Aquatic Plant Central - View Single Post - Complete guide to Overdriving Lights

KCFITZ78 · 05-08-2009, 06:32 AM

You stated that the bulb is not 2x brighter, please note the following in the article I referenced:

"If you double the amount of current, you won’t get a bulb that’s two times brighter because the efficiency drops off a bit. So even after the increased current is made available, a bulb driven by a factor of two times its normal supply, only gets 1.7 times brighter. You can do a 1x, 2x, or 3x overdrive with a four-lamp ballast, but the efficiency drops. (4x output into one bulb is only 2.4 times as bright as normal).

Also, you asked "I'm wondering if I reconfigure the wires for 2 bulbs into 1 bulb, do I use twice the electricity? So if I overdrive one t12 40watt bulbs, am I using 80watts now?

The answer is no, cause you are overdriving the bulb, not the ballast. The ballast has a maxium output wattage. When you overdrive, you are supplying the maxium output wattage to one bulb rather than accross 2 bubls (normal condition). Hence the bulb is being supplied 2x the wattage.

05-08-2009, 06:32 AM	#3 (permalink)
KCFITZ78 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 19 iTrader Ratings: 0 Plant Points: 1400	Re: Complete guide to Overdriving Lights - Overdrive You stated that the bulb is not 2x brighter, please note the following in the article I referenced: "If you double the amount of current, you won’t get a bulb that’s two times brighter because the efficiency drops off a bit. So even after the increased current is made available, a bulb driven by a factor of two times its normal supply, only gets 1.7 times brighter. You can do a 1x, 2x, or 3x overdrive with a four-lamp ballast, but the efficiency drops. (4x output into one bulb is only 2.4 times as bright as normal). Also, you asked "I'm wondering if I reconfigure the wires for 2 bulbs into 1 bulb, do I use twice the electricity? So if I overdrive one t12 40watt bulbs, am I using 80watts now? The answer is no, cause you are overdriving the bulb, not the ballast. The ballast has a maxium output wattage. When you overdrive, you are supplying the maxium output wattage to one bulb rather than accross 2 bubls (normal condition). Hence the bulb is being supplied 2x the wattage.