Asl T5 Compact Lighting Unit

[zig]

Hiya im just wondering if anybody owns one of these units and has your experience with the said lighting unit been good or bad, any information would be appreciated.

This is the unit im talking about

ASL T5 Compact Lighting Unit

Thanks

 

[Ste_J]

No but I found me this info here

getting the ballasts and lamp holders from bernlite

The bits you need are as follows:

HFP255 PLL (this is a twin 55W ballast)
£23.20

36050 lamp holder
£0.85

P & P
£5.00


Contact Luke ([email protected]) for ordering

then its just a question of getting bulbs (the ballast is for a 2G11 4 pin bulb - same as the ASLs)... i know that philips do one in a daylight spectrum, but once again.. tricky to get hold of (Philips PL-L 5300K CRI 91 CF) which does well on DPH's lighting review.

Don't you just love the wicked wide web - Gonna see what else turns up but that looks pretty good for under £30

Might just get in touch with them next week to see what they are like

 

[Ste_J]

Ok been doing a bit more digging and it seems that these are the required Ballasts Philips

These are the 2 X 55W vers

Looks like its going to be another late night and not a single bit of gaming in sight

I reckon the future holds a DIY CF unit!

 

[stegoodall]

I've wired up 2 DIY 36W CF units i just need to get heat shrink to wrap the wires, get some bulbs and mount them in my reflectors/hood.
I an old thread, i posted a link which had some cheap tubes in "daylight".
Old thread
if i can help you wiring etc ask and i'll try
stephen

edit: the ballast i've used are magnetic i think (tridonic atco EC 36 A502K) so wiring may be different

 

[Ste_J]

I've wired up 2 DIY 36W CF units i just need to get heat shrink to wrap the wires, get some bulbs and mount them in my reflectors/hood.
I an old thread, i posted a link which had some cheap tubes in "daylight".
Old thread
if i can help you wiring etc ask and i'll try
stephen

edit: the ballast i've used are magnetic i think (tridonic atco EC 36 A502K) so wiring may be different

Ste, how much did the ballast cost you and where did you get it from? I've decided to hunt down a double 55W now as I really don't trust my Interpet units anymore. Also does the lamp - fittings get very hot?

 

[simonbrown403]

heres a couple of likes i came across on my travles when looking for a ballasts,for a diy lighting upgrade.

http/www.bltdirect.com/search.php?search...+ballasts&GO=GO

http/www.bltdirect.co.uk/t5ballasts.htm

I found loads of ballasts on the US ebay that where willing to deliver to the UK, you need to know what your looking for thought.

 

[Ste_J]

Just got some prices back on the ballasts

HFP255 X STOCK 26.50 = double 55W
36050 X STOCK 1.10 = fittings
HFP236 PLL 26.50 X STOCK = double 36W
HFP155 25.00,X STOCK = single 55W
HFP136PLL X STOCK 25.00 = single 36W

Think i'm going to try a double 55W

 

[Ste_J]

Just placed an order for a double 55W and fittings total cost £39.64

The guy who originally found them says that he has been running them for well over a year now with no issues and is still on the original tube! couldn't say that for my current unit!!!

I'll update when I recieve them in the morning

 

[stegoodall]

I got the ballasts and end caps for free from my dads work and the wire for it.

I'm not running them yet until i set my co2 up.
how is it going with the 55's?

 

[shrimply]

I am looking for a cheap lighting option but honestly have no idea where to start. So I have a few questions. I was going to go for interpet T5s as they were at the top end of my price range and looked good but I see that there is some big problems with them.

1) Are they easy to wire up?

2) What kind of bulbs would you use in them e.g do they take normal fish tank lighting T5s

3) If I did go for this option would one of you be able to tell me exactly what to order and give me step by step instructions on what to do and supply pictures?

I know I maybe sound stupid but to tell you the truth I am really tired and all the technical talk is turning my head to mush at the minute.

 

[Ste_J]

I am looking for a cheap lighting option but honestly have no idea where to start. So I have a few questions. I was going to go for interpet T5s as they were at the top end of my price range and looked good but I see that there is some big problems with them.

1) Are they easy to wire up?

2) What kind of bulbs would you use in them e.g do they take normal fish tank lighting T5s

3) If I did go for this option would one of you be able to tell me exactly what to order and give me step by step instructions on what to do and supply pictures?

I know I maybe sound stupid but to tell you the truth I am really tired and all the technical talk is turning my head to mush at the minute.

No problem - I have yet to fit them into my hood yet anyway so I'll post details later. One thing to note though is that this setup is very much not Aquarium use unless you have a condensation tray / Glass sliders etc as the tube fittings are NOT protected from moisture.

As to the tubes you can use Interpet tubes or Zig has found some decent looking ASL tubes that are cheaper or any other 4 pin 2G11 compacts - Jury is out on the Interpet tubes at the moment until Interpet confirm if those are what is causing the melting issues. You never know the Interpet unit itself may be good and it's just that the tubes are running very hot for some reason. I'll be able to pass comment when I've had them running in the new setup for a while.


Now got to clean the kitchen before the wife kills me

 

[shrimply]

Thanks for the info. I will keep an eye out for updates.

 

[Ste_J]

Zig sorry for the highjacking

Shrimply I'll try to explain but I am far from learned in this area so bear with it

Firstly I recieved the Ballast and fittings this morning from bernlite

Order details

1x Philips HFP255 PLL - This is a double unit
2 x 36050 2G11 4P - These are the fittings

No wiring instructions are included although none were expected, a quick post Here Soon revealed answers and I also had to go out so I visited a couple of electrical distributors along the way.

The above linked post pretty much sums up what is required for wiring and is very easy to follow

Things you will need

A length of decent cable - the holes on the ballast are for 0.5 - 1mm cable although as Simon pointed out in the wiring thread

You will need the propper wire which it a single copper strand as the braded stuff wont grab in the fitting properly

I didn't read this until I got home with some braded cable Anyway as luck would have it I had some 1mm single strand Earth cable so that suited the Ballast fitting, the tube holder works fine with 0.5mm Stranded cable.

I have also used choc block [or whatever it's called] to join the single strand to the braded and some heat shrink to cover the Single strand Earth cable - Mains Earth cable usually comes with lots of thick strands so you strip one out for the 1mm stuff

Bits of tape, cutters etc

So following Simons advice you should get this result for the ballast

This for the fittings

And this for the end result

And if you are really lucky you get this when you plug it in

Once again these are NOT splash proof and the ballast is not housed in a nice little plastic box - Yet.. trip to maplins me thinks

Hope this helps you out

 

[shrimply]

Thanks for the info. I am going to keep an eye on updates on the Interpet units to see what happens but I have a feeling that I will end up going with this. My dad has a friend who does this sort of stuff as a hobby so getting wiring will be easy as well as the other less complicated bits and pieces. Still waiting on him fitting extra sockets in my bedroom though. The electrician who suggested 3 doubles would be enough didn't bet on me keeping snakes and fish.

Now all I have to do is convince my dad this is a good idea. This is the kind of thing I love and he hates.

I take you can't get triple units as if I can get my hand on a bigger tank a third 55w probably would be a good idea.

Thank again

 

[Ste_J]

I take you can't get triple units as if I can get my hand on a bigger tank a third 55w probably would be a good idea.

Not that I have seen although the place where this has come from sell the single ballasts as well