# how to get more light cheaply. DIY style =)



## Mikaila31

This thread is focused on building a DIY light from scratch or retrofitting an existing fixture. A few methods I use may be uncommon and still somewhat unproven. The point of this build was to get the most light for the cheapest cost, but with maintaining good efficiency. Though with any DIY I am not responsible for any damage caused by constructing a DIY light. 

To start with I have been using CFL ballasts to power linear tubes. By CFL I mean the spiral energy saver bulbs. This takes the cost of the ballast from being one of the most expensive part of a fixture to about $1-3. However it only works well with wattage below 23-26 watts since these are the more common larger sizes of CFL bulbs. You can certainly go higher, but the cost jumps quiet a bit. (for example 40 watt spiral CFLs tend to go for $8-10). This method also works best with T5 bulbs, these are closest to the diameter of the spiral compacts and also one of the more efficient linear tubes. However it is not limited to T5 bulbs, it works with T8's or power compacts. This method allows for a lot of customization including underdriving or overdriving bulbs, but I will go into more detail later. 

I will only briefly cover mounting a fixture. Mainly because this is very variable depending on how you are mount the bulbs and to what.

First we will start with a brief overview of fluorescent lights. T8, T5, PC bulbs are all very similar in construction. The bulbs are powered by ballasts, which increase the voltage required to start the bulb. Wires then run to each pin of the bulb. They are pretty simple overall. The wiring can vary a bit depending on the individual ballast used. This is a general diagram of a linear bulb fixture. 










Also common with T8 fixtures are the "starter" type. These function similar as above, except instead of a ballast they have a transformer. The Starter is a capacitor that functions to increase the voltage required to start the bulb.

*Now for building your own fixture!
Step 1: locate a ballast*
As I mentioned above I have been recently experimenting with using Spiral CFL ballasts to power other bulbs. This greatly decreases the cost of the fixture. You need to buy a spiral CFL with the proper wattage you want. For T5's and PC bulbs the wattages are basically equivalent. Example a 14 watt CFL ballast will power a 14 watt T5 at around its normal output. For T8s however I have found you need a higher wattage ballast then the wattage stated on the bulb, example a 23 watt CFL ballast to power a 15 watt bulb. This is because of the larger diameter of the bulb. I personally would stick with T5s or PC bulbs, but if you have a T8 fixture with a dead ballast this is certainly a cheap way to get it up and running again. These are electronic ballasts and run very quiet and provide instant start up on all bulbs I have tried. 

To get a spiral CFL ballasts you need to take apart a spiral CFL. This is very simple and poses no danger as long as you don't break the bulb. Take a screwdriver and run it along the seam on the base of the bulb. I found its easiest to run it all the way around the bulb just separating the two halfs. Then start prying them apart. Eventually the base should pop open and reveal the ballast. 








Above is a westinghouse 23 watt ballast. All the brands I have taken apart are very similar. Westinghouse and Sylvania I prefer over GE, but all brands will work. To those familar with lights the wiring shown on the CFL in the pic will look very similar to a normal ballast. The ballast has two wires for power and these need to be cut. Two brands, Westinghouse and Sylvania, have a resistor that is kinda hidden in a white tube (can see it in the pic). Try not to cut it off, but if you do its easy to just reattach. Then their are 4 small pins on the ballast that have wires wrapped around them and run to the bulb. These need to be unwrapped and the ballast is free. 










These are examples of removed ballasts. 



















*Step 2: wiring! (Its not as hard as it seems. Honestly!)*

Now the little pins on the ballast are always together in pairs, either on opposite sides or offset from each other. Wiring these ballasts to a different bulb is as simple as attaching wires to the pins and running them to the pins on the bulb. One pair of the pins runs to one end of the bulb and the other pair goes to the other end of the bulb. The exact pins you connect to on each end of the bulb DOES NOT matter. This makes the wiring very simple as multiple ways are correct. The two power wires can be connected directly to a standard AC power cord. If you don't have one buy a $1 extension cord and cut the socket end off it. 









