuity from the third tiny pin to the actual wall plug ground and there was no connection! But the other pins connect to it and to each other.....how can the two "power providing" pins read continuity to each other and still have it function? Any comments on whats going on here would be appreciated.
Registered Member #396
Joined: Wed Apr 19 2006, 12:55AM
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 176
They probably read continuity because of the inductive nature of your ballast although I'm having a little trouble understanding in what order and through arrangement things are connected.
Registered Member #621
Joined: Sun Apr 01 2007, 12:37AM
Location:
Posts: 119
Hey it's nice to see a fellow Reef aquarist on here. I used to keep a small 30gallon reef, started with regular marine and gradually brought it up to a Reef setup. Although I could not afford metal halide at the time, I ran a homemade 6 bulb flourescent hood (3 daylight, 3 actinic 03). I plan to get back into the hobby when budget allows and my lifestyle stabilizes a bit, and FINALLY own a metal halide hood. Very high maintance hobby but the most beautiful creatures.
Registered Member #65
Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:43AM
Location:
Posts: 1155
Glad to see this is still a popular hobby.
I generally kept fresh water tropical species, but also had common albino sharks etc...
Lamp control and automatic water treatment systems are great projects: 1.) Full spectrum florescent fixture (keeps the algae happy) 2.) Automated Water treatment system: + 2 Cheap automatic water valves recycled off dead washing machines + 1 food grade isolation tank (gravity fed) + 1 Hard UV bulb fixture + 1 Ceramic Tap water cartridge (inline from water line feed) + 1 Custom pump control system that cycles out 1/3 of the old water every week.
You should use a GFI power plug when around water.
Registered Member #621
Joined: Sun Apr 01 2007, 12:37AM
Location:
Posts: 119
Acroporas, Nice!!! I love freshwater too, thats how my dad and I got started. One of my favorite (but high maintenance like the reefs) tanks is the multi light bulb lit, densely planted freshwater. You know, the plant tanks that duplicate the tropical rivers like a reef tank duplicates the tropical reef ecosystem.
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Metal Halide Ballast Setup Problem
