oydessa repair PC light ballast question.

I only had my oydessa 48" 4x65w Pc light less than a day and one of my 65w bulbs went out..

So this morning I switched the bulbs around.. well its not the bulb its seem to be the ballast..

my questions is:

Im guessing this unit has (2) 2x65w ballast in it.
if the ballast is bad wouldnt two/both bulbs running off that ballast not work?
because only 1 bulb socket isnt working and I didnt smell anything burnt.. Im wondering if maybe I have a wire loose.. I really dont want to have to ship back and wait 2 more weeks to get my light again.. any one got any ideas?

 

ok update, I see this unit has 4 individual 65w ballast.. anyone have any loose wires problems with any of there pc light fixtures?

also I see "96wx1-2" on ballast motherboard.. so do I need to order a 65w or 96w ballast if I decide to go that route?

 

I dont have that unit ,but my unit does have 1 ballast for the 2 96w pc bulbs. I assume that Odyssea is going to always have a dual ballast to cut down on costs. If you have one ballast per bulb, then just change out the bad ballast. All this should be under warranty. Luna

 

well I got a replacement ballast on the way.. geez there all alot of them out there.. but if anyone has my same unit.. here's a direct replacement 96w ballast.. plug-and-play

96W x1 Aquarium Power Compact Replacement Ballast Kit. - eBay (item 380100052529 end time Jul-26-09 07:45:31 PDT)

same dimensions, plugs, cover, etc..

 

I had the same problem with mine but my ballasts(had 3 go bad) went out after I changed to uvl bulbs. I bought all new ballasts and changed them out and working fine now. I bought some current usa ballasts, had the square pin on it but I just cut the straight pin connectors off the odyssea ballasts and spliced them on to the current usa. This is a common problem with odyssea pc lights,this is when I learned not to skimp on some things and to search for reviews on products you intend to buy, alot of times you will find out info on a product that will save you money or aggravation down the road.

 

If you have the 48" 4 x 65watt fixture you need the 65 watt ballasts. 65 watt bulbs are around 21" and 96 watt are around 33". If you went with 96 watt you would have to change the bulbs and then they wouldn't fit in the fixture, not 4 anyway.

 

the four ballast that came with the unit are label 96w, and are 9x1.5x1.25" and have a white aluminum cover.. just like the one on the link I provided.. I guess odyssea put 96w ballasts in my 2009 unit.. fitment will be perfect after inspecting my existing ones.. unless I got (3) 65w ballasts and (1) 96w ballast with my unit? I didnt check the other 3, but they are all the same size and appearance.. running a 96w on 65w bulb shouldnt be a problem I dont think.. but hey I'll find out.. I will keep everyone posted once installed.. I should have did more research but just found this site 1 week ago

 

Hey there dude......I have owned an Odyssea fixture in the past. Also Jebo. From what I have understood, they both are made by the same company. So I feel your pain. IIWM, I would get rid of the Odyssea all together and get another fixture. Something quality. What you have, unfortuately, is bottom of the barrel.

Now. What to get? There are a few choices out there. Check out the Tek fixture. A 4x54W T5 would fit your tank and run you about $400 all told (with splash shield and legs).

Most people cringe when they look at lighting prices. I was one such person, the norm for sure. I waited eight months to finally spend what needed to be spent on my 90g. I ended up with an 8x54W Tek (used). It was the best thing I have ever done for that tank. You would be amazed the lighting difference (brightness). You may think that 4x54W is less than 4x65W. No sir. Much, much more ITO PAR and PUR. Your corals and clams would love you for all eternity.

So think about it dude. Look at reefgeek.com.....In fact, here is the hyperlink....

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/Sunlight_Supply/Tek_Light_Fixtures/48_inch__4x54W_Tek_Light_T5_High-Output_Fixture_w!_Bulbs_(Black)_by_Sunlight_Supply

Another thing about getting the Tek is that with this price the bulbs are included. High quality bulbs. Which bulbs should you get if you go this route? There are many answers to that question. UVL are my favorite. They also have ATI and Giessmann. All three are solid bulbs. Here is another hyperlink to my tank with many differing combinations lighting. PC is the first, then differing levels of T5 lighting and differing bulb combinations, all the way from just 2 UVL superactinics to the full 8x54W array.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-off-your-fish-tanks/pharmrjohns-90g-thread-52614-47.html#post618142

So there you go. Remember with lighting, you get what you pay for. If you want to go better than Tek (which is actually considered middle of the road), ATI makes a superior fixture. Here is the hyperlink to that. The reflectors are much better in quality. However, there are no legs with this one. To the best of my knowledge, you have to hang this bad boy from the ceiling.

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/ATI/Powermodule_Fixtures/48_inch__4x54W_Powermodule_T5_High-Output_Fixture_w!_Bulbs_by_ATI

So that's my story and I am sticking to it. Later dude.......John.

 

just one of the many problems you will face in the future. get a better lighting fixture that's what I did and happy I did too