We were discussing the "X"-style receptacles that are frequently being used on light controllers.
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Philips 315w CDM Elite (CMH)
- Thread starter rives
- Start date
We were discussing the "X"-style receptacles that are frequently being used on light controllers.
SmoochieBoochie
New member
Great thread about cmh and thank you to everyone who has contributed as this compelled me to make the switch to cmh last year with spectacular results compared to hps/mh
My question is I have two new SolisTek DE 1kw @120v (one is v.1 the other v.2) ballasts that are going unused and I am wondering if I can fire the GrowersChoice 630W DE CMH 3100k bulb on these ballasts.
Having read this thread through I believe I can (with loss of bulb life) but I just wanted to confirm before I drop 3 bills on lamps. Thanks in advance.
My question is I have two new SolisTek DE 1kw @120v (one is v.1 the other v.2) ballasts that are going unused and I am wondering if I can fire the GrowersChoice 630W DE CMH 3100k bulb on these ballasts.
Having read this thread through I believe I can (with loss of bulb life) but I just wanted to confirm before I drop 3 bills on lamps. Thanks in advance.
Yes u can but will lose bulb life. Make sure u use Shields with amy DE CMH bulb in a open fixture.
Hammerhead, You see any issues going into super lumen mode 630>700 WATTS? Other than the appropriate increase of wear equal to extra wattage?
I have never run a 630w bulb on 700w. Iv'e only used 660w setting on a 630w bulb. u shouldn't boost any bulb more than 10%. Using super lumen has a major impact on bulb life.
630+10%=693.
630+10%=693.
rives, I want to add some protections on this light controller. I want to add something close to the controller. I was gonna put this on the hot 240v line like I did for the Phillips ballast but use 40a breakers..
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K2K6YS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
Suggestions on better options or is this fine??.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K2K6YS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
Suggestions on better options or is this fine??.
Phillips aren't the only good CMH ballasts on the market .... I use the galaxys & they've been very reliable .
https://growershouse.com/galaxy-lec...btObyZpEfEBs8eynPtavu_0b9L_x2xbYaAjp6EALw_wcB
My galaxy died on me. It would fire the bulb then shut down with a blinking green light. Tried multiple bulbs same problem. The oldest ballast I have are the Philips. I keep them around for emergency backup use. They are only for 240v.
I’ve been using this one for a little over a year. So far so good.
https://growershouse.com/prism-ligh...l-halide-cmh-ballast-120-240v-version-1-white
https://growershouse.com/prism-ligh...l-halide-cmh-ballast-120-240v-version-1-white
That looks like it would be fine for your main feed going into the controller. I prefer fusing for protecting the individual ballasts. With fuses, you can more closely match the protection to the load, and also match the load characteristics (slow blow, fast blow, etc).
I used these for my Philips ballasts, and they are 3.5 amp fast blow 250v fuses. They are sized at 200% of the max current for 240v so that they have enough ride-through time but will blow quickly when things get ugly. If you are running 120v, then you would probably want something around 7 amps. These are shorter than standard glass fuses, but Mouser should have whatever style is compatible with your holders. I used panel-mount fuse holders for mine.
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetai...GAEpiMZZMtxU2g/1juGqbdCHRI5TALu9O3rTJa%2bKLw=
Rives' use of fuses vs breakers is more personal preference. He's right that sizing protection to the load is best practice, particularly when dealing with expensive & potentially rebuildable equip like industrial motors. It keeps internal damage to a minimum.
OTOH, electronic ballasts aren't really rebuildable. They're junk if they blow any fuse or breaker that would normally accommodate them.
The big concern with a lot of controllers is that they don't properly protect the cords of attached devices. 120v devices are built with 15A (12A continuous) cords. If the outputs of the controller are protected at 15A it's functionally as safe as plugging the device into a normal 15A wall receptacle.
The circuit breakers you linked are avail in lower amperage and would be entirely suitable at 120v/15A or less.
They will work on both 120v/240v. All my flower room lights are on 240v. I want to use 40a breakers. If I used 30a breakers it would prob trip often. I'm pulling between 30-40a from the main panel with a 50a breaker. This lighting controller has no protections. I wanted to add something that was easy to put in. Those fit the bill perfectly.
What you stated is correct, but there is a bit more to it. A properly sized fuse is ALWAYS going to react more quickly than a circuit breaker. Yes, this is best for limiting damage to the device that has failed, but it will also limit the inrush current and resulting spike that damage other electronic components that are on the circuit. Check the attached link to the time-current curve for the commonly-used GE THQ-series breakers. The minimum clearing time for a brand-new breaker meeting factory specs is 2.5 seconds at 400% of the breaker rating, while the maximum is 4.5 seconds at 700% of the breaker rating.
http://apps.geindustrial.com/publib...t Curves|GES-6202A|PDF&filename=GES-6202A.pdf
I was referring to using the fuses on the individual circuits for each ballast. The controllers that have no lighter protection downstream of the main breaker are, quite literally, playing with fire. They depend on the breaker on the main feed to protect components that are, at best, rated for 15 amps. It would be the equivalent of running a residential sub-panel off of it's main breaker without any further branch-circuit protection for individual circuits.
None of these new ballast have any external fuses/breakers. I assume its all internal now. None are repairable if they fail anyway. If anything overloads or shorts out I wanted something to shut down power before the main breaker trips.
Dansbud just had a overload on the same controller running all @ 120v?. . Looks like the crimp was bad or lose on this relay?. The wire burnt up. This is the shit that scares me. I try to limit any possibly way something like this could cause a fire.
Dansbud just had a overload on the same controller running all @ 120v?. . Looks like the crimp was bad or lose on this relay?. The wire burnt up. This is the shit that scares me. I try to limit any possibly way something like this could cause a fire.
Did u split up the relays ?? . The main power line is 240v. That goes to 2 relays. Ea relay is wired for 4 outlets running 240v. There are 2 120v outlets 1 is timed.
Max wattage 240v 8kw
max wattage 120v 4kw.