This is a simple wiring diagram. I color coded it to show which wires are interchangeable. Basically if you cross the two red wires with eachother is doesn't matter, same with the two blue wires, or the two black ones. It will work regardless. However if you cross two different colors, a blue and a red, it will not light. But you will NOT damage the ballast either if you by chance mess this up. These ballasts like all ballasts use high voltage. Safest way to work with them is do NOT touch it if it is plugged in, this goes for all electrical work. 

Connecting wires to the pins is the trickiest part, but still not very hard. I could careless what wire you use, but every light fixture I have taken apart uses primary wire, 18 AWG(american wire gunge) rated up to 300V. I prefer to use this type of wire, but have occasionally used lesser rated wires. You can get it at most home improvement stores usually $5 for more then enough. This wire is often solid core. I CAREFULLY bend the pins on the ballast till they form an almost closed hook. Make a similar closed ring with the wire, then stick the two together and bend it so they are both fully closed. The tighter the better, a lose connection is more likely to make the fixture flicker when it is moved.










Now there are two ways to connect the wires to the pins. Either with endcaps/socket or making a DIY connection with terminal rings. Proper sockets are much more preferred, but with T5 it is doubtful you will find these locally. I would suggest getting them online along with the bulbs or using the terminal rings. The terminal rings are not as convenient as the twist sockets, but get the job done regardless. Its harder to get the bulb in and out, but its not like this is done very frequently. The ring terminals are super cheap($1 for 2 dozen), but you do need to buy extra parts for mounting the bulb. 

If you use ring terminals they should be 16-14 AWG size, as this size fits snugly over the bulb pins. You need to trim the insulation on them down so they are shorter. If you are using T5 bulbs half of them need the insulation fully removed or they won't fit. For T8s or PC bulbs leave the insulation on. 









Then connect the wires from the ballast to the ring part of the terminal. Then each terminal fits on a pin. The rear bulb shows you how they are wired. Once you are done the connection should be covered like the front bulb has, to avoid to a connection between the two wires.










Once you attach a powercord to the ballast your basically done with wiring. Below are a few examples. 









This is a 4 ft Normal output T5 with a 26 watt ballast. 









A 14 watt NO T5, but running off a 23 watt ballast making it basically a HO T5. I plan to swap out the bulbs when ever I get around to ordering HO bulbs. 









Retrofit into a standard T8 light strip, using the existing hardware. Basically just changed the magnetic ballast for an electric one. I've been using this fixture for a month and a half without any issues. The only difference you can notice is instant start up, no high pitch buzzing, runs cooler and the fixture is at least 50% lighter in weight. 



More to come!


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## zof

Nice walk though, never though of using CFLs for a ballast, would be interested to hear what sort of life span you get with the bulbs.


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## Reefing Madness

Or get the correct ballast for the lamp, and do a remote ballast install.
Sylvania 49419 - QS2X54T5HOUNVPS80SC T5 Fluorescent Ballast - product summary - Bing Shopping


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## Mikaila31

Reefing Madness said:


> Or get the correct ballast for the lamp, and do a remote ballast install.
> Sylvania 49419 - QS2X54T5HOUNVPS80SC T5 Fluorescent Ballast - product summary - Bing Shopping


Thats why the thread title says "how to get more light cheaply". I well understand how to make a proper fixture. The point of this was to make a fixture with high output as cheaply as absolutely possible. The ballast you linked is a dual T5 HO for 4 foot bulbs, not exactly what I need. This would be though Regardless its a good example of what I was trying to get around using in a fixture. Before I always use to recommend using Spiral CFLs for low cost lighting, however they have their drawbacks and inefficiencies. I thought of this idea when thinking really hard on how to drive linear tubes cheaply. CFLs are cheap and self ballasted. Linear tubes are better, yet have really expensive ballasts. This was the solution I came up with. 

