Electrical Ques. If I can help someone I will...

Tiedstick said:

Well, there goes that dream - simply don't have the money. All I do have in relation to lighting is a 2.5sq ft flourescent tube (quad-capacity) fixture and four 2ft, 20w (white) flourescent tubes.

From what I've read, that would only be useful for the germination/nursery stage (barely).

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you can grow with cfl's. just use 2 or 3 100 watt equivalent bulbs per plant. just add up the lumens. you need at least 6000 lumen per plant. a 100 watt cfl has 1600 lumen, so 3 of them over one plant gives you 4800 lumen. you wont grow pro buds with it, but it will work! I got 2oz from a few plants under 14 cfl's.

http://htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=45693

just buy one of these and a bulb. it comes with instructions, so it's not hard to wire it. I used a piece of 10 inch stove pipe for a reflector. bend it into a bat-wing shape, spray paint it flat white, and mount the light socket on it, and hang on chains. 400 watt hps for under $100.

I've seen absurd variations in prices for HPS 400W ballasts. Can someone just make sense of these?

http://www.bltdirect.com/product.php?pid=6371

http://www.bltdirect.com/product.php?pid=6750

Or again, am I missing something?

Tiedstick said:

I've seen absurd variations in prices for HPS 400W ballasts. Can someone just make sense of these?

http://www.bltdirect.com/product.php?pid=6371

http://www.bltdirect.com/product.php?pid=6750

Or again, am I missing something?

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those look like only single parts of a ballast. you want to find either a complete ballast or a ballast rebuild kit. those will come with everything you need.

i think they are just pulse starting units, you still need all the other parts ballast kits are 50.00 usd on ebay complete with socket!

lorenzo08 said:

those look like only single parts of a ballast. you want to find either a complete ballast or a ballast rebuild kit. those will come with everything you need.

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Tiedstick said:

I've seen absurd variations in prices for HPS 400W ballasts. Can someone just make sense of these?

http://www.bltdirect.com/product.php?pid=6371

http://www.bltdirect.com/product.php?pid=6750

Or again, am I missing something?

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MIA. First looks like a igniter, second looks like a ballast(x-former).

Ballasts will differ!! Some are copper windings while others are aluminum windings (The US baned aluminum wiring for homes decades ago) insulation on said winding will differ too.

Buy from a reputable company/MFG. More is at stake the just the lamp and possible fire.

BigBudBalls said:

Buy from a reputable company/MFG. More is at stake the just the lamp and possible fire.

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http://htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=45693

this is a good one. I got the ballast kit and a bulb for about $100 with shipping. only thing is, I should have gotten the 600 watt, not the 400, I think it would be worth the extra money.

lorenzo08 said:

http://htgsupply.com/viewproduct.asp?productID=45693

this is a good one. I got the ballast kit and a bulb for about $100 with shipping. only thing is, I should have gotten the 600 watt, not the 400, I think it would be worth the extra money.

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600W has a lot of pluses, but the biggest minus is that bulbs are a bit hard to find locally, so buy 2 at a time.

how much will a 1k light raise your bill if its on 12/12

chucktownskunk said:

how much will a 1k light raise your bill if its on 12/12

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watts used X hours per month X price per kwh / 1000

1000 X 360 X .07 / 1000 = $25.20

is that a month

Just to be clear, aluminium wiring has not been banned, only the previous type of aluminium. AA-8000 Aluminium wire is used today with no safety issues. On these sorts of wiring jobs where so little supplies are actually needed, i would pony up the extra few cents for copper, but aluminum is safe to use as well.


out.

How much wattage can I run out of a light socket? I have no wall outlets in my room, i've just used an adapter to run a few CFLs from one light socket, and am temporarily using an extension cord to provide electricity from another room.

CrackerJax said:

Just to be clear, aluminium wiring has not been banned, only the previous type of aluminium. AA-8000 Aluminium wire is used today with no safety issues. On these sorts of wiring jobs where so little supplies are actually needed, i would pony up the extra few cents for copper, but aluminum is safe to use as well.


out.

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Local codes might over rule. Can you state NEC on the alum wiring?

aluminum romex has been banned and im not sure if u could even find it anywhere. I would not suggest any aluminum romex for sure becaues it is a fire hazard. Old trailors used to ues it and the connections corode and become loose. Only aluminum wire i have ever used in ten years was type SE ( ranges