L
lysol
Is there a way to extend the part of the cord after the ballast to the light? My ballast is lumatek digi 600w, I wanted to put the ballast in the attic but I need about 25ft and the cord is 15
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Hello again my Local dro store has 10meter extensions, so that might be an option for ya
Not sure on price
Not sure on price
L
lysol
True I just found some on google, looks like plantlighthydroponics.com doesnt sell em
"you have given out too much reputation in the last 24hrs", heh sorry
"you have given out too much reputation in the last 24hrs", heh sorry
Good you found them
No probs bro
No probs bro
L
lysol
Cool I made a female socket yesterday for my fan dimmer, same thing right? Or romex is differnet? Just goto the home dePot and ask for "12/2 romex"? The wires will be color coded and match up? Any reason to worry about messin up my cord with RF shielding or what not? I actually have an old one I can use to lengthen, that should work eh?
M
masterKahn
Outdoor heavy duty extension cords do wonders. Get the grounded plug and splice it in to your existing cable. Just be safe.
The small blade on the plug is the HOT end and the wide plug is the Negative pole. Electrical knowledge is a good thing to have but double check and make sure you don't burn the house down.
The small blade on the plug is the HOT end and the wide plug is the Negative pole. Electrical knowledge is a good thing to have but double check and make sure you don't burn the house down.
L
lysol
I'm not trying to extend that cord ( ballast to wall ), the other one.. to the ( ballast to lamp ) the plugs are round
smokinshogun
Member
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L
lysol
Yeah I assume if you buy the cord specifically made for it it'll be fine, DIY is more appealing option though for sure... I will wait for more consensus before I go changing anything
From personal experience I can tell you that with Magnetic Ballasts ( not digitals ) I have put the ballasts in my house to heat it the home during the winter months and ran 25m (meter) extension cords to my shed where the magic happens. There was no noticeable difference in light out put. However I will state that I tried it with a 100m extension cord and the cord lit on fire... I'm very glad I was rigorous with my testing before I settled up with the 25m cords. I'm sure distance plays a factor sooner or later, but at 25m (that's like nearly 75f) it was totally ok. Might be similar or better with the digi's
I think digi ballasts have rf shielded cord running from the ballast to the lamp. If you get rf shielded cable the same gauge or bigger than the store extension, that's probably all you have to worry about. Non-shielded cord could mess with your (or a neighbors) TV reception.
L
lysol
Is that applicable now that we've made the switch to digital TV? I think I will just KISS & put the ballast outside of the room that will not only remove heat but I guess keep the AC running longer for the whole house which will further cool that room
J
JackTheGrower
Gawd yes always do a burn in.. 48 to 72 hours watch on all units and cables.
I melted a three way this time and I was right here to catch it.. I mean everything else is rated but that said 15A and it was melting at 12..
I melted a three way this time and I was right here to catch it.. I mean everything else is rated but that said 15A and it was melting at 12..
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lysol
Yup, never load a circuit past 2/3 of it's rated amps. Period, for anything.... I would even say go 1/2 for growing if your breaker is < 20 amps, if youre running like 100s of amps you already know what youre doing heh. I'm doing like 9 and I just made sure today everything is 15amp rated and I just upgraded to shop power strips, and the best surge protector I could find.
I agree with watch stuff at least 48hrs after you change anything. Today I had a duct fall from the attic door cuz of gorilla tape, had to put a 8 to 6 reducer above the 6" opening to keep it in place and clamp my duct to that. just goes to show you will always overlook something stupid
Good question.
i'm not 100% sure with digi ballasts, but i know with mags there is a set length you can run the cord.
the problem lies with the ignitor.
if the lamp is too far away from the ignitor, it wont fire.
now if you remote placed the ignitor near the lamp, the distance between the ballast and lamp could be signifigantly longer.
the problem lies with the ignitor.
if the lamp is too far away from the ignitor, it wont fire.
now if you remote placed the ignitor near the lamp, the distance between the ballast and lamp could be signifigantly longer.
You can use any kind of a small metal box made for electrical installations - you can buy "bell" boxes, which are cast aluminum, or stamped steel boxes. Both are available with blank covers. The ignitor doesn't need to be with the ballast, it is just more convenient to build the ballast with it there. Ignitors are rated by distance, and if you exceed their limits, they need to be moved out to the hood.