Now both real ballasts linked here are listed for at least $45-50. Note that this is just for the ballast and maybe some attached wire. That cost is crazy =/ . They are also large and bulky things. Below is a picture of the finished fixture, which uses very little parts actually meant for fluorescent lighting. Total cost of bulbs, CFL ballasts, wire, tube clamps, reflectors, connectors and other misc hardware was roughly $30. Only thing excluded is the wooden housing, which I didn't make for this project but for another one. It was probably $15-20 to build and paint. The cost is lower or equal to the cost of just buying a proper ballast. If you buy cheap T5 HO bulbs and proper sockets online from the same place, the cost is basically the same. I bought all my parts locally, including the bulbs. Fixture consumes about 46 watts. 









Ballast life is something of an unknown. But from my understanding and research a CFL ballast should last just as long attached to a linear tube as it does with the spiral tube, if not longer. CFL life varies A LOT depending on the fixture and orientation of the bulb. For aquariums be best orientation to get the most out of a spiral bulb is straight upside-down, but this orientation is likely to lead to a much shorter life span due to the ballast overheating. Mounting the ballast away from the bulb and giving it a larger housing is likely to let it run cooler and have a longer life then normal. I would expect at least 2 years out of the ballast. Certainly not as long as most proper ballasts should live, but given the cost of the CFL ballasts I used was $2, 2 years is fine with me. Unlike proper ballasts these little one get only warm to the touch, where as my dual 55watt PC ballast can easily burn you once it gets to operating temp. In the lights I have driven using rewired CFL ballasts most the heat ends up coming from the bulb itself. 

I've never been too concerned about bulb life, since a lot of planted people replace bulbs before they burn out. They should have a longer bulb life compared to magnetic "flicker" ballast/starter. They start linear tubes the same way they start the spiral ones. Instant on with no flicker, kinda dim at first then the bulb slowly warms up and gets brighter. Bulb life will be more dependent on how you drive the bulb, not the ballast itself. High output bulbs for example never last as long as normal output bulbs. 

Another reason I think this is a sweet method is you can really fine tune your light levels. Normally T5 bulbs come in standard NO or HO wattages. For example a 22" T5 NO is 14 watts, while a HO is 24 watts. If you took either bulb type and using a 18 watt CFL ballast to drive it then that will result in a bulb brighter then normal output, but not as bright as HO. 

Here are two comparison shots of light output (with my cameras exposure locked).
Fixture I kludged together. 46 watts- 2 T5 bulbs @ 4100K









Current USA Satellite fixture. 55 watt power compact @ 9325K(GE FW&SW)


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## badxgillen

and yet again i must aplaud you...good work as this will really help out a number of underfunded hobbyist get into the planted tank game.:-D


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## chrispmcgill

so could this set up work with 10k, 13k or 14k t5 tubes?


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## Mikaila31

chrispmcgill said:


> so could this set up work with 10k, 13k or 14k t5 tubes?


if by that you mean kelvin rating then yes. Kelvin temp does not have any effect here. Same bulbs with different kelvin temp run the same, the only difference is the color and spectrum they produce. Kelvin temp is influenced by the coating on the bulb and that is it. 

It doesn't matter what CFLs you take the ballasts from as long as they are your normal spiral shaped ones with a round base. It doesn't need to be daylight or anything like that any will do. Just pick the right wattage.


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## chrispmcgill

it seems that t5HO 24w 48in 10K bulbs are not made. Are these bulbs only made in 54w?


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## Mikaila31

chrispmcgill said:


> it seems that t5HO 24w 48in 10K bulbs are not made. Are these bulbs only made in 54w?


24 watt would be Normal output. You can't have high output without it being 54 watts since the higher wattage is what makes it high output.


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## romanlutsk

*Driving 54w T5 with 23w CFL ballast?*

Thanks a lot for the great thread, Mikaila31, it's exactly what I was looking for. 

I was wondering if this 54w T5:
54-Watt Linear Fluorescent Light Bulb-414193 at The Home Depot

would work with a Greenlite 23W CFL ballast? 

or should I just get a 21W one:
21-Watt Fluorescent Replacement Light Bulb-29691 at The Home Depot


Also, the 54w one says that the startup type is "preheat" - would that make any difference? 

