250W Giesemann light Repair?

navychief · 07/01/2020, 02:09 PM

Hi, folks. Before I get into the details, I want to ask if this is a good place for starting a thread?

Problem:

Infiniti 250W HQI w/ four 24” T5s - $890 light I cannot toss!!!

Ballast seems to not be pushing the lamp completely?
Ballast (if bad) is no longer available. How to build a new ballast system?

If this is a good place to discuss, I’ll hunker down and begin. If there is another thread I might have overlooked, please let me know.

Chief

oreo57 · 07/01/2020, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by navychief

Hi, folks. Before I get into the details, I want to ask if this is a good place for starting a thread?

Problem:

Infiniti 250W HQI w/ four 24” T5s - $890 light I cannot toss!!!

Ballast seems to not be pushing the lamp completely?
Ballast (if bad) is no longer available. How to build a new ballast system?

If this is a good place to discuss, I’ll hunker down and begin. If there is another thread I might have overlooked, please let me know.

Chief

Which ballast?

moondoggy4 · 07/01/2020, 08:05 PM

How many ballast?

victornguyen · 07/09/2020, 09:31 AM

its eaiser to buy a new ballast. I had to all of them in the last few years.

victornguyen · 07/09/2020, 09:41 AM

email coralvue.com customer support. they can help you to rewire a new ballast.

navychief · 08/19/2020, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oreo57

Which ballast?

It's a single, sealed unit. I was hoping to troubleshoot it, but it's full of sealent compound.

navychief · 08/19/2020, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by victornguyen

email coralvue.com customer support. they can help you to rewire a new ballast.

I will give that a try. I bought a transformer for the HQI and two ballasts for the 4 T5s. Just have to figure out the proper wiring/circuitry.

moondoggy4 · 08/19/2020, 06:56 PM

Can you take a picture of the ballast?

navychief · 08/20/2020, 08:51 AM

If additional pictures are needed, I can provide.

Thank you!

oreo57 · 08/20/2020, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by navychief

If additional pictures are needed, I can provide.

Thank you!

Dang that thing is ugly...

navychief · 08/22/2020, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oreo57

Dang that thing is ugly...

Yeah. So much for determining which component needs replaced, let alone trying to removed it..

navychief · 08/22/2020, 08:13 AM

Although the light does work, it appears to me that the ballast isn't pushing the 14K 250W bulb to its full potential. Is this possible, or do ballasts simply stop working? I do not own a PAR meter, so I have no real way to determine the intensity.

I have been using a Radion LED light over my tank for a couple years, but wanted to go back to the giesemann since it seemed to work very well my corals.

Vinny Kreyling · 08/22/2020, 05:03 PM

Any way to use a ballast remotely?

oreo57 · 08/22/2020, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by navychief

Although the light does work, it appears to me that the ballast isn't pushing the 14K 250W bulb to its full potential. Is this possible, or do ballasts simply stop working? I do not own a PAR meter, so I have no real way to determine the intensity.

I have been using a Radion LED light over my tank for a couple years, but wanted to go back to the giesemann since it seemed to work very well my corals.

Not an electronics guru especially w/ "old" tech.
My go to guess is some or one of those large electrolytic capacitors is dead or weak..
Unless someone comes up w/ a better solution.. best thing would be to rip it down to just wires and sockets.

Ballast looks to be some hybrid between magnetic and electronic..
And the proof is here.
Maybe resurrect this thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...1328106&page=6

see post 132

Seems that was some "fancy" tech back in the day..
Still leaning to gut and replace..

UNlike I said should be fairly straight forward to just plug a new ballast in..
This whole "compatibility" thing is why I "favor" LED's.. everywhere..

https://www.*********.com/threads/wh...finity.199089/

navychief · 08/24/2020, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinny Kreyling

Any way to use a ballast remotely?

Not understanding the "remotely" question.

