DIY lighting people, need ballast help

[Dolfan-Mike]

I have several fully functional ballasts that I bought years ago from HelloLights.com, these were ballasts to run PowerCompact lighting. I was running 2x96w PC lights then and these worked great. I'm not terribly knowledgeable about the different ballasts but I was wondering if I could now retrofit these ballasts to now run a few T5 HO lights? I'm thinking maybe 2 39 Watt T5HO bulbs.

I don't have a schematic or part number as the ballasts are a plain black box but curious in general if these might work. Just thinking I've got 3 of these and hate to just toss them when they could be used.

Thanks

 

[tbrown]

I haven't messed with florescent ballasts in a while, but I tend to remember that most ballasts were specific for the florescent being used. Some could be used for multiple T type bulbs, but I thought that the T5 pretty much needed a T5 specific ballast due to demands of the bulbs.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Electrician here. MOST ballasts will have a road map either on the ballast itself on what lamp configurations are possible, some of them have multiple depending on which wires are utilized. You may be able to search via model number online, if not. Being that yours are totally black box, and none of this exists apparently, I suggest no go.

Then we get into socket types. Some are dual pin, one wire, dual pin two wire, quad..... this matters as well. From what you describe I personally wouldn't mess with it unless you can find a diagram that specifically states what you have will work. You may either blow the ballast or lamps, send unwanted harmonics through your system, amongst other scenarios.

 

[Dolfan-Mike]

Yeah, it's frustrating that the ballast is a complete black box, no diagram, no model number that I can see and they are out of business. Just hate to trash something that is functioning fine, but not many people want to run PC lights now.