T5NO Bulbs in Catalina T5HO Fixtures!!

Jim Miller

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Just spoke to Jim at Catalina and he confirmed that the ballasts he uses in his fixtures work properly with T5NO bulbs in them. In fact he uses them that way himself.

I told him that people were looking for various ways to reduce the intensity and that the ability to use 3xT5NO to find a midpoint between 2xT5NO and 2xT5HO might well be a selling point he should expoit.

I also suggested he discuss this with TB upon his return from where ever he is this week.

Jim
 

pepetj

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I have yet to find an electronic ballast designed to run T5HO that doesn't work with T5NO. It just doesn't work the other way around. I'm not an expert though and my experience is limited to a bit over one year with these lamps.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo
 

Jim Miller

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Glad to hear about your experiences! I think there are a lot of people who could benefit from using NO as well as HO/NO combos to achieve their desired PAR. One size doesn't fit all.

Jim
 

hbosman

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Jim Miller;63355 said:
Glad to hear about your experiences! I think there are a lot of people who could benefit from using NO as well as HO/NO combos to achieve their desired PAR. One size doesn't fit all.

Jim


would I be correct in assuming that you can't mix a NO bulb and an HO bulb on the same ballest? In other words if, you have a fixture with two ballests, you could put NO bulbs on one and HO bulbs on the other but, not mix them up?
 

Jim Miller

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hbos: I don't know that answer to that. Jim at Catalina might know for the multiple bulb versions of ballast he uses. There must be some industry spec somewhere that everyone builds to in order to be compatible with the various bulbs. I'm going to try to find it but no promises.

Jim
 

pepetj

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As far as I know you should use similar types of lamps per ballast. I mix T5HO with T5NO but I don't wire them to the same ballast. I use the fixture's ballast for the T5HO and wire the T5NO to a remote ballast (I usually place it at the rear of the tank).

Pepetj
Santo Domingo
 

SuperColey1

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I think it is like computery memory chips where you should always use pairs the same specs.

As for the ballasts and whether you can use X or Y in them. Electronic ballast are a little different to electric (magnetic) and should have a print on the rear of the ballast detailing what combos you can use with said ballast.

As for a selling point. Not sure that would work. Apart from the 1% who are able to be open minded the other 99% refuse to believe that uber light isn't the way nor will they believe about spread or spacing. No-one will convince them to ditch their pretty slimline units for a bulkier(but better) unit. lol

AC
 

nipat

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hbosman;63390 said:
would I be correct in assuming that you can't mix a NO bulb and an HO bulb on the same ballest? In other words if, you have a fixture with two ballests, you could put NO bulbs on one and HO bulbs on the other but, not mix them up?

I saw some ballasts have multiple output ports for different types of bulb.
So mixing bulbs shouldn't be a problem with them.
 

SuperColey1

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I don't know if anyone can tell me this. I am not knowledgable really about the technicalities of this particular situation ;)

If you power a T5NO tube with a T5HO ballast does the tube only draw the T5NO level or does the ballast overdrive the NO to HO levels???

AC
 

Jim Miller

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The ballast senses and drives the T5NO bulb at the correct drive level. That's the real benefit. The Catalina 4 bulb fixture with a ballast per lamp can deliver 2xT5NO, 3xT5NO, 4xT5NO, the latter being roughly equivalent to 2xT5HO.

Normally one is stuck with 2xT5HO and high light. The 2xNO giving low light and 3xNO giving medium light are very nice alternatives.

Jim
 

SuperColey1

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Is that with the particular ballast they are using OR with all electronic ballast OR all ballasts.

I guess I'm saying is could anyone just buy a higher powere ballast and then choose whatever tubes they want as long as they are lower.

I remember we always used to say you had to match the ballast to the lights

AC
 

Jim Miller

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SC: All T5 ballasts are electronic.

As I mentioned before I don't know the spec for T5 ballasts but will try to find one when I have the time.

I was referring specifically to the Catalina product per the title of this thread.

Jim
 

SuperColey1

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OK Jim. Have to say that whilst virtually all T5s are run on electronic ballasts a few of the early ones years ago ran on magnetic still. lol. The original CFs that came out in the UK (I rate CFs as a bent T5HO also) were one example and for a year or so they had magnetic ballasts and boy they got hot. Manufacturer very quickly changed over to electronic though.

AC
 

Kraken

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Sep 6, 2012
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Hey Folks! This thread is of great interest to me. I was wondering how this story ends because I was thinking about doing this same thing.

I don't have a Catalina T5HO though; Hagen Glo T5HO (2x24w). The ballast requires two tubes to run. I found an F14W/T5/850 (5000K) that seems long enough to fit the fixture. I'm picking them up this Sunday aft.

I certainly do not intend to hijack your thread Jim, by changing the subject (catalina vs hagen). Do you have any further info to share?

Kind regards, Krak