[TFA] Re: I need instructions on how to make a full light hood...

On May 3, 12:39 am, videoman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> I found the krib article on making a hood. I probably wont make
> anything that complex, might just use a piece of plywood to mount the
> lights and connectors then some 2 by 2's or something for suspending
> the lights above the water surface well enough. Later all!

Once you have the electrical part figured out, what you do with the
enclosure is almost entirely a matter of personal preference, as it
mainly affects how the hood looks on the outside and how much trouble
you want to invest in an interior reflecting surface.

The homemade dual 39W T5HO lights I mentioned in another thread are
actually descendants of lights I built over 25 years ago.   They
started out as just three pieces of wood nailed together to form a U
channel and then stained on the outside and painted white on the
inside.   I mounted the flourescent sockets on the inside and bolted
the ballast to the top.   Yes, it's sitting up there where anyone can
see it and originally the lights were standard 36" 30 watt
fluorescents.   Wires pass through holes drilled in the wood.

Yes the ends are open.

Since then, I've modified one of them by lining the inside with
reflective mylar and mounting a T5HO ballast on the back where it's
hidden.   I also put a strip of aluminum sheet under the ballast as a
ground plane and heat sink and replaced the sockets with the T5 mini-
bi-pin.

I plan to do the same to the other one, if the bulbs ever die or lose
enough output.   But I can't bring myself to discard the guts while
it's still working fine.

Jeff Walther