Lighting switch

[+etannert]

I love my disco ball fixture for my Solana, so much so that I'm planning to move it over to the 60g cube when I get it wet. However... I have a sweet PAR38 bulb that I picked up from Brooks. (The original plan was to do a rescue coral area in the sump, but I'm not sure there will be enough room.)

What I'd really like to do is retrofit the disco ball (which is set up for 150w DE metal halide) to be able to accommodate the PAR38 bulb. However... I teach music, not electrical wiring. Is anyone on here handy enough to do this, and not burn down my apartment building??

[jestep]

http://www.amazon.com/Leviton-9875-Porcelain-Incandescent-Lampholder/dp/B00002N7IM/ref=sr_1_3?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1382058109&sr=1-3

I would probably get a new cord from HD or lowes and sell the ballast. Should be extremely easy as long as you can mount the lamp holder in the fixture. I'll have to look at mine tomorrow and can comment on how easy it's going to be.

[+etannert]

The cord runs through the metal hanging pipe so I guess I'm wondering how I would get that out without outright cutting/ripping something? Or maybe I shouldn't care about that?

Thanks for the suggestion!

[jestep]

I think if you un-wire it from the MH clips, you can pull it through. I would like to see if the reflector is solid enough to mount to, but I think it is which would make the whole conversion about a 30 minute modification.

[+etannert]

Woooooooot!!!!!!!!! Way to make my day! I'll await your final confirmation, but thanks!

[victoly]

You sure you want to ruin your fixture though? Maybe you could find a regular old light socket pendant and achieve a similar look.

[(Bio)³]

I'd leave the wire in. Mount the socket using existing wires then if the other ends plug has screws remove it and put a regular wall plug on it.

That way if you don't like it you could swap back real easy.

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[esacjack]

agreed, theres no reason to change the wiring in the conduit, as its already able to carry 110 safely.

[jestep]

Existing wiring will work but it has a funky quick disconnect and only a few feet of cord until it hits the disconnect. You would either need to cut the disconnect and wire a new cord to that, or cut the cord at the ballast and wire a plug to it.

i looked at mine, and if you still want to go this route, you should be able to mount the screw in base directly into the reflector.

Edited October 18, 2013 by jestep

[mFrame]

Timfish and I did this to my Solana disco ball (we put the DIY LED spotlight in it that was built at the ARC meeting last year). The removal of the previous fixture was easy. The hardest part was trying to reuse the reflector in the ball, drilling a hole through it was murder. I'll see if I can find my pics of it.