high tech lights on a open tank : example

[Laith]

Originally Posted by PJAN

They are made by a local manufacturer called ATI. Available in Holland/Gemany.
...

Do you have any contact details? or a website? did a google search but didn't come up with anything...

Thanks!

[PJAN]

Originally Posted by Laith

Do you have any contact details? or a website? did a google search but didn't come up with anything...

Thanks!

No, the don't have a website anymore due to too much customers asking questions. It costed too much time, they said.

Sent me a pb and I can give you an address in Holland where to buy.

Gr. PJAN

[Laith]

pb? what's that?

[scolley]

Originally Posted by Laith

pb? what's that?

Probably meant "PM".

[aspen]

i have installed lutron ballasts and controls, for larger installations using t8's (16 cct controller with 88 ballasts plus multiple (8?) incandescent circuits (potlights, accent lighting, track lighting etc), 2 full function remotes plus 2 additional 2 scene remotes at the doorways). the installation was later connected to the a/v computer software.

they work very well, dimming capability is very good, and they will start very cleanly on the lowest setting, around 3%. i'm not sure if they have a small computer control like the one PJAN is using, but i would say check out www.lutron.com and browse. the 'tu-wire' system is the one i'm familiar with. ballasts are very easy to wire. the 24 hour hotline has some very knowledgable people working the phones. there are simply 2 wires, 1 black, 1 white from the control to the ballast, which wires exactly the same as an ordinary electronic ballast.

i have installed the GRAFIK Eye 4000 series and also the 2000 series. in the 2000 series, there is an upgrade to allow for dimming below 10%, i think down to 3%. there is a suffix on the part number to identfy the upgrade but cannot remember what it is. they'll be able to tell you. personally i doubt that you'd need this option on a tank, but hey, if you are going to spend the bucks why not have all the bells and whistles. to allow 6 lamps each on it's own zone, 7 wires are needed plus ground (6 dimmed hots, 1 neutral i ground) from the control to the tank hood. check to see if there are timers that can be connected or programmed into the 2000 series, not sure on that. i believe that there is a separate programmer required to allow for this. this stuff changes all the time.

the only thing i'd say is to ensure that the wiring from the control to the lights is well shielded and run apart from other electricity. things can be erratic if there is too much interference with other sources of electricity ime.

the instructions say you need to 'burn in' the lamps which if i remember means to run them continuously for 2 days to burn the phosphors to the inside of the lamps properly. not sure what the difference is, i just did what they said to do.

this stuff is still pretty expensive.

rick

[IUnknown]

These are new dimmers coming out for commercial applications (prices might be more reasonable). Runs Metal Halide as well.
http://www.vb1000.com/index.php

[scolley]

Originally Posted by aspen

i have installed lutron ballasts and controls...

Hey Rick, that's really cool! But it looks wicked expensive. It's all office/industrial pricing, right? Also, I looked for this, and could not find anything from Lutron that could support a 54W T5. Was I right in concluding they couldn't support that?

Originally Posted by IUnknown

These are new dimmers coming out..

Pls let us know pricing if you see it. I've always wanted an excuse to hook my aquarium systems up to my LAN!

[aspen]

>>'But it looks wicked expensive. '

2 yrs ago it was 260.00 US for a rotary dimmer and a ballast. lamps, sockets, reflectors, wire etc etc all extra. just a wall type rotary dimmer and a ballast.

>>'...could not find anything from Lutron that could support a 54W T5.'

http://www.lutron.com/ballast/ballas...=18000&t=18500

check through here and see esp the hi-lume (probably the expensive line) and the eco-10 line for dimming t-5HO's. these are the ballasts. cross the ballasts with specific controls. (you need to know which ballast you want, then select the suitable control for that specific ballast.)

i'd read all through the product guides to see what interests you, then call the lutron hotline. they'll be able to answer technical q's from people who know what they're looking for, but only your lutron salesman can give you pricing, probably a local electrical supplier carrying good lines. it is likely they'll hand you over to THEIR lutron salesman to talk turkey. not a lot of people are very well versed in the lutron line above simple wall type dimmers. none of this stuff is cheap, but i can attest to the quality. it is very clean dimming, and the product support is excellent.

rick

[aspen]

remember you'll need to integrate a timer into this, therefore the wall controllers, wireless controls etc won't be effective for a fishtank. you'll pretty much need to use one of their mega bucks computer control units to be able to select timing controls through setting up scenes in the software. basically you use their software to select different scenes. it is way out of reach for the average fishtank owner.

rick

[scolley]

Originally Posted by aspen

...you'll pretty much need to use one of their mega bucks computer control units... way out of reach for the average fish tank owner.

Thanks for the feedback Rick. But for automated planted tank use (maybe I should have said that specifically before), it sound's like we are back into the "wickedly expensive" territory. Please let me know if I'm missing something here. Thanks.

[PJAN]

Originally Posted by scolley

Thanks for the feedback Rick. But for automated planted tank use (maybe I should have said that specifically before), it sound's like we are back into the "wickedly expensive" territory. Please let me know if I'm missing something here. Thanks.

Hmmm, overhere price is about 200 US dollars for a lightcomputer.

Is that expensive?

Gr. PJAN

[scolley]

Hey PJAN, I know you're on CET. Time for bed dude... but since you're up...

Everyone has a different tolerance for "expensive". And I might be willing to go $200 for a dimable solution.But what Aspen seems to be describing is $260 for a dimmable ballast and kit that then requires an additional investment of an unknown quantity that has to be added to it.

So in my case, where like you, I am planning on an "open tank", implying no retrofit kit to a wooden hood. I've got to by a light (with ballast) at X cost, then add $260 additional expense for a new dimmable ballast, then add an additional cost of Z for the computer control. If it only cost the $200 that it cost you, then after buying the lights and throwing away the perfectly good ballast that came with them, a dimmable capability cost an additional $460. That's a lot to have dimmable lights for me.

[PJAN]

Hi Scolly,

Yeah, I it's easy for me perhaps to buy such gadgets
People here buy often pendant with dimmable ballasts (80 dollors more or so) and save money to buy later a lightcomputer.

But there are DIY-dimmers but you have to know a lott about electronics.

Bedtime now!

Gr. PJAN

[aspen]

>>'Hmmm, overhere price is about 200 US dollars for a lightcomputer.'

no where NEAR the numbers i was thinking.

rick

[Lorenceo]

Pjan, how much did you pay for those?
My electricity is 220v and 50Hz... hint hint...