Vinny Kreyling · 08/24/2020, 05:26 PM

Remotely meaning a power brick outside the unit like most of the LED lighting these days.

tacocat · 08/24/2020, 08:12 PM

Did the ballast not fire up the HQI and T-5’s? The Giesemann ballast looks like an electronic rather than magnetic ballast. Wiring up a new Coralvue ballast is your best bet. Trace the old wires to the new ballasts.

navychief · 09/25/2020, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacocat

Did the ballast not fire up the HQI and T-5’s? The Giesemann ballast looks like an electronic rather than magnetic ballast. Wiring up a new Coralvue ballast is your best bet. Trace the old wires to the new ballasts.

It does, but it has this very lite flicker with the HQI. It doesn't seem as bright as before, and the ballast is cool as a cucumber. The ballast always ran pretty hot.

navychief · 09/25/2020, 11:10 AM

So here are a few pictures (transformer first) of the components I picked up at my local electrical/lighting store. One magnetic transformer w/capacitor and wiring diagram to drive the HQI. Two ballasts for the 4 T5s that i need to drive. Anyone have any comments/suggestions? WIll this work although it's not an electronic ballast like what came with the fixture?

navychief · 09/25/2020, 11:16 AM

Here is the two ballasts for the T5s plus the transformer wiring diagram...

All help appreciated.

PaulErik · 09/25/2020, 12:01 PM

That magnetic metal halide ballast will not work with HQI double ended lamps unfortunately. That one is rated only for single ended probe start lamps (ANSI M58). You need an ANSI M80 ballast but the bare ballasts are only made to order for lighting manufacturers. They are available fully assembled inside an enclosure. Other option is to use an electronic ballast.

navychief · 09/25/2020, 01:18 PM

Well, $hit...

navychief · 09/28/2020, 06:42 AM

Here's the solution from Coralvue. I ordered two (spare) of these since it seems harded and harder to locate ballasts.

https://www.coralvue.com/icecap-400w...tronic-ballast

oreo57 · 09/28/2020, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulErik

That magnetic metal halide ballast will not work with HQI double ended lamps unfortunately. That one is rated only for single ended probe start lamps (ANSI M58). You need an ANSI M80 ballast but the bare ballasts are only made to order for lighting manufacturers. They are available fully assembled inside an enclosure. Other option is to use an electronic ballast.

A m80 like this?
https://hamiltontechnology.com/index...product_id=180

Quote:

Assembled 250 watt M80 ballast in a black aluminum enclosure
Powerful, High Performance, Reliable with Long Rated Life
Use with any 250 watt Metal Halide Double-Ended HQI or Pulse Start 250 watt mogul based lamp
Includes: 3 prong quick disconnect, 6 foot grounded power cord, louvers for cooling and solid mount rubber feet
Replacement ballast compatible with Hamilton, Sunlight Supply and Lumateck 3 prong quick disconnect
Optional 12 ft lamp cord with 3 prong male quick disconnect. Plugs into our ballast on one end & has 3 wires (black, white, green) at the other end

PaulErik · 09/29/2020, 01:03 AM

Yes that Hamilton ballast is an assembled M80 ballast. The bare ballasts (core and coil, capacitor and ignitor kit) are typically not available anymore. Ballast choices have slimmed down even for the lighting manufacturers.

07/01/2020, 02:09 PM	#1
navychief "Shellback" Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 541	250W Giesemann light Repair? Hi, folks. Before I get into the details, I want to ask if this is a good place for starting a thread? Problem: Infiniti 250W HQI w/ four 24” T5s - $890 light I cannot toss!!! Ballast seems to not be pushing the lamp completely? Ballast (if bad) is no longer available. How to build a new ballast system? If this is a good place to discuss, I’ll hunker down and begin. If there is another thread I might have overlooked, please let me know. Chief __________________ CadLights 70G, Radion XR30W Pro, 2 MP 10, Apexs, .25 HP chiller, 3 TLF reactors w/ Carbon/Bioballs, PM Kalk reactor, 24" Giesemann w/4 Actinic T5s/250W 15000K HQI, PM R30 Fuge, Cone-S Skimmer, RS Salt Current Tank Info: 1 Paracanthurus; 2 False Percula; 1 Monacanthidae; 1 Blue Chrysiptera cyanea; 1 Lysmata debelius; 1 Eucidaris

