# ODNO 20 watt single bulb...



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

All of what you read about overdriving bulbs applies to shorter bulbs as well! Just get an electronic ballast that is able to drive 2 or more bulbs, and wire it up, baby!

(all of the usual disclaimers apply... you might turn into a big black toast, bulbs will explode and ballasts burn down the house)

Other than that, if you are careful and kinda know what you are dealing with (electricity) it should work just fine.


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## Phizmo5 (Jan 15, 2004)

So all i'd need is a ballast used for Multiple 20 watts...? Or can I use ballasts intended for, say, a double 40 watt, wired to a single 20, and get the same effects?

Thanks


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

I don't think you'll be able to overdrive a single 20 watt bulb. Or at least I've never heard of anyone successfully attempting it. Most electronic ballasts are load sensing and will simply limit current flow to the smaller bulb. 
When I hook up a F20T12 bulb to the lead on a F32T8 ballast, it doesn't draw any more current than on a properly matched magnetic ballast.
But even if you wired up the 20w bulb straight up - you'd have a total of 75w on a 20g. If you can't grow glosso with that much light, something else is missing!


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## Phizmo5 (Jan 15, 2004)

Thanks Gulf...

The 20 watt just looks dull.. that's all, and not nearly as bright as it would expect. I have it powered by a cheap mag ballast rated for 14 15 and 20 watt bulbs. Its a t12 @ 5000k by GE... perhaps I should switch to a t 8 or swap the ballast? Both?

Thanks for the help fellas.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I would swap the ballast, and overdrive it. First use two leads to overdrive 2x. See the article section on the home page for diagrams. If you got a 4x ballast (one that drives 32W bulbs will work fine), you can try a 3x or 4x configuration, but the law of diminishing returns gets you more heat, reduced bulb life, and less gain in brightness.


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## Phizmo5 (Jan 15, 2004)

Thanks for the great info Wasserpest. Ill check it out and share what i discover...

P5


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## jay43452 (Feb 18, 2004)

What a bunch of overdrive freaks!!! I LIKE IT! :twisted:  This method has allowed me to grow anything in my 125.I have 4 36" bulbs and 4 bulb ballasts all wired 4x overdrive and that light is BRIGHT! my wife ask if the fish were going to go blind when i fisrt hooked it up and called me tim the toolman.


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

Tim Taylor is the official idol of the ODNO-Addicts club, hehe.


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## Mini4x (Feb 3, 2004)

Hi my name is Rob.. and I am an ODNOholic.

Can I use 2 ballasts for an 8x overdrive ;-)

What can I use on my 10g tank to overdrive it? I want to get some goldfish, No idea why I just always wanted some Orandas. It has a very weak 13w bulb I think (18" bulb IIRC), what bulbs should I be able to find?


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

Uhhh, just in case anyone is crazy enough to try that, haha, please note that Mini was kidding about 8xODNO, mmkay?

I've overdriven two F15T8 18" long bulbs in series before and it is REALLY bright. I estimate output at about the same as a single 65w Power Compact bulb.


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## Mini4x (Feb 3, 2004)

Who said I was kidding [timvoice]Oooh OOoohh MORE POWER[/timvoice]

I was thinking a something like a 2-F25T8 ballast into a single 18" bulb, should't be too insane.


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

When I measured current draw with 1x vs 2x into a single 18" bulb, it was indistinguishable. Gains are only significant when those small bulbs are put in series.


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## Mini4x (Feb 3, 2004)

Also www.1000bulbs.com seems to have very good prices on ballasts.. 

4F32T8 @ $18 ea!


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## Mini4x (Feb 3, 2004)

Well the bulbs are avaialble too 6500k..
But I can't OD it well :-(
But 15w into a 10 gallon tank, I should be fine anyways,

Lamp,F15t8/D,15 W
Fluorescent Lamp, Standard, Lamp Designation F15T8/D, Wattage 15, Lamp Tone Daylight, CRI 75, Rated Average Life Hours 7500, Color Temperature 6500, Initial Lumens 700, Mean Lumens 615, Starter Type Preheat, Lamp Length (Inches) 18, Base Medium Bipin (G13), T8, Diameter 1 Inch (26mm), Case Quantity 24
Grainger Item: 5V489
Price (ea) : $7.87
Manufacturer: GENERAL ELECTRIC
Mfg. Model#: F15T8/D


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

In my HD they are $17.99  

*** Wasserpest, another ODNOholic ***


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## Mini4x (Feb 3, 2004)

WHAT..

