G
Guest
Dude Kung Pow your the shit, I have to build a few of these soon but seeing another succeed gives me confidence of building them myself, anyways was token on some Kali Mist and it is the shit !!!!
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SouthernSmoker
Member
I can uderstand some of this but not sure if im right
your ballast is plugged into the wall and then the lights are wired into the relay
wich changes the lights on and off from one room to the other by timer every 12hrs while never turning the ballast off ?
Then allowing a person to room wired for 3000w and run 6000w off three ballast in two different rooms ?
SWEET!!!!!!!!!
please tell use more have been looking for something like this for awhile now
all the info i can get !!!!
Oh Lord dont let them get me in too much trouble ! HAHAHAHA
your ballast is plugged into the wall and then the lights are wired into the relay
wich changes the lights on and off from one room to the other by timer every 12hrs while never turning the ballast off ?
Then allowing a person to room wired for 3000w and run 6000w off three ballast in two different rooms ?
SWEET!!!!!!!!!
please tell use more have been looking for something like this for awhile now
all the info i can get !!!!
Oh Lord dont let them get me in too much trouble ! HAHAHAHA
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southern - Im picturing your suggestion as two light tight rooms with three 1000 watt lights each (6 total), 3x 1000 watt ballasts, and a capacity to handle 3000 watts electrically speaking at any one time without tripping breakers.. if this is what you are looking to do.. then YES!!
Also, how freaken tired are you guys of wally world "digital" timers that continuously loose track of time?? mine are so bad I can dial in two rooms to the second and in a month or two they are 5-7 min apart! This flip flop relay prevents that kind of BS as well and it prevents nasty ass power spikes from ballasts starting and stopping. Nuttin but a smooth high load draw 24/7 from these puppies.. which is easily explained as computer equipment or a personal aversion for use of the central A/C or Heating system (always leaving it on).
Southern - you are also correct in that the ballast is never "off"
Hope this helps and I hope I have inspired some of you to tackle this intresting little project yourselfs! My true reason for needing this is to keep from tripping breakers due to those whacky wally world timers getting out of sync.. and as an added bonus I get some now unused ballasts out of the deal.. but im sure they wont stay unused for long.. hehehe
Also, how freaken tired are you guys of wally world "digital" timers that continuously loose track of time?? mine are so bad I can dial in two rooms to the second and in a month or two they are 5-7 min apart! This flip flop relay prevents that kind of BS as well and it prevents nasty ass power spikes from ballasts starting and stopping. Nuttin but a smooth high load draw 24/7 from these puppies.. which is easily explained as computer equipment or a personal aversion for use of the central A/C or Heating system (always leaving it on).
Southern - you are also correct in that the ballast is never "off"
Hope this helps and I hope I have inspired some of you to tackle this intresting little project yourselfs! My true reason for needing this is to keep from tripping breakers due to those whacky wally world timers getting out of sync.. and as an added bonus I get some now unused ballasts out of the deal.. but im sure they wont stay unused for long.. hehehe
SouthernSmoker
Member
great stuff folks .
can you show us how the timer is wired into the relay switch .
and how it all looks put together ?
Man this has gotten me real excited !!!!
To be able to take a 10x8x8 room and split it into 3 seperate rooms with 2
3x8 flower rooms and a 3x8 middle room you could run as veg . All on a 15amp circuit freeing up the other circuit for fans and other equipment not having to bring in extra power to the room 
got to love that !!! Not to mention the numbers are unreal on what you could pull on a 30 day cycle !! 
can you show us how the timer is wired into the relay switch .
and how it all looks put together ?
Man this has gotten me real excited !!!!
To be able to take a 10x8x8 room and split it into 3 seperate rooms with 2
3x8 flower rooms and a 3x8 middle room you could run as veg . All on a 15amp circuit
freeing up the other circuit for fans and other equipment not having to bring in extra power to the room got to love that !!! Not to mention the numbers are unreal on what you could pull on a 30 day cycle !! ? - can you show us how the timer is wired into the relay switch .