Finally, I have 2 broken 23w CLF - any way to drive one 54W linear lamp with 2 ballasts? 

Thanks a lot,
Roman


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## romanlutsk

This might look best so far:
28-Watt T5 Neutral Fluorescent ALTO Light Bulb-206136 at The Home Depot

Philips 28-Watt T5 Neutral Fluorescent ALTO Light Bulb - 4ft long, instant start

Any reason it wouldn't work with a 23w CFL ballast?

Thanks,
Roman


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## Mikaila31

the 23 watt ballast would work, tube would run at best 23 watts probably a little less tho. Nothing is entirely wrong with that, you would lose a little light output but tube life typically increases. You can drive the 54watt or the 28 watt t5 lamp, those wattage designation numbers simply reflect the ballast the bulb is advertised to be used with in the end as far as i know normal output t5s and high output t5s are exactly the same as far as the bulb itself, the real difference is the ballast that drives the bulb. They are only marketed differently due to different wattage and life expectancy of the bulb. However it is the ballast that determines the wattage. You hook the 54 watt bulb to the 23 watt ballast it will run 23 watts at most, same with the 28 watt bulb. 

You can not run 2 ballast together. I've done it before simply as an experiment and to be honest it did 'workish' and the ballasts didn't instantly short/fry eachother. That said they sounded like angry bees most the time and half the time they would not light the bulb. Bulbs run AC current so there is a 'pulse' or wave or current moving through the bulb very fast. When you suddenly add 2 ballasts they both create waves and those waves often interfere with eachother which is what typically happened. The bulb did not light properly but had some flickering/pulsing thing going on and the ballasts buzzed strangely as they tried to cope with eachothers interference. Given time they would pretty quickly kill eachother that way. Only way I could get them to light fully was to turn one ballast on then flip the other on and off repeatedly until eventually, by chance, you get their frequencies to line up somewhat they can work together. It was something interesting to try out but I highly do not recommend it for an actual fixture. The ballasts will not last long running that way and I have no intention of testing dual ballasts any further as their is a chance it could result in one of them catching fire. I honestly expected them to short out the moment I turned them on wired that way. Its interesting that they didn't but its still not a viable or safe method to light a bulb using dual ballasts. 

When I originally built this fixture I had no use for it. So it sat around a long time, at least 10 months. However that 55 watt PC fixture I used in the pictures to compare it to died 2-3 months ago. It needs a new ballast and dunno if it ever will get one. In the mean time the T5 fixture I built has been running on that tank just fine for a few months without any issues.


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## romanlutsk

Thanks for the quick and detailed reply, even on an old thread. 

I ended up getting this lamp:
28-Watt T5 Neutral Fluorescent ALTO Light Bulb-206136 at The Home Depot

add hooking it up according to your instructions and it works like charm - just added it to my vertical hydroponic setup (can send you some pictures, if you like)

However, when I tested the bulb earlier, I had it on for about an hour and noticed that some dark patches appeared near each end. I wonder what that means. I remember I had wires touching the glass of the bulb in those places - perhaps the EM field from the wires was attracting the electrons and it damaged the inside coating - should I replace the bulb in that case? 

Also, the ends gets pretty hot when it's on (over 120F), but the rest of the bulb remains cool - does that happen to your bulbs? 

Finally, how important is it to match the type of start (instant, rapid, preheat) of a bulb with that of a ballast? Can I use the rapid lamp with instant ballast? 

Thanks again,
Roman


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## Severus Snape

*Compact fluorescent ballasts*

Hi, I used 5, 13 watt cfl ballasts to light 5, t5 8 watt bulbs. Works like a charm.