08/22/2020, 08:13 AM	#12
navychief "Shellback" Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 541	Light intensity Although the light does work, it appears to me that the ballast isn't pushing the 14K 250W bulb to its full potential. Is this possible, or do ballasts simply stop working? I do not own a PAR meter, so I have no real way to determine the intensity. I have been using a Radion LED light over my tank for a couple years, but wanted to go back to the giesemann since it seemed to work very well my corals. __________________ CadLights 70G, Radion XR30W Pro, 2 MP 10, Apexs, .25 HP chiller, 3 TLF reactors w/ Carbon/Bioballs, PM Kalk reactor, 24" Giesemann w/4 Actinic T5s/250W 15000K HQI, PM R30 Fuge, Cone-S Skimmer, RS Salt Current Tank Info: 1 Paracanthurus; 2 False Percula; 1 Monacanthidae; 1 Blue Chrysiptera cyanea; 1 Lysmata debelius; 1 Eucidaris

08/22/2020, 05:03 PM	#13
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Any way to use a ballast remotely? __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

08/24/2020, 05:26 PM	#16
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Remotely meaning a power brick outside the unit like most of the LED lighting these days. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

08/24/2020, 08:12 PM	#17
tacocat Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 3,447	Did the ballast not fire up the HQI and T-5’s? The Giesemann ballast looks like an electronic rather than magnetic ballast. Wiring up a new Coralvue ballast is your best bet. Trace the old wires to the new ballasts. __________________ Going to need a cleanup on aisle 3 Current Tank Info: 240g Starphire cube

07/01/2020, 08:05 PM	#3
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	How many ballast?

07/09/2020, 09:31 AM	#4
victornguyen Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Calgary Posts: 3	its eaiser to buy a new ballast. I had to all of them in the last few years.

07/09/2020, 09:41 AM	#5
victornguyen Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Calgary Posts: 3	email coralvue.com customer support. they can help you to rewire a new ballast.

08/19/2020, 06:56 PM	#8
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	Can you take a picture of the ballast?

09/25/2020, 12:01 PM	#21
PaulErik Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: North Charleston, SC Posts: 1,703	That magnetic metal halide ballast will not work with HQI double ended lamps unfortunately. That one is rated only for single ended probe start lamps (ANSI M58). You need an ANSI M80 ballast but the bare ballasts are only made to order for lighting manufacturers. They are available fully assembled inside an enclosure. Other option is to use an electronic ballast.

09/25/2020, 01:18 PM	#22
navychief "Shellback" Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 541	Well, $hit... __________________ CadLights 70G, Radion XR30W Pro, 2 MP 10, Apexs, .25 HP chiller, 3 TLF reactors w/ Carbon/Bioballs, PM Kalk reactor, 24" Giesemann w/4 Actinic T5s/250W 15000K HQI, PM R30 Fuge, Cone-S Skimmer, RS Salt Current Tank Info: 1 Paracanthurus; 2 False Percula; 1 Monacanthidae; 1 Blue Chrysiptera cyanea; 1 Lysmata debelius; 1 Eucidaris

09/28/2020, 06:42 AM	#23
navychief "Shellback" Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maryland Posts: 541	Solution Here's the solution from Coralvue. I ordered two (spare) of these since it seems harded and harder to locate ballasts. https://www.coralvue.com/icecap-400w...tronic-ballast __________________ CadLights 70G, Radion XR30W Pro, 2 MP 10, Apexs, .25 HP chiller, 3 TLF reactors w/ Carbon/Bioballs, PM Kalk reactor, 24" Giesemann w/4 Actinic T5s/250W 15000K HQI, PM R30 Fuge, Cone-S Skimmer, RS Salt Current Tank Info: 1 Paracanthurus; 2 False Percula; 1 Monacanthidae; 1 Blue Chrysiptera cyanea; 1 Lysmata debelius; 1 Eucidaris

09/29/2020, 01:03 AM	#25
PaulErik Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: North Charleston, SC Posts: 1,703	Yes that Hamilton ballast is an assembled M80 ballast. The bare ballasts (core and coil, capacitor and ignitor kit) are typically not available anymore. Ballast choices have slimmed down even for the lighting manufacturers.