FMJnaX
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I didn't want to continue to hijack the original thread located here so I created a new thread.
So anyway, I'm going to try and overdrive a simple F20T12 bulb; which is a 20W 24" T12 bulb - usually the standard bulb with any basic 30" hood for our 29 gallon tanks. greenmagi has been a HUGE help thus far so I figured I could just keep everyone informed and use this as a project thread as well as a Q & A thread about overdriving.
If you read through the original "lighting and cost..." thread, then you would know the basics that we're looking at. If you didn't, then let me list out my best explanation of ODNO and what we'll need to do this. I'm not an expert and I'm not going to pretend that I know exactly what I'm doing. If anyone needs to correct me, please do so. I'm just going to explain what I know in "newbie" terms.
ODNO - What is it?
ODNO stands for Over Drive
Normal Output. In a short description, it means that you're taking your standard fluorescent bulbs (normal output) and overdriving them by increasing the power given to them. I've read that it may work for incandescent, but that would be for a different story/thread. Trying to relate the overall project to other examples that people often try, here's what I've come up with:
So, basically, you're taking a stock item and putting more into it. It's not more than the item can handle or that is was designed for, but it's enough to get better performance.
How does it work?
First of all, it must be done with an electronic ballast and not the standard magnetic ballast that usually comes with our standard 30" hoods. You typically need to buy an electronic ballast for 2 bulbs at the minimum. A 4 bulb ballast is always the recommended ballast, however. I haven't bought my ballast and looked at anything, but it appears that you simple wire the four outputs to your one bulb for a 4x overdrive. You can overdrive anywhere from 1x to 4x and can use T12 bulbs or T8 bulbs. This apparently increases the power to the bulb (instead of splitting power from the ballast to 4 bulbs, you're running it all to your 1 bulb), thus creating more watts, higher lumens, and a brighter light.
How much does it cost?
I haven't purchased anything, but preliminary checking shows to be about $40 for a twin light setup. I'm only going to work with a single light first, so I would say I'm going to expect to pay about $30-$35.
Is it safe?
Apparently so. As I understand, our standard fluorescent bulbs are built to accept a lot more than rated or what we normally feed them. The ballasts we use and typical industrial ballasts are created more as an "energy efficient" device. As a result, they don't really give you 100% of the product. As with any electrical project, serious risks are present, but if you have a good head on your shoulders, then you should be alright. There shouldn't be any risk of the bulb exploding, but they do get quite hot (though not as hot as the CF bulbs). It's highly recommended to use at least 1 fan to help dissipate the heat. Check your wiring and take it 1X at a time until you're job is perfect. Use the right materials and be sure to be home long enough for a good test (6+ hours). Do all of this and I don't see any problems coming up. DISCLAIMER - I will not be held responsible for any damages you may receive from trying this. I'm not the expert on this project. I'm simply just trying to put it all in to English.
Where can I find more technical information?
Simply click on this line. It's all the information you should ever need on this project.
I would highly suggest you read the information at the link posted above. I left out A LOT of small details that you should probably read up on if you're going to attempt this. If I have sparked your interest, then click the link above.
As I mentioned, I haven't purchased anything yet. When I do, I will post pictures of the items and of the progress as I go. I will attempt to make it a simple project for most electrical "newbies". Like I've mentioned many times, I'm not an expert on this. I've never attempted it, but I do have basic electrical experience and the guts to give it a shot. I'll monitor progress and try to get the estimated energy increase (for those of us that worry about our monthly electric bill), the light increase, how it affects my thinned plants, etc.
If anyone has information to add, questions, comments, etc, then please post away. I'll try to answer the best I can. If you want me to monitor anything special during the project, let me know and I'll make a best effort to do so.
It's my understanding that not many people use ODNO lighting and I would like to know why. It doesn't seem expensive or too difficult. Bulbs will be cheaper and should make up for the increased energy bill over a short amount of time (6-9 months maybe). So I'm going to get to the bottom of this and I'll take you all along the way.
Thanks in advance for everything!
