# T5's with a t8 ballast



## Gomer (Aug 14, 2003)

Possibly 

I know for instance that the Fulham workhorse ballasts (5 is the best in this regard) can run an amazing assortment of bulbs

If it isn't a fulham, you will want to contact the company or find wiring diagrams for that particular ballast.


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## pjhaddock (Sep 21, 2004)

I have the GE 32Wx4 Instant Start Electronic Ballasts. It would all come down to this I guess... Do the T5's fire with Instant Start or are they special, and then watts, I would have 64W going through a 54W T5 so it would end up being slightly OD'n. The ballast does not adjust to whatever is on it. Each lead puts out 32W. That is my understanding of the ballast anyways.. I could be wrong though..


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## pjhaddock (Sep 21, 2004)

OK, Im gonna share my experience here.. I went ahead and picked up a 6500K 54W T5HO bulb and the ends for it, hooked it up to 2 leads off the ballast and WOW is it bright.. Its the EXACT same bulb as my T8's, just a T5HO. You can stare at the 2xODNO T8, but the same leads running into the T5 is blinding. You cannot stare at it. Have not tried it over the tank yet, will hopefully get to do that tonight.. Will post back after I do..

Philip


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

T5's ROCK! roud: 

Does the ballast get hot? I was using the same ballast to drive 4 regular T8's (that's what it's thought to be used for) and it stayed almost cool.

I switched over to a Workhorse 7 which does get hot... even with one 54W HO bulb. Not sure why the difference, the Workhorse is supposed to be a phantastic ballast while the GE more el cheapo.

I noticed though that the T8 that I still use is much brighter (and hotter) connected to the Workhorse compared to how it was with the GE. Must be some ballast factor thing, the GE trying to save money and extend bulb life.


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

It seems to me that people are forgetting one simple fact. If I take a T12 bulb that puts out 40 watts of light and a T5 that puts out the same the T5 will seem brighter every time because the light is coming from a much smaller surface area.

Think spot light and flood light here.


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## mpb (Jun 6, 2004)

Wasserpest said:


> T5's ROCK! roud:
> I noticed though that the T8 that I still use is much brighter (and hotter) connected to the Workhorse compared to how it was with the GE. Must be some ballast factor thing, the GE trying to save money and extend bulb life.


Workhorse is electronic ballast. I do not know about the GE but it is probably magnetic ballast. The electronic ballast works with a higher frequency that is more efficient.


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## pjhaddock (Sep 21, 2004)

Yeah the GE is an electronic ballast made to drive 4x32W T8's. They run around $30 at home depot, I am sure the workhorse is a better one. I did not get to put it over the tank tonight cause I had to work late, hopefully tomorrow I will to see if it is any better than the T8 with the same watts.

Philip


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

Rex Grigg said:


> It seems to me that people are forgetting one simple fact. If I take a T12 bulb that puts out 40 watts of light and a T5 that puts out the same the T5 will seem brighter every time because the light is coming from a much smaller surface area.
> 
> Think spot light and flood light here.


Are you saying this is an "optical allusion" then; that in reality there isn't more light from a T5 compared to a T12 of the same wattage?


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

I'm pretty much saying that. If both bulbs are equal in efficiency then it's an optical illusion.

Again, think spot light vs flood light.


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

Hmm, this really confuses me now. Whats up with HO and VHO then...I thought if you have a 39w T5 and and 40w T12, the T5 completely blows the T12 away in amount of light produced (even being 1w less and 12" shorter). 

Then does this also mean that T5's do not produce more light then CF bulbs of the same wattage? For instance, I always thought of a 55w CF bulb as _essentially_ a 48" 54w T5 that was bent in half...but somehow the HO or VHO made them emit more light.


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Well VHO does produce more light. They are 110 watt bulbs in the 4' length.

But with equal power going in and equal efficiency they are going to produce the same amount of light.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

I don't think the spot light / flood light comparison is quite right, it is close, but I don't have a better one. Think about the many different lumen outputs you can have from 40 watt bulbs. More lumens = more light but the same wattage. That's not even switching between bulb sizes. 

Anyhow, when jumping back and forth between an HO T-5 at 54 watts and a NO T-8 being overdriven to around 48 watts (pjhaddock:::Read the OD thread, actual output from a 2xODNO lamp is usually about 1.5xwattage), the difference between the T-5 and the T-8 _should_ be obvious.


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## ThatNewGuy (Sep 8, 2004)

Put them over the tank and you see what Rex is talking about. A skinny bulb has about half or less the surface area as an old style fat bulb. So the same amount of lumens is coming out of about half the are meaning that to look at them it will seem twice as bright but when put on the tank they would be almost identical. The advantage is that you shoul dbe able to get more in the hood.


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## mpb (Jun 6, 2004)

In fact T5 bulbs produce more light than the T12 of equivalents power.
Not even considering that the light output decay of a T5 is far superior than T12

F40 
Watts:39 
Lumens (Initial):3300 
Lumens (Mean):2970 

T5
Watts:39
Lumens (Initial):3500 
Lumens (Mean):3290 

GE T5 Starcoat 

GE F40 Extralife


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## eums (Sep 16, 2004)

its all in the reflector. 

a t5 reflector is smaller ( smaller bulb ) and most is not all t5 reflectors are parabolic. also less light is lost in bounce back ( light bouncing into the bulb )

t12 or VHO bulbs are about twice as wide as a t5 they need a much bigger reflector , a parabolic reflector for a t12 is about 4.5" wide. there is also more bounce back because of the greater bulb size. and how many people even use parabolic reflectors on there t12's ? 

you can take metal halides and look at the same thing. there are SE versions(have a big glass enclosure over them) and DE ones that have just the quartz with out the protective glass) 

the DE bulbs will put more light in the tank but will also focus it more. the pendants are smaller (12"x6" or a little smaller) the bulb is mounted closer to the reflector and there for has a better smaller reflector design that will blow away any SE bulb, unless you go into massive reflectors that are about twice the size

now if you want the same amount of light(same wattage bulb on same ballast ) to get to the tank with a SE bulb, you have to use a 2'x2' reflector (luminarc) but the luminarc reflectors cost more than the DE pendants by $30+ 

so over all smaller bulb will out perform a larger one of the same wattage due to the fact it will focus the light into the tank better. 

This has been gone over in groves at reefcentral.com there has been testing with par meters and all kinds of stuff.


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## BOTIA (Dec 23, 2003)

*Re Workhorse 7*

Hi Wasserpest
I have WH 7 as well with 2 grolux and 2 T8 6500k bulbs. I have spoken with fulham about this setup and they told me each lead puts out 400ma, a normal T8 requires 210ma so they are being overdriven by close to one powerfactor, approx 54watts. That is why your T8's are so bright 



Wasserpest said:


> T5's ROCK! roud:
> 
> Does the ballast get hot? I was using the same ballast to drive 4 regular T8's (that's what it's thought to be used for) and it stayed almost cool.
> 
> ...


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! That explains a lot. Thanks Botia! roud:


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