I just purchased two Fullham 5 Workhorse ballasts....questions about installation:

[Porkibear]

These ballasts are replacing my existing retrofit power compact ballasts. One is replacing a fried ballast, and the other will be stored as backup just in case the other one burns out, too.

So I took off the retrofit kit from the tank canopy, and found that the ballasts are attached to the back of the reflector with these metal tabs that look almost like they are soldered onto the reflector. It was really difficult to remove the existing ballast. I literally had to pry it off these tabs at each end. Ends up I got the ballast off, but now I am confused as to how I'm going to attach the replacement ballast???

Are there any lighting gurus out there who know what I'm talking about? Is there an alternative way I can attach the new ballast to the back of the reflector? I wish I had pictures of what I'm talking about, but I don't... =( Any help would be appreciated...Thanks in advance!

[Phyxius]

The WH 5 ballasts I used to have had little ears on the ends also. Is it possible to put a small stainless screw on each end and screw it onto the old lights reflector or maybe use aluminum pop rivets?
Not sure what the old one looked like and how the ears went in but its a suggestion...

[Porkibear]

I think they are the "pop rivets" you're talking about. There's not really a screw-end to these existing tabs at the ear-ends of the ballast. Looks soldered on, but I managed to pry them off.

So you think I'd have to drill a hole through the reflector and fit an appropriately sized screw or bolt into it to secure the ballast?

[Phyxius]

If the others were soldered on it may be your best option to screw the new ones on. (If they were pop riveted you could have drilled out the centers and pulled them off.) Just make sure the new screws are just long enough to go through and hold it on and make sure there is nothing on the other side a screw cut go into you don't want it too.

I actually have a rivet gun at home that I pop riveted a bunch of reflectors together to the mogul sockets with when I did my retro. Holds no problem and no worries about rust. Just make sure to use a stainless screw so it doesn't rust as lights in a canopy are subjected to some saltwater vapor/moisture

Other option is to extend out the wiring and place the ballasts somewhere else on your canopy/stand or the like where it would mount pretty easy. May help keep the canopy cooler with the ballasts out and mounted elsewhere........