# overriding a balast???



## ryan10517 (Apr 28, 2010)

i heard u can do something to the balast in your fluorescent light to make it put out more light. Is this true? cuz i would really like to do it to my 24" strip light that i have laying around. Is this a real hard process or is it fairly straight forward and simple. it would be awesome if someone could just point me in the right direction possibly a link or something? Thanks, 

Ryan


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## ryan10517 (Apr 28, 2010)

i meant "overdriving" a ballast not "overriding" haha sorry wasn't thinking


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## cbwmn (Dec 18, 2007)

Just do a search for ODNO.
Basically you buy an electronic ballast that is wired for more tubes than you have on your fixture.
Then you hook up extra wires to each tube (over driving the tube). ODNO does work, but the tube life is shortened dur to excess heat generated.
Charles


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## ryan10517 (Apr 28, 2010)

well that makes sense haha. i just assumed u like rewired the ballast that came with the light. Hell i think ill just make a new light. I mean add an extra few bucks to what u pay for a new ballast and u can make an alright light with 2 or 3 bulbs. Thanks Charles


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

You mean overdriving the fluorescent tube not the ballast.

Depends on what you have for a ballast. You may need to buy one or two. Your bulbs life maybe shortened by overdriving them. I overdrive my european Philips Aquarelles w/o any issues.


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## ryan10517 (Apr 28, 2010)

ya i guess thats what i meant haha. i have built whole light fixtures before and put extra bulbs in existing ones before so i wouldn't have a problem putting in a different ballast. These are just regular 15 watt 8000k t8 bulbs im workin with too so idk how they would react. I just didn't recognize the term overriding/overdriving a ballast/fluorescent tube or whatever u want to call it lol. Thanks for the info guys!

Ryan


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## gpodio (Feb 4, 2004)

This may be of interest to you:
http://www.gpodio.com/overdrive_twin_strip.asp

I tend to stick to 2x ODNO due to heat and bulb life concerns.

Hope that helps
Giancarlo Podio


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## ryan10517 (Apr 28, 2010)

Thanks gpodio. That helps explain it a lot. The light fixture i was going to do this to has a magnetic ballast so i figure if i just put an electronic one that can run 2 bulbs in there that would probably suffice.


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