[reefburnaby]

Hello Christy,

Lighting...

So, you have a canopy and you have VHO sockets and no ballast for VHO.

VHO sockets are high temperature version of the NO socket. Regardless, if you aren't sure and they look really bad...get it replaced. VHO sockets are about $16 at J&L -- you can get them elsewhere too (like a lighting store).

You need a VHO ballast -- which you can find in Home Depot, Acklands, and other lighting equipment store. They cost about $50 to $60 -- and it can be done. You need a rapid start ballast for a F48T12/VHO if it is a 4 foot VHO tube. They need to be special ordered since nobody really uses these VHOs in new commercial installations.

Icecap...they are neat little suckers. Supposely, you can use NO tubes and make them as bright as VHO tubes. Also, their soft start feature enhances the lifetime of the tubes. They will run cooler and use less power for the same function as industrial VHO ballasts. If you can afford it...then just get it. Check if anybody is order stuff from the US and combine your order to save money. The main advantage of Icecap is that you can make NO tubes as bright as VHO.

Last option, is....forget about the VHOs and just use the MH. From what I have been told, if you use 10,000K MH, then you don't need actinics. If you don't mind a slight yellow cast, then 6500K will do.

I prefer the MH only method...it is simple and it is the easiest to do.

Safety Tip : MH bulbs are filled with high pressure gases. When you dispose of a MH bulb, wrap the bulb in a grocery bag or paper bag and then smash the glass bulb before disposing. Unlike incandescent bulbs, MH bulbs expode into thousands of glass bits when the bulb is broken. This will ensure that unsuspecting household members don't get injured or frightened by the expoding bulb.

Hope that helps.

- Victor.

[ 27 September 2001: Message edited by: reefburnaby ]