Around here the 4F32's are all in the $28 range..


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## EvilKen (Oct 22, 2003)

> When I measured current draw with 1x vs 2x into a single 18" bulb, it was indistinguishable. Gains are only significant when those small bulbs are put in series.


Wait, so are you saying that when I OD my 18inch 15watt T8 light 4X that it is not actually significantly brighter than a NO one? I just wired mine up yesterday and now Im wondering if there was a real increase of light, or if its just the placebo effect. 

Could you please explain why OD will not work on the shorter lights?

Thanks.


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

I'm not entirely sure of why OD is less effective on shorter lights. My theory is that the current limiting device is nonlinear and will compensate more strongly for low voltage drop devices (small bulbs) to protect against overheating failure. 
The indistinguishable current draw was between 1x and 2x. 4x might show a noticeable increase in light, but it won't be the general doubling in intensity that you'd see with 4xODNO on larger bulbs.
Wasser, you're lucky! Home Depot seems to set their price points wherever they see fit and as luck would have it - they set it at $26 near me. That's why I don't bother with them anymore. If I'm going to spend $20 for a cheapo Advance Ballasts, I'll go on and spend $25 on a Fulham Workhorse 5 instead and have a heck of a lot more flexibility.


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## Kris (Feb 27, 2004)

so, if i understand you all correctly, for OD to work, the tank has to be at least 4' long? mine is 24" and the hood that came with it allows for an 18" bulb.
i have been racking my brain to come up with a way to add light to my tank. i am currently running two 15 watt bulbs for 2 wpg, and the high light plants aren't making it, but the anubias is loving life.
is there a way to add light without adding hoods or spending tons of money on a new lighting sytem?
thanks,
kris


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

No, Kris, you could take two 24" bulbs and put them side by side, in series. So for ODNO to be really effective, you could use it on almost any size tank, so long as you could put two bulbs side by side for tanks less than 3'-4' long.


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## hooha (Mar 14, 2004)

any schematics for putting 2-24" in series? Right now, the light fixture I have has a 32wT8 electronic ballast in place. The ballast came with 2 "blue" wires and one "red" wire to connect to the end plates.
My endplates that came with the fixture are "coupled" already on one side (let's call it "side two"). To try to describe it, one of the endplates has 4 wires coming out of it - 2 ends are free to connect to the ballast, the other 2 wires connect to the other endplate on "side two". No other wires connect to this endplate. On "side one" each endplate has 2 wires connected that are free to connect to the ballast.

I don't want to shock myself or burn the ballast, so if anyone can confirm this is going to be the right setup it would be appreciated.

My thinking is I connect both blue wires from the ballast to one endplate on "side" one. I connect the red wire to the other endplate on "side one".

for "side 2" the endplates are already coupled, so all I need to do is "close" the free wires on the one endplate by securing them by themselves with a wire nut.

It's been a few years since my last physics class, but this sounds like 2 resistors in series....


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## GulfCoastAquarian (Jul 30, 2002)

This is exactly like two resistors in series. By putting the resistance of each bulb in series, you are simulating a bigger load, which triggers more output from the load-sensing electronic ballast (make sure yours is electronic and not magnetic!).

There's an ODNO series diagram at the bottom of the ODNO article page. There are also several posts about ODNO in series - just use the search function to look for "ODNO Series" and you should find at least a half dozen, with pictures and all.


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## hooha (Mar 14, 2004)

cool, it worked and i didn't shock myself  

i wasn't sure if I could just twist together the "free" wires on one end or not, i guess i can

nice and bright too with the 32w ballast woohoo!


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