Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
10AWG has a lower resistance and greater durability. Used it in multiple setups over 10 years with zero equipment malfunctions. That's why contractor grade.
We use to use the 12 ga to run entire banks of 400w MH highbays with 30A breakers. You don't see much 10 ga in conduit for multiple circuits due to cost. It's good for way more than 1000w.yeah... 20 feet is quite a run to handle smoothly without a remote ignitor, if 12 guage works for you that's awesome.
What I was talking about was just the power to the ballast, not ballast to bulb in the above post.The igniter used within the ballast is of primary concern. As a part, it's spec tells you how long a cable can be used. I have seen many rated for 1 meter, used in ballasts with 3 meter cables. This presents a problem when striking lamps that need a bit more. Sylvania are very easy to strike, while Philips plus lamps are difficult. Osram close to Philips.
This cable length advice presumes the right size cable is used. If you go fatter, the cable must be shorter. It's not resistance of interest, as we are talking 4.7kv in most cases. A rating lamp suppliers give. The greater surface area of metal, contacts a greater amount of insulation. Giving more capacitance. That 4.7kv is high, but it's not a huge amount in joules. The cable will sap some away.
You really need to know the igniter in use. Which is likely a 3 meter on most cabled lights. If you fit an igniter that is too big, you age the lamp. On a combined unit, the 1 meter is used. This is the most common, so cheapest. Thus gets used in lights of longer cable length, where the company don't understand.
I have used IEC extensions of a meter and found some lights were not happy. Leading me to juggle ballasts around on the rack, to find ones that could take different length extensions. I used Philips lamps exclusively.
If you have electronic ballasts, you don't have an igniter anyway. Top grow brands have got them very wrong. One rebranded sylvania lamps as their own, and designed the strike impulse circuitry to suit. Then the owners were stuck with the manufacturers lamps, if they didn't know cheap one's would work. Many didn't want cheap lamps in their top priced light units though.
I see no harm in having a go, but results may not be good. A lamp that won't strike when everything is cold, is likely to keep trying all day. Though most decent igniters will try a few times, then wait a bit.
No it doesn't.10AWG has a lower resistance and greater durability. Used it in multiple setups over 10 years with zero equipment malfunctions. That's why contractor grade.