Odyssea Lights-Reef Lighting - Page 2-3reef Forums

Jonine · 07-07-2006, 12:14 PM

The part that burned up is a big white cylinder thing (there are 2 of them). It's a capacitor, or conductor, or something like that - I can't remember right now. There was no warning as far as we can tell. We had the unit on a timer and they were working fine on Sunday, came home Monday and the actinics and moon lights were on but the halides weren't and the house smelled REALLLLLLY bad, like super glue or paint thinner or something like that.

We bought our Odyssea MH from the LFS who was kinda freaked when I told them there's a history of this because they don't want to sell something that's a hazard. Their going to check it out with their supplier so I'm curious to see if they'll work anything out with us. Most Odyssea MH horror stories I've heard are from people who bought them from Aquatrader, and then had really bad customer service when they called to complain. I've never bought anything from them so I don't know if it's true - it's just what I've read. I don't know if that's a coincidence for Aquatrader or if they just sell THAT MANY units that it's bum luck that their units keep catching fire. I was looking though, and they have a 2007 model Odyssea MH with a redesigned ballast that has 3 separate plugs for each of the lights instead of running MH, actinic and moon lights all on 1 plug. I don't know if these are made any better or not. LFS guy said we could try to get a new balast or we could just buy parts and try to rebuild the one we have, so I guess it may be fixable, but I'm not totally sure if anything else is damaged and we're not very handy so we'd be making our own fire risk if we tried.

We broke down and put 1/2 down on Coralife MH yesterday - getting it today. Too much money invested in the tank to mess around for the week or more it would take to get the ballast (if we can even get a replacement one), so it's not worth the risk. We just bought 3 new pieces of Frogspawn this weekend. I came across a guy somewhere who was looking to buy just an Odyssea fixture and build his own ballast so I might see if I can track him down and see if he's still interested so we can at least get some money back. We bought the Odyssea to save money and in the long run it's costing us more.

Brandon1023 · 07-07-2006, 07:03 PM

The ballast I got with mine has 3 plugs, one each for the MHs, PCs, and Moonlights....yours only had one plug?? Why would there be one plug for all 3? Especially the moonlights! The moonlights are supposed to be on at night, if you can't have them on without having the rest of the lights on, then thats just retarded. So I guess mine is the new ballast.

rjweng · 07-07-2006, 10:55 PM

Bradon - Let me know how it works out, as I was thinking of getting one also, from ebay - http://cgi.ebay.com/Odyssea-36-480W-...QQcmdZViewItem

But I have also looked at making my own MH's, this site gave me the idea -
http://aquarium.union.rpi.edu/articles/DIY_MH.html

I need to call a local light/electrical supplier about the ballists. If I do build I will have pics.

anyways hope the light works out as the melting ballist is one of the things that worried me.

rj

Jonine · 07-08-2006, 02:49 PM

You definetely have the new one. Yep - our only had 1 plug. There were 3 switches so we just had to manually turn on the lights on some sort of regular schedule as best as we could. Some people I have heard have modified them to add separate power cords for each set of lights but we never did. We got the Coralife MH yesterd and they are AWESOME!! it is just like looking at the sun shining down in your fishtank.

For anyone who is going to try the Odyssea MH or already has them I would definetely recommend replacing the bulbs right away. I heard they come with cheap bulbs and sometimes fake actinics, but we never really worried to much about it. But when I see the comparison of our Odyssea unit to the new one... HUGE difference. Turns out a LFS (not the one we got the Odyssea from) sells the Coralife for about $980 normally which is pretty typical for most places around here, but we got them on sale for $800. We paid $680 for the Odyssea when we got that so the $120 we saved doesn't look like such a bargain now.

jacksandgo · 07-21-2006, 03:27 PM

Jonine, I'm totally giving you some Karma for that experience and posting it on here as thoughtfully as you did. Cool deal. I'm glad you like the new lights from Coralife. I'm still crossing my fingers for Brandon and the newly revised Odyssea MH setup. Keep us posted, Brandon!

apollo'sowner · 07-30-2006, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonine

The part that burned up is a big white cylinder thing (there are 2 of them). It's a capacitor, or conductor, or something like that - I can't remember right now. There was no warning as far as we can tell. We had the unit on a timer and they were working fine on Sunday, came home Monday and the actinics and moon lights were on but the halides weren't and the house smelled REALLLLLLY bad, like super glue or paint thinner or something like that.

