Strange Icecap 660 problem (1 Viewer)

[freeswimmingfish]

I have an icecap 660 in a 2 lamp configuration that will fire up VHO T12's with out a problem. It will not fire up T5's though. One lamp lights for about a second (blue/orange), the other (yellow/red) never blinks. I know it's not the harness because I have 2 more of these running on my tank and I swapped this with 2 known working harnesses and lamps. It doesn't work on either of those?
Anyone have any insight to this mystery?


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[chris85]

They put undersize capacitors inside the ballast if your lights have been flickering then it is probably burnt. I just had to rebuild mine about a year ago. You can send it to coralvue and have them rebuilt for about 90 bucks I think. Or let me see if I can find a part number for you to do it yourself if you would like.

 

[FarmerTy]

You're probably better off just getting a ballast designed for T5s in the long run. The Icecap 660 was designed for VHOs and repurposed for T5s. It'll overdrive your T5 bulbs causing shortened bulb life and potentially spectral shift on your bulb. They used to sell it as a "feature" by Ice Cap that the bulbs are overdriven for more par but you are really just burning out your bulbs quicker and not getting that much additional par.

 

[Fish Keeper82]

I have an old one in the garage I had before I upgraded to LEDS. Your welcome to have it an try it out if you'd like.

 

[freeswimmingfish]

Yep, I get the pro and cons of using this ballast with T5's.
The issue is this, i have 2 ic660's driving 2 T5's each for a total of 4 lamps. They work great. If unplug them from the wire harness and plug this ballast in only one of the lamps will blink then go out. This happens on both of the wire harnesses I have over my tank, both with brand new lamp (less than a week old).
In summary, this one ballast will not fire up T5's using 3 separate wire harnesses BUT will fire up VHO lamps using same wire harness but obviously different end caps.
Scratching my head on this


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[freeswimmingfish]

I have an old one in the garage I had before I upgraded to LEDS. Your welcome to have it an try it out if you'd like.

Thanks. If it works I might want to buy it from you.
This is just perplexing to me since it will fire VHO but not T5's.

 

[OceansX]

The really old version of the 660's that aren't marked as 660-009 or have clear labels with white text will not fire up T5's, I was told by Chris Conti (IceCap and now CoralVue Technical Rep.) years ago if I remember correctly.

For a definitive answer, your best bet is probably to contact CoralVue.

 

[freeswimmingfish]

The really old version of the 660's that aren't marked as 660-009 or have clear labels with white text will not fire up T5's, I was told by Chris Conti (IceCap and now CoralVue Technical Rep.) years ago if I remember correctly.

For a definitive answer, your best bet is probably to contact CoralVue.

This is a 660-009. It also used to work with T5, that's what's so strange about it.
I called CoralVue, they only said to send it for repair.

 

[OceansX]

Ah, sorry to hear