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From: richard@gryphon.COM (Richard Sexton)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,sci.aquaria,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Converting a florescent hood
Message-ID: <23152@gryphon.COM>
Date: 6 Dec 89 17:58:13 GMT
Reply-To: richard@gryphon.COM (Richard Sexton)
Organization: Trailing Edge Technology, Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 29

In article <3693@convex.UUCP> tork@convex.COM (Bill Torkelson) writes:
>
>I have a couple of hoods that are very attractive and fit onto my show
>tanks.  The problem with them is that they have manual switches.  By this
>I mean that they require the switch to be held in for a certain period of
>time before the light will start.  From what I have learned from
>Richard's postings I believe that this may have something to do with the
>"balast" but I'm not sure.  What I'd really like to do is convert these
>lights to auto startup lights so I can put them on timers.  Since these
>are show tanks I would like to preserve the appearance of the hood.  How
>easy is it to convert from a manual startup to an auto startup?  Should
>I expect to make major modifications?  Is it just a matter of buying a
>shop light and taking the guts out and putting then into the existing
>hood?

Let me stick my neck out here. I know what an electron is *in theory*
and I know what a resistor does, but people have spent hours trying
to exlplain to me what a transister does, so like I'm an idiot
when it comes to this electronics stuff, ok ?

However, what I think you want to do is go to the hardware
store a buy a starter (fluorescent light starter) that is meant
for the tube you have (20 watts, 30 watts etc) and wire it 
in place where the switch used to be. I'fe just wrapped
the wire around the posts on the starter and covered it with
a bunch of electrical tape.

If this is right, good. If it's now I'm sure somebody will
point this out.