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## rexpepper651

romanlutsk said:


> This might look best so far:
> 28-Watt T5 Neutral Fluorescent ALTO Light Bulb-206136 at The Home Depot
> 
> Philips 28-Watt T5 Neutral Fluorescent ALTO Light Bulb - 4ft long, instant start
> 
> Any reason it wouldn't work with a 23w CFL ballast?
> 
> Thanks,
> Roman


 lol my work has hundreds of these just laying around this is really cool tho. i believe i spent something like 75 dollars buliding mine. the ballast was pretty cheap tho like 15 dollars. it was so much tho cuz i had to by maple plywood cuz the home depot near me doesnt seem to carry half inch 2ftx4ft sheets of reg plywood. nice write up tho! i might try this on my next tank.


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## romanlutsk

*t5 bulb ends darken in several hours with cfl ballast*

I use a ballast from 23w cfl lamp to drive a linear 28w t5 bulb and have noticed that the ends darken extremely fast (withing 3-4 hours). The lamp works for 1-2 weeks more and then stops. I've replaced several lamps already - any ideas what might be causing it? 

I'm using it for my vertical hydroponic garden, so the bulb is setup vertically. 

Also, I didn't have the proper connectors, so I attached the lamp contacts directly to the wires (the wires are wound around the connections, so the contact is not as good as with the dedicated sockets) - could it be the problem? 

Finally, I'm thinking that the 23w cfl lamp ballast could also be malfunctioning - any pointers on where to look first? 

Thanks,
Roman


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## MoneyMitch

sorry i know nothing about electricity but ill help the best i can, i woudl troubleshoot replaceing the cheapest item first and workign your way up from there, the vertical position of the light should have no effect on this at all but i woudl be willing to bet that this is a ballast problem, every t5 fixture i have ever owned makes sure to boldy warn that the ballast is meatn for t5 lamps and t5 lamps only not sure if its b/c of what happening to you but worth a shot?


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## rexpepper651

LOL "hydroponic garden"


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## romanlutsk

Thanks for the ideas. I did some research and the problem seemed to be under-driving the lamp. The ballast was from 23w cfl and I was using it to drive 28w linear bulb. 

In order to maintain an arc, the ballast was keeping the filaments lit all the time (vs only for a fraction of a second during start-up), which caused electrode sputtering (blackening) and shortened the life span dramatically:

Underdriving/overdriving lamps: Effects on lamp & ballast
****
under-driven tubes have lower arc voltage => higher ballast temperature

I know that underdriving a discharge lamp to a large degree will cause electrode sputtering (blackening) and shorten life...and overdriving also shortens life by overheating the phosphor (if present) and arc tube (potentially weakening it)
****

Also, someone mentioned that most ballasts operate the stated wattage/voltage combination or LESS (eg, a 24W ballast should operate a 20W bulb).

So, lesson learn: Never under-drive the bulbs, (if using the cfl ballast, make sure it's 10-20% more powerful than what the lamp is rated for). Overdriving too much seems to also cause problems. 

Hope it helps others looking for cheaper and more flexible ways to create own lights.


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## Mikaila31

I would just like to state, feel free to PM a notification if you post on this thread and its been quiet for a month or so or its likely I won't notice it for weeks(if your lucky). I don't browse the forum much at all especially this section. Tho I do visit the site pretty much daily and use the chat quite often. 


I used a 23watt ballast to light a 14 watt normal output T5 which is a 21" bulb. It has been running 11 hours daily for a few months now with no issues. Same bulbs same ballasts. The ballasts inside CFLs can very quite a bit, so that could be a factor as well. In my original post, if memory best serves me both the ballasts shown there are of similar wattages. When I was originally experimenting with these ballasts I typed this on another forum:

"This post is already long enough but I would like to add that the Westinghouse ballasts initially seem better then GE, Feit electric, and sylvania. Overall they are pretty similar. GE and Feit electric seem pretty much identical(Feit being the one in the first post). Sylvania and westinghouse both have a resistor in one of the power leads(inside the white sleeve). Westinghouse is the only one that had 2 capacitors,which together had a higher rating then the same wattage Feit ballast. They were also the only ones who bothered to insulate the wires from the ballast to the bulb. Funny as its also the cheapest. The 23 watt 4 pack cost me about $7 at fleetfarm." 

