Ebay 250W MH's with Actinics & LED's anyone tried this?

[xtreme]

Originally Posted by ed holland

some stuff you can get good deals on.
but watch shipping some guys charge $104.00 for shipping.
i have got pumps and bulbs off e-bay all was good for me.
JUST WATCH SHIPPING COST.
look at some of the other lights on ebay now some have good shipping cost
others, like i said $104.00 for shipping!

If you order from the states and can get them to ship USPS it will save you a ton in brokerage fees that UPS and FedEx will charge. For the light you will probably have to go with UPS though, so expect a brokerage charge when it gets to your door. Also if you have a lot of spare time on your hands there is a ridiculously large thread on RC about these lights. Search Odyssea there to find the thread. I have the 6' version and thought it was a great deal when I first got it but that was before I had seen any other MH to compare it to. I have since replaced all 3 ballasts and lamps and it is now a good light. Only thing left to upgrade is reflectors. Depending on the types of corals you want to keep it may be enough for you but I would say it is closer to the brightness of a 150w than the stated 250w. For softies and LPS it will do the job but if you plan on keeping SPS they will do much better under a brighter light. For the amount of money I have put into the light I almost could have bought something of better quality from the start. Overall though it is a decent looking fixture, and not that bad for the price. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.