I'm writing this post to explain my recent experience with this fixture. Do not worry. This is not a "It will burn your house down" post. That is to be determined.
I purchased the 48" 760W Metal Halide Aquarium Reef Light fixture from Hombby on eBay in Feb 2008. This is the same light fixture that is under the very large (4 split) ReefCentral review post "odyssea MH fixture review... new electronic version". (Hombby, Odyssea, AquaTraders, etc...) They are all the same light fixtures from China, just sold under different companys.
Now, I know that the quality of the ballasts no the best. I could handle the slow start up. I can handle the slight yellowish tint that the 15k lights looked. Hell, I got the fixture for 350 instead of 800-900 for the same features on other fixtures. I am a reefer with a limited budget and have to defend all purchases with the CEO/CFO/Boss (My wife). I am not an Aquarium light guru, more like Tofu. I still do not fully know what HQI stands for. I wanted a light that looks good and worked when I turned it on. I always had in mind that I would be upgrading bulbs, and ballasts in the future. I just didnt know it would be this soon.
For the pictures of the fixture goto the following post (which I also refer to below). The external and internal pictures are "exactly" the same as mine.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...25&pagenumber=1
Yesterday, Jun 19th, one of the external MH ballasts failed. The smell of burnt electronics in the room was unmistakable. When I opened the ballast up, the large yellow transformer (on the heat sink side) was burnt below to the circuit board, and the soudered ground wire connecting to the left plate (w/ the switch and outlet) was burnt off. Luckily the damage remained in the box and nothing else caught fire.
I like the fixture, and I knew when I purchased the fixture that I got what I paid for. I did not purchase a hundai and expect a ferrari. But, what grinds my gears is this.
This happened after only ~5 months of use. Also, I haven't been running the MH 12 hours a day either. I have even been running under a decrease photo period of 8 hours on my MHs to help with a cyano problem. Also, in the past two weeks, have decreased it more to 4 hours to combat the heat wave that hit the NE. Been running the PC actinics for the full 12 hours though. I was planning on raising it back to normal since I think I got my heat/cyano issues nicked.
So, now I'm in full info gathering mode:
I sent an email to early this morning to Hombby to see about getting a replacement. What it would take (free, fee, etc..)? Do I have to send the dead ballast back? If no replacement because its passed the 30 day window, how much? Have not recieved an email back yet, so the jury is still out. I am also not holding my breath.
But I still needed to know what hole Im in.
Hell, if they offer a replacement, should I even accept it or buy my own somewhere else? My confidence in the one working ballast is now VERY shaky. How long is that going to last? Is is going to burn out as quick? Is it going to burn down my house?
I started doing more online research on the light fixture and reviews. I wanted to know as much as possible about this fixture. With the lack of any sort of description or manufacturers label, I didnt even know if the ballasts were true 250watt ballasts. I was looking for any reviews on the ballasts, Are there reports of failures? Recalls? What are the reports on how long they last? Everything, but with a health grain of salt also - especially on reefer forums. (Sorry, I never take a random post from anyone as gospel. )
Thats when I came up to the "odyssea MH fixture review" Thread. Nice read, minus the assumption and hear-say posts, and the fact that somewhere it went WAY off topic after so many posts to just a general "what about this fixture, bulb, ballast, etc...? thread.
In it, there is talk about "aquatraders" and how they offer the same fixture, plus they have a phone number to call. I wanted to know if I have to pay for a replacement, what the approx price that I would recieve from Hombby... maybe....
The AquaTraders lady on the phone said $89 w/ shipping. $89 dollars ?!?! w/ shipping ?!?! For a POS ballast? I am not spending $89 dollars for a ballast that will last only 5 months that gives off a yellow tint with 15k bulbs. I'm starting to think that the $129 dollar 250w external IceCap is looking much better. Much better reviews in performance and quallity.
Well, now I wait. If Hombby replys that they can exchange the ballast, and/or charge for shipping. That would be good, and then I will definetly know that I will be dealing with them again. If they come back with $89, its off to MarineDepot or Dr Fosters/Smiths for an IceCap. Guess I will have to live with a nice white side, and a yellow tint side until the other ballast blows, or I can convince the Boss that two is better than one!
