homemade uvb fixture

[Hoj]

so i was asked about the fixture i was using and said i would do a quick post.

what i did was take a exoterra ballast controll unit it has long wires with und caps for the bulbs which allows you to use any size bulbs.
for the fixture i got a few metal frameing stud endcaps and cut them to size and drilled then ziptied to secure,
oh i also bent them to flare out to spread the uvb better,
with their adjustabliy, refectiveness, low profile, low cost, and easily changable i really like them.
here are a few pics

i taped off the sharp edged and ziptied everything in place.
all you need in the metal, zipties, and tape, $20 Max for 8ft worth
and a drill with bitt, tape measure, tinsnips, and you are good to go.

 

[coldbloodedAL]

Thanks for posting this Hoj, Im always on the lookout for different ideas! Those end caps look like they have a great deal of reflectiveness. Do you know if those controllers will work for T5 HO bulbs? Or if they make a t5 one?

 

[Hoj]

as far as i know they do not have a t5 unit. i have been on the lookout for one, and even considerd making a few for myself

 

[shiftyeyes]

ahhh my nest project i need to do instead of the tin foil for the surrounding lol....u see that today when u came over hoj?i really need to fix that! lol

 

[Hoj]

ahhh my nest project i need to do instead of the tin foil for the surrounding lol....u see that today when u came over hoj?i really need to fix that! lol

ya, the tinfoil was working these are neat and easy, i know you will have no problem making afew
cheers

 

[Seeco]

lol I did the tinfoil and it was causing a slight electric shock. What about that acrylic for a buffer?

 

[EvilLost]

What do you do with the ballast itself? It seems like that ballast has its own housing so you don't need to house it separately? Where do you mount the ballast itself?

Local "Industrial Lighting Suppliers" sell basically what you have made here for about $20-30 except with a more professionally made housing. I buy double bulb 4' T8 fixtures for $23 at my supplier; not sure how much T5 is but its not much more.

How much did the entire setup cost you, including the ballast/parts/etc?

 

[Hoj]

lol I did the tinfoil and it was causing a slight electric shock. What about that acrylic for a buffer?

still waiting for the arcadia to show up, i use these in my upsairs cham room.
as soon as they get here ill let ya know whats up

What do you do with the ballast itself? It seems like that ballast has its own housing so you don't need to house it separately? Where do you mount the ballast itself?

Local "Industrial Lighting Suppliers" sell basically what you have made here for about $20-30 except with a more professionally made housing. I buy double bulb 4' T8 fixtures for $23 at my supplier; not sure how much T5 is but its not much more.

How much did the entire setup cost you, including the ballast/parts/etc?

for one set the ballast is 70 and the rest is like 10, so $80 before bulbs. i like i because i can change the length as needed, i just pop in different lengh bulbs and can go from two small bulbs like 18" or 2 large ones like 48"
i recently have been looking to makinging them myselve with a ballast and end caps, it could be about half the price, these ballasts are nice, they are in a protective case with power switch, built in timer 10,12,14hrs and a dimming on/off feature, but aside frro the case i dont really need the other features.
oh and the ballast gets mounted on the wall. show here https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-montane-room-80814/
i like to keep all the power above the water

 

[Solid Snake]

I like it. I did not know exo made a ballast like that, I like that it is timed, and can dim.
I may look into getting one.

On a side note, I have noticed a lot of people using tin foil as a reflector.
Is there a reason for this?
Would a white surface not reflect better?

 

[Flapenn]

I like it. I did not know exo made a ballast like that, I like that it is timed, and can dim.
I may look into getting one.

On a side note, I have noticed a lot of people using tin foil as a reflector.
Is there a reason for this?
Would a white surface not reflect better?

When I took horticulture in college we used white Mylar sheeting. He said the reflection off tin foil can cause light to be focused at a point unintentionally burning leaves while other parts still were not getting much light.

 

[Whatcamo]

When I took horticulture in college we used white Mylar sheeting. He said the reflection off tin foil can cause light to be focused at a point unintentionally burning leaves while other parts still were not getting much light.

That's why it should be crumpled up first

 

[Seeco]

these ballasts are nice, they are in a protective case with power switch, built in timer 10,12,14hrs and a dimming on/off feature, but aside frro the case i dont really need the other features.
oh and the ballast gets mounted on the wall. show here https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-montane-room-80814/
i like to keep all the power above the water

I second that. I use these fixtures too. Some of my misters are above the bulbs. The bulbs get soaked 3x per day and (so far) no problems.

I use the version with out the timers.