re: lumatek ballasts will get u busted... omfg its true

[meduser180056]

Those Hamm radio guys are always weirdos. Tell that fucker your with the government and your onto him and he'll freak out and back off quick haha.

Ya honestly I don't think they can get you busted but sure they can draw some unwanted attention and hey any attention in this game is unwanted attention.

I started with magnetic ballasts switched to digis when I got a new spot and then went back to magnetics when I moved again. always having trouble with the digis and bulb compatibility. Had one early lumatek model that would constantly blow it's fuse.

magnetic ballasts are so much more reliable. I don't think digi ballasts even put out more lumens I've noticed no differences between digi and magnetic ballast harvests. They don't even run cooler just quieter.

 

[DeoXy]

I've never noticed this problem and I run a wifi network in my place.. I also use to leech off of surrounding wifi networks on occa. and the connection would be fine.. Been running my lumatek digi. 600w for over 2 years now.. maybe its an isolated incident?.. better safe then sorry I guess..

 

[Dislexus]

THIS IS AN OLD THREAD AND THE GUY'S OUTLET PROBABLY WASN'T PROPERLY GROUNDED.

Bad grounding, redneck grounding, no grounding, hot/neutral reverse, etc, are all EXTREMELY common in houses built before the 80's. Its rare, but even brand new houses can have fucked up electrical. Personally seen it...

GO TO THE STORE AND GET AN OUTLET CHECKER. They are like 7 bucks and will tell you if your outlet is good or has issues.

It could save you from a fire! Or worse!

Also, if your ground rod is more than 4 years old, give it the kick and tug test. Kick the shit out of it, then squat down and do a full leg press to tug that fucker out. If it is worn through within 3 feet of the surface, you should be able to pull out the top part.

Do not improvise a new ground, go get a nice copper-clad rod from Home Depot. Get a quality clamp too. Don't slack on your grounding.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Good info but the thread is 3 days new.

 

[Dislexus]

*blink* oohhhhhh yeaaaah

I thought it said 07 or some reason damn

 

[TripleDraw27]

Lumatek ballasts here as well, if im in my car out front listening to radio, i get pure buzzing. Same with the radios in the house. Going to check out that Outlet checker for a start.

 

[Dislexus]

Hmmm in that article, is that the first example of the media/LEO lowballing the value of a lb?!?!?! They say 2k-3k/lb, in FLORIDA... But it also says the growhouse was moldy... haha maybe a fellow picky conniosseur wrote the article

http://www.allbusiness.com/crime-law/law-police-forces-sheriffs/14103176-1.html

dude i have had this same setup for going on two years now and all of the sudden this is happening to me? it MIGHT NOT be the lumateks, but if it has happened to others, im assuming that is what it could be.......OR IT COULD BE the bundles of electrical cords like the people in the article above...... fuck me man FUCK

 

[joebean91]

Used to run about 6000w's all digital in a new house , all professionally wired . Every night when the lights flipped on the antenna tv would go to shit and the wireless internet would become much less reliable . The couple 400w's in veg never seemed to interfere though .

 

[TripleDraw27]

Today, I returned my Lumatek 120/240. My case of this is very recent. So I was going to start my first problem solve with returning the ballast for a new one( same model). Anyhow, I returned it today, had it fired up earlier, went inside to my radios and outside in the street in my car and no more Buzz-zzzing. Thank goodness it ended there for me in terms of problem solving. It was a plus the Owner said fuck it, heres another and let us know.

 

[Strainhunter]

The below pic shows the ballasts I use where I live.
(400-600-1000 SELECT-A-WATT, I use 4x600 watts/vegging & 4x1KW/flowering)

I am in very close proximity to a hotel which uses Sat signals for TV, Internet & phone.

The TV and phone signals are being diverted throughout the property by cable and the internet by cable and wireless.
And there are 2 meter and 11 meter (CB) radios being used for staff.

No interference what-so-ever anywhere even though I use all 4 in direct proximity (see 2nd pic!) to an electronic timer which it states in the manual NOT to use it closer than 15ft to ANY ballast (magnetic or electronic)

https://sunlightsupply.com/p-11884-galaxy-select-a-watt-electronic-ballasts.aspx

 

[TripleDraw27]

electronic timer which it states in the manual NOT to use it closer than 15ft to ANY ballast [/B](magnetic or electronic)

oh shit lol.

mine is directly in front of my timer, same one as you, within 10ft.
I did notice im still getting my buzzing again as my light warmed up.

Im going to try this, but I always see peoples set ups with digital timers hph4s or whatever right next to ballasts.

 

[meduser180056]

looks like the cable co got the op dam

 

[Baddog40]

Same shit happened to me, although at the time I didnt even think that it could have been the Lumateks. One day cable guy comes knocking on the door telling me they had to disconnect my cable from the main line because it was causing interference in the line and he said he suspected it was a loose connection in my basement and he needed to take a look. Although I'm in a legal state the last thing I want is anyone knowing what I'm doing so I told him I rent the basement out and the door is locked and my tenant is not home, so he told me to call and make an appointment to come back. So I said fuck it and got DSL and Direct TV and canceled cable.

 

[Haps]

I can not believe anybody with a brain uses digital. They are not safe, or they would be UL listed, a real fucking big deal. They can get you busted, if you are not aware of it, out here in the wod, the dea offers cash, vacations, and prizes for cable guys who rat out growers. You could not give me a digital for free, I would not even touch it.

And I'll but my buds up against anybody on any continent. Mags rule.

 

[Dislexus]

Is the UL listing thing true Haps? If so there's some false advertising going on out there...

 

[Strainhunter]

I can not believe anybody with a brain uses digital. They are not safe, or they would be UL listed, a real fucking big deal.

........

I cannot believe anyone "with a brain" would make the above kind of post.

My Galaxy Select-A-Watt Electronic Ballasts comply with UL, CUL & EMC standards.

How about yours?

 

[mrwags]

FWIIW my older school Lumatek 750 ballasts would screw with over the air HD antennas and I don't use them anymore. The newer 1K + super lumen have caused no problems. All my ballasts are Lumatek 1kw+'s running on 240v.

I gotta go with this one and the combination of using a good cordest.

I do now the older Lumis did have interference but that was 2 years ago and to have multiple lights and not have an independent 240 line is well kinda silly.

Also some of you I see log in here with your cell phones.? If thats the case rf interference would be the least of your problems me thinks.

Good Luck
Mr.Wags

 

[Capt Cannabis]

Thats some crazy stuff wouldve never thought about this... wow

 

[Haps]

Yes, sorry, in truth I do not know which ones are ul listed and which are not, if they are they should be safe.

I look at it as a part of risk/results look at planning a grow. Any component that can cause trouble will at some point, so what happens and what kind of problem? With mags, I swap a problem out, and you can do that with dig also. But dig, can, can cause issues that reach beyond your walls. Totally unacceptable risk to use digital, in this equation.
H

 

[Krshna]

Could anybody help ease my paranoia a little please? Im going to be using a digital ballast for the first time this winter, and I dont want to be nervous every day that Im putting out noticable RF. From looking at my power box it looks like all the wiring is legit to my untrained eye, Ill get one of those outlet testers as well too... does anybody know, if once its up and running, if my cable and wireless internet etc is all working fine, does that mean Im ok? Or could I still have a problem? Basically is there any definate way to test my rf output and make sure that I wont be drawing any attention to myself?