A - Yes.. look at my pics above.. the male plug on the side of the box with the two females coming out is what plugs into a timer. The timer is set for 12/12.. the relay is controled by the timer but no current from that cord ever hits either light or ballast. If you are asking how to wire it to the relay itself that varries by relay and should be printed directly on the relay how it is hooked up.. this should appear VERY obvious.. do a search for DPDT and look at a diagram if you are still kinda drawing a blank or just head to your local industrial electronics store and dig thru their relay bin looking at all the diagrams.. thats what I did.. just make sure you have a cover story ready as many employees of those places take a genuine interest in project people and like to converse.
The male plug on the other side plugs into the output of a ballast (note that you must wire the output of your ballast to a female plug and then the light should have a male plug). Ideally I would have liked to use plugs that were not exactly like normal electrical plugs (since an idiot could take the light and plug it right into the wall.. and I like my stuff to be idiot proof.. for obvious reasons!).. but the cost and effort of doing that kinda took away from the cheap and easy nature I was looking for.
? - and how it all looks put together ?
A - like a nightmare of wires.. Its potentially more confusing than its worth but I will take a pic after thanksgiving.. my digital cam is on loner till then.. all i have now is my webcam.. thats why the box pics look crappy..
hope that helps!
A - Yes.. look at my pics above.. the male plug on the side of the box with the two females coming out is what plugs into a timer. The timer is set for 12/12.. the relay is controled by the timer but no current from that cord ever hits either light or ballast. If you are asking how to wire it to the relay itself that varries by relay and should be printed directly on the relay how it is hooked up.. this should appear VERY obvious.. do a search for DPDT and look at a diagram if you are still kinda drawing a blank or just head to your local industrial electronics store and dig thru their relay bin looking at all the diagrams.. thats what I did.. just make sure you have a cover story ready as many employees of those places take a genuine interest in project people and like to converse.
The male plug on the other side plugs into the output of a ballast (note that you must wire the output of your ballast to a female plug and then the light should have a male plug). Ideally I would have liked to use plugs that were not exactly like normal electrical plugs (since an idiot could take the light and plug it right into the wall.. and I like my stuff to be idiot proof.. for obvious reasons!).. but the cost and effort of doing that kinda took away from the cheap and easy nature I was looking for.
? - and how it all looks put together ?
A - like a nightmare of wires.. Its potentially more confusing than its worth but I will take a pic after thanksgiving.. my digital cam is on loner till then.. all i have now is my webcam.. thats why the box pics look crappy..
hope that helps!
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SouthernSmoker
Member
? could you not run two light cords for each ballast and have the current switch from one cord to the other and still have the ballast stay the same .
Thank you for all the info !!!!!
Thank you for all the info !!!!!
SouthernSmoker
Member
My new dream garden
My new dream garden
This would have to be a dream for me right now ,but hopefull real soon i can make it a real !!!!!!
All comments welcome!
(click on image for full size )
The whole room would draw as many amps as a hot tubb and a window ac unit so bills would be kept to a min SWEET!!!
My new dream garden
This would have to be a dream for me right now ,but hopefull real soon i can make it a real !!!!!!
All comments welcome!
(click on image for full size )
The whole room would draw as many amps as a hot tubb and a window ac unit so bills would be kept to a min SWEET!!!
On your schematic.. first things first put that can fan right up sucking directly on a carbon filter.. you ever heard its easier to push than it is to pull? its true.. you should minimize suction resistance and have it blowing thru all the reflectors.
Also on your CO2... plants only need co2 when the lights are on.. so if you get a co2 kit buy an extra solenoid and timer and hook it all up accordingly.. you should not have co2 running at the same time to both rooms with a flip flop relay for lights.
One quick note.. I have not fired the relay using the digital ballasts yet.. that will be in like a week when the air cooled hoods i ordered come in.. somebody metioned they may have a problem.. we will find out soon!
? southern ? could you not run two light cords for each ballast and have the current switch from one cord to the other and still have the ballast stay the same .
A - Im not sure what you are askin.. This is set up to direct the ballast drivin lighting current to two different lights (one at a time) selected by a 120V AC trigger (i.e. digital timer).