This is my experience. What's yours?
I purchased the 48" 760W Metal Halide Aquarium Reef Light fixture from Hombby on eBay in Feb 2008. This is the same light fixture that is under the very large (4 split) ReefCentral review post "odyssea MH fixture review... new electronic version". (Hombby, Odyssea, AquaTraders, etc...) They are all the same light fixtures from China, just sold under different companys.
Now, I know that the quality of the ballasts no the best. I could handle the slow start up. I can handle the slight yellowish tint that the 15k lights looked. Hell, I got the fixture for 350 instead of 800-900 for the same features on other fixtures. I am a reefer with a limited budget and have to defend all purchases with the CEO/CFO/Boss (My wife). I am not an Aquarium light guru, more like Tofu. I still do not fully know what HQI stands for. I wanted a light that looks good and worked when I turned it on. I always had in mind that I would be upgrading bulbs, and ballasts in the future. I just didnt know it would be this soon.
For the pictures of the fixture goto the following post (which I also refer to below). The external and internal pictures are "exactly" the same as mine.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...25&pagenumber=1
Yesterday, Jun 19th, one of the external MH ballasts failed. The smell of burnt electronics in the room was unmistakable. When I opened the ballast up, the large yellow transformer (on the heat sink side) was burnt below to the circuit board, and the soudered ground wire connecting to the left plate (w/ the switch and outlet) was burnt off. Luckily the damage remained in the box and nothing else caught fire.
I like the fixture, and I knew when I purchased the fixture that I got what I paid for. I did not purchase a hundai and expect a ferrari. But, what grinds my gears is this.
This happened after only ~5 months of use. Also, I haven't been running the MH 12 hours a day either. I have even been running under a decrease photo period of 8 hours on my MHs to help with a cyano problem. Also, in the past two weeks, have decreased it more to 4 hours to combat the heat wave that hit the NE. Been running the PC actinics for the full 12 hours though. I was planning on raising it back to normal since I think I got my heat/cyano issues nicked.
So, now I'm in full info gathering mode:
I sent an email to early this morning to Hombby to see about getting a replacement. What it would take (free, fee, etc..)? Do I have to send the dead ballast back? If no replacement because its passed the 30 day window, how much? Have not recieved an email back yet, so the jury is still out. I am also not holding my breath.
But I still needed to know what hole Im in.
Hell, if they offer a replacement, should I even accept it or buy my own somewhere else? My confidence in the one working ballast is now VERY shaky. How long is that going to last? Is is going to burn out as quick? Is it going to burn down my house?
I started doing more online research on the light fixture and reviews. I wanted to know as much as possible about this fixture. With the lack of any sort of description or manufacturers label, I didnt even know if the ballasts were true 250watt ballasts. I was looking for any reviews on the ballasts, Are there reports of failures? Recalls? What are the reports on how long they last? Everything, but with a health grain of salt also - especially on reefer forums. (Sorry, I never take a random post from anyone as gospel. )
Thats when I came up to the "odyssea MH fixture review" Thread. Nice read, minus the assumption and hear-say posts, and the fact that somewhere it went WAY off topic after so many posts to just a general "what about this fixture, bulb, ballast, etc...? thread.
In it, there is talk about "aquatraders" and how they offer the same fixture, plus they have a phone number to call. I wanted to know if I have to pay for a replacement, what the approx price that I would recieve from Hombby... maybe....
The AquaTraders lady on the phone said $89 w/ shipping. $89 dollars ?!?! w/ shipping ?!?! For a POS ballast? I am not spending $89 dollars for a ballast that will last only 5 months that gives off a yellow tint with 15k bulbs. I'm starting to think that the $129 dollar 250w external IceCap is looking much better. Much better reviews in performance and quallity.
Well, now I wait. If Hombby replys that they can exchange the ballast, and/or charge for shipping. That would be good, and then I will definetly know that I will be dealing with them again. If they come back with $89, its off to MarineDepot or Dr Fosters/Smiths for an IceCap. Guess I will have to live with a nice white side, and a yellow tint side until the other ballast blows, or I can convince the Boss that two is better than one!
This is my experience. What's yours?