So anyway, I'm going to try and overdrive a simple F20T12 bulb; which is a 20W 24" T12 bulb - usually the standard bulb with any basic 30" hood for our 29 gallon tanks. greenmagi has been a HUGE help thus far so I figured I could just keep everyone informed and use this as a project thread as well as a Q & A thread about overdriving.
If you read through the original "lighting and cost..." thread, then you would know the basics that we're looking at. If you didn't, then let me list out my best explanation of ODNO and what we'll need to do this. I'm not an expert and I'm not going to pretend that I know exactly what I'm doing. If anyone needs to correct me, please do so. I'm just going to explain what I know in "newbie" terms.
ODNO - What is it?
ODNO stands for Over Drive
Normal Output. In a short description, it means that you're taking your standard fluorescent bulbs (normal output) and overdriving them by increasing the power given to them. I've read that it may work for incandescent, but that would be for a different story/thread. Trying to relate the overall project to other examples that people often try, here's what I've come up with:- 1) For the computer freaks - overclocking your CPU. You increase the voltage to it and get a higher clock speed (e.g. a 2.0GHz P4 can get a 3.0GHz rated clock speed). Of course, there's more to it that we won't get in to.
2) For the automotive freaks - added something like a performance chip to your car or adding a larger throttle body, exhaust, NOS, etc, etc, etc
3) Well, I can't think of anymore right now. lol
So, basically, you're taking a stock item and putting more into it. It's not more than the item can handle or that is was designed for, but it's enough to get better performance.
How does it work?
First of all, it must be done with an electronic ballast and not the standard magnetic ballast that usually comes with our standard 30" hoods. You typically need to buy an electronic ballast for 2 bulbs at the minimum. A 4 bulb ballast is always the recommended ballast, however. I haven't bought my ballast and looked at anything, but it appears that you simple wire the four outputs to your one bulb for a 4x overdrive. You can overdrive anywhere from 1x to 4x and can use T12 bulbs or T8 bulbs. This apparently increases the power to the bulb (instead of splitting power from the ballast to 4 bulbs, you're running it all to your 1 bulb), thus creating more watts, higher lumens, and a brighter light.
How much does it cost?
I haven't purchased anything, but preliminary checking shows to be about $40 for a twin light setup. I'm only going to work with a single light first, so I would say I'm going to expect to pay about $30-$35.
Is it safe?
Apparently so. As I understand, our standard fluorescent bulbs are built to accept a lot more than rated or what we normally feed them. The ballasts we use and typical industrial ballasts are created more as an "energy efficient" device. As a result, they don't really give you 100% of the product. As with any electrical project, serious risks are present, but if you have a good head on your shoulders, then you should be alright. There shouldn't be any risk of the bulb exploding, but they do get quite hot (though not as hot as the CF bulbs). It's highly recommended to use at least 1 fan to help dissipate the heat. Check your wiring and take it 1X at a time until you're job is perfect. Use the right materials and be sure to be home long enough for a good test (6+ hours). Do all of this and I don't see any problems coming up. DISCLAIMER - I will not be held responsible for any damages you may receive from trying this. I'm not the expert on this project. I'm simply just trying to put it all in to English.
Where can I find more technical information?
Simply click on this line. It's all the information you should ever need on this project.
I would highly suggest you read the information at the link posted above. I left out A LOT of small details that you should probably read up on if you're going to attempt this. If I have sparked your interest, then click the link above.
As I mentioned, I haven't purchased anything yet. When I do, I will post pictures of the items and of the progress as I go. I will attempt to make it a simple project for most electrical "newbies". Like I've mentioned many times, I'm not an expert on this. I've never attempted it, but I do have basic electrical experience and the guts to give it a shot. I'll monitor progress and try to get the estimated energy increase (for those of us that worry about our monthly electric bill), the light increase, how it affects my thinned plants, etc.
If anyone has information to add, questions, comments, etc, then please post away. I'll try to answer the best I can. If you want me to monitor anything special during the project, let me know and I'll make a best effort to do so.
It's my understanding that not many people use ODNO lighting and I would like to know why. It doesn't seem expensive or too difficult. Bulbs will be cheaper and should make up for the increased energy bill over a short amount of time (6-9 months maybe). So I'm going to get to the bottom of this and I'll take you all along the way.
Thanks in advance for everything!