Also on your CO2... plants only need co2 when the lights are on.. so if you get a co2 kit buy an extra solenoid and timer and hook it all up accordingly.. you should not have co2 running at the same time to both rooms with a flip flop relay for lights.
One quick note.. I have not fired the relay using the digital ballasts yet.. that will be in like a week when the air cooled hoods i ordered come in.. somebody metioned they may have a problem.. we will find out soon!
? southern ? could you not run two light cords for each ballast and have the current switch from one cord to the other and still have the ballast stay the same .
A - Im not sure what you are askin.. This is set up to direct the ballast drivin lighting current to two different lights (one at a time) selected by a 120V AC trigger (i.e. digital timer).
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G
Guest
Damn, this thread kicks ass! I spent almost $900 on a 8 ballast 16 light flipper a few months back and would have much preferred to build my own.
Nicely done Kung Pow!
Hey NutJob - I thought relays were a bad idea with digital ballasts?
Nicely done Kung Pow!
Hey NutJob - I thought relays were a bad idea with digital ballasts?
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SouthernSmoker
Member
nUt_jOb said:
I do agree with you on pushing instead of pulling the air through. good point .
as for the C02 you can just run a small diectional flow valve and not have to spend the money on another solenoid or system and run off one timmer and one system.
Ok I have four light cords and cut the male end off of them . If i were to hard wire the male end to 2 120v relay timer and take the other part of the light cord and run them to the other four relays would this work ?
I am not quite sure how you lights are plugged into the ballast .
Southern.. i am not able to picture what you are describing.. your gunna need to draw it out for me.. there are 8 contact points on this relay.. 2 input contacts, 4 output contacts, and 2 signal contacts that switch the output contacts.. show me what you want to do and I will try and help you.
Draw arrows and point to what you want to do on this.. the DPDT relay!
Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relay
Draw arrows and point to what you want to do on this.. the DPDT relay!
Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relay
sumo - I know what you are asking.. I think that the break even momentatily in the current discharge while the relay swaps over is enough to cause the necessary effect.
For all those ppl that "heard these dont work with digital" can you please point me toward the source of your info.. Id like to take a look and deciede for myself if its worth the risk.
For all those ppl that "heard these dont work with digital" can you please point me toward the source of your info.. Id like to take a look and deciede for myself if its worth the risk.
SouthernSmoker
Member
Hey nut job thanks for all the help
I am just not sure how every thing is plugged in to the flip flop
any way of a pic of the unit fully set up ?
thanks
I am just not sure how every thing is plugged in to the flip flop
any way of a pic of the unit fully set up ?
thanks
G
Guest
hey nut job...I like this idea..I have 2x600's and 2x 400's digi's...let me know if this works for you..not fully sure how everything works but got an idea...how the timer hooks up is my ? I guess you would wire up the sockets cord with male ends to plug into the female end? sorry if this sounds stupid.....best of luck and keep us posted of your results...
Thanksgiving has slowed down the shipping of my A/C hoods which I need to put my ballasts on flip flop. I picked up the other cables and sockets I needed today at my local hydro store.
southern and hurricane - have you looked at the pic i posted with labels on the wires?? thats where they all plug in.. just as labeled:
southern and hurricane - have you looked at the pic i posted with labels on the wires?? thats where they all plug in.. just as labeled:
G
Guest
Very nice thread. Thanks for sharing with us.
Take care,
BG
Take care,
BG
G
Guest
yeah I did...can read all except the signal one..thanks again
I guess it will be easier to show when you hook it all up
I guess it will be easier to show when you hook it all up
it says "SIGNAL (to the timer)"
maybe that helps??
the plug goes to a timer set for 12 on 12 off which flips the relay every 12 hrs between lights.
when/if i show a pic of it all hooked up its gunna look like a spagetti bowl of wires.. i dont think your going to get what you are looking for from it.. I still have two other relays to wire up and they are gunna add to the confusion.
maybe that helps??
the plug goes to a timer set for 12 on 12 off which flips the relay every 12 hrs between lights.
when/if i show a pic of it all hooked up its gunna look like a spagetti bowl of wires.. i dont think your going to get what you are looking for from it.. I still have two other relays to wire up and they are gunna add to the confusion.
