VHO Balast Question?

[swissfish]

I'm getting rid of some shop lights at work. We used T12 Light bulbs in them and I wonder if I could use the balasts for some VHO lighting?

[M. Parkis]

A fluorescent ballast is a fluorescent ballast. T5, T6, T8, VHO or Normal Output. It’s the wattage needed to run the lamp that counts… I’ve rewired dual 55watt PC ballasts to run 110watt VHO lamps..

[swissfish]

thanks, I might have some avaiable, I think they are 2x95W but i have to check. They are saying instand start on them, will they work?

[pk-sd]

Hellolights has 220w (VHO) ballast for only $35. I bought if for $29.00 when it was on sale. I could not find anything at Home Depot at that price. Mike is right, you can use any ballast as long as it supports the wattage.

[pisces]

If what matters about the ballast is the power rating, then the following statement (from hellolights.com website for their PC ballast) is false? Or is there something different about PC ballasts vs. VHO ballasts?
http://www.hellolights.com/aroelpocoba.html

FAQ:
Q. Can I run 28W and 36W lamps on this? I saw another raw ballast on another site, and it claims to 'run anything'.
A. Well, don't let all the mis-information out there confuse you. This ballast will "run" all those lamps in the question above, however, it's not recommended for 2x 28W or 2x 36W due to performance degradation. Sure, the MR-192 will light those lamps, but you will not the performance out the lights that you think you are getting. Remember, if it claims to "do it all", be wary. With lighting, you should use the proper ballasts to drive the lamps they were designed for, if you want the best possible performance for your aquarium.

[pk-sd]

I probably is false. More research needs to be done. Maybe ballast manufacturer website can clear things up.

I think its more of a scare tactic. Just like shampoo bottles say "for best results use only this conditioner". Where "this" is their own brand. The truth is $1 conditioner is just as good as $10 conditioner.

[Reefkeeper]

FWIW, I asked IceCap whether my 660 ballast could safely run PCs. IceCap told me that although its 660 ballast is capable of running PCs, it doesnt recommend that people use it in this way. The ballast was designed for VHOs and although it has the capability of running other types of lights, it will put excess strain on the fixture and may cause other issues. You will not see the peak performance you would normally get when using the fixture as it was designed to do.

Since you were wondering what ballast makers said about using the products slightly differently, I thought it might be of some interest.