I would also like to point out that despite what I said in my first post about overpowering with these ballasts. From my experiences I no longer believe this is true. I have a kill-o-watt meter and my fixture uses two 23 watt ballasts to power two 14 watt bulbs. Over all the power consumption is only 29-30 watts. Tho the light is plenty for the tank it is running on. This does highly suggest these ballasts can't overpower a bulb. 

@ MoneyMitch, the whole point of this is to use non-specific ballasts as T5 ballasts are silly over priced ;-). 

@ romanlutsk I really recommend ring wire terminals for attaching the wires to the bulbs as I did in the original post. You need the blue 16-14 gauge ones. Its like $1 for over a dozen at any hardware store. For the most part they fit the pins very snugly, a few need squished a tiny bit with a pliers. For T5s you do need to strip the plastic coating off one of the terminals as their isn't enough room. Only do one and I would wrap it with electrical tape. They also work very slick for power compact fixtures. I bought a used square-pin fixture once. A current satellite that did work very nicely for 5-6 years before ballast failure. For some silly reason they have square and straight pin bulbs, with the square ones being more expensive(and much smaller selection). The cheapest solution was cutting off the socket and using a couple cents worth of wire terminals. It ran just fine this way for 4-5 years.


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## romanlutsk

Thanks for the quick follow-up. I'd like to clarify that my problem was under-driving (using a ballast of lower power rating than the bulb) - that would render my bulbs useless within 20-30 hours. 

My next project is to create a universal UVC germicidal lamp (for sanitizing air/surface/water) - any experience with those anyone?


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## rexpepper651

i think im going to try this. i do not feel like paying 45 dollars for a new ballest as im changing over to t5 bulbs


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## romanlutsk

It really is a great idea - thanks to Mikaila31 for putting us onto the path  

Just make sure you keep your receipt when you buy your t5, so you can return it if something goes wrong (I got mine at Home Depot and they have a 90 day return policy. I had to use it 3 times before I got the right wattage)


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## cohtrumpet

20 Gallon High Tank DIY single T8 to 2 x CFL HO Light Strip Retrofit:

Used 2 x 23W CFL 6500K lamps, Dual Opposing socket, Aluminium Dryer Tube, and small computer fan on existing strip light fixture. Duct tape and 2 hours time.

Removed single 18" T8 tube fixture from light hood. Fashioned reflector from Dryer tube. Built bracket for dual socket from dryer tube scraps. Cut vent holes in reflector to mirror holes in light hood. Cut hole in light hood on back just left of center to accommodate fan and leverage existing hood power cord. Mounted computer fan with airflow going into the hood to take advantage of convection.

So I went from a single 14W tube to 2 x 23 watts CFL (46 total watts) at 6500K. 3 x's more light! (-;

Total cost $17.26 in parts. Had computer fan and adapter already. Fan scavenged from old PC.

So this is admittedly a little kludgy, what with 2 power cords (one for lamps and one for 12v fan supply). It works tho and lamps are adequately cooled. The lamps rest on the glass from my tank cover, but I'm guessing that will heat sink them a little.

We will see how my plants get along now. The fish seem happier.

Cheers!


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## Bigdawg355

I have to say I never thought about doin that, great idea! But i do have one question for you guys out there, I built my own hood and stand for my 50 gallon tank and have a 4 lamp fixture and would like to know what lamps or lamp combo would be best for a moderatly planted set up


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## Mikaila31

What kinda lamps did you build it for(CFLS, T5, T8)? Usually for planted tank you want bulbs that are 6500K or so. It depends more on you preference of color. Usually in home improvement stores these are sold as 'daylight' bulbs and you will have to read the fine print to figure out the kelvin rating if it is listed. Sometimes they are 5000 or 5500K and both of those will work as well as bulbs somewhat above 6500K. It mostly has to do with how colors appear. The plants are not all that picky.


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## Bigdawg355

They are t8s. And should I use them in all four locations or should I mix them and what wattage?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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