We bought our Odyssea MH from the LFS who was kinda freaked when I told them there's a history of this because they don't want to sell something that's a hazard. Their going to check it out with their supplier so I'm curious to see if they'll work anything out with us. Most Odyssea MH horror stories I've heard are from people who bought them from Aquatrader, and then had really bad customer service when they called to complain. I've never bought anything from them so I don't know if it's true - it's just what I've read. I don't know if that's a coincidence for Aquatrader or if they just sell THAT MANY units that it's bum luck that their units keep catching fire. I was looking though, and they have a 2007 model Odyssea MH with a redesigned ballast that has 3 separate plugs for each of the lights instead of running MH, actinic and moon lights all on 1 plug. I don't know if these are made any better or not. LFS guy said we could try to get a new balast or we could just buy parts and try to rebuild the one we have, so I guess it may be fixable, but I'm not totally sure if anything else is damaged and we're not very handy so we'd be making our own fire risk if we tried.

We broke down and put 1/2 down on Coralife MH yesterday - getting it today. Too much money invested in the tank to mess around for the week or more it would take to get the ballast (if we can even get a replacement one), so it's not worth the risk. We just bought 3 new pieces of Frogspawn this weekend. I came across a guy somewhere who was looking to buy just an Odyssea fixture and build his own ballast so I might see if I can track him down and see if he's still interested so we can at least get some money back. We bought the Odyssea to save money and in the long run it's costing us more.

I'm new here and am setting up a new 20cube nano and was looking at what lighting is doin nowdays and saw this thread.
I am maintaing a 240 for a woman whose PFO 400x2 just went out (one side) and the capacitor had did the same, melted. Just like any other peice of equipment0they go bad eventually. Their heat rate is for 100c and sitting next to a magnetic coil ballast hour after hour and day after day and so on, well, it can get pretty hot. Fortunatly they don't cost too much to replace. I am installing a fan in the ballast box though. I have Odyssea PC and think they are fine. If you compair the guts of probe and pulse ballasts you will see that the componants such as ignitors, ballasts and capacitors are manufactured by only a few companies but labeled by the individual lighting co. that purchases them and puts the lighting together.
Electronic is the way to go for MH and the cost really isn't that much more.

s14hayame · 09-21-2006, 03:31 PM

I just join this forum. well anyway i had mine since march, 175w MHx1 and 18w PC x2. i think i had the newer version mine has a separate ballast for the pc and an other ballast for the MH/moon light with two cords and two swicth. to be honest i didnt even know that these things catch on fire until now

. it is very obvious mine didnt happened yet, but keeping my fingers and toes crossed. good thing is that i only turn them on when im home. some more inputs about this lights plz i want to know any one with MH setup have any long term luck with them.

Malachi · 10-23-2006, 09:28 AM

ANy updates on this? How do the moon lamps look? Fires?

apollo'sowner · 10-31-2006, 04:26 AM

I got the 20" Odyssea 250 MH with 2x24wt PC actinic couple of weeks ago. It is the newest version with separate plugs each for the MH, PC, built in fans, moonlights. The MH has an electronic ballast now.
So far it has worked great. Ballast runs cool compared to mag. ballasts. Unit itself with fans going is only slightly warm to the touch after running MH 8 hours. I have it hanging with the supplied pendant kit now as the legs were on the flinsy side. The pendant kit well made. I think it is an awesome light for what I paid=$169 shipped.

OoNickoC · 11-09-2006, 10:52 PM

The new odyssea lights are up to par imo, Ive seen more failure with coralife than odysea as far as customer exchanges/flat out returns. Coralife still makles some good lights, but for the money they do not compare to the odyssea. I ALWAYS check all wiring in all fixtures regaurdless of brand as ive seen just abnout all of the major ones fail in some respect. For the money they are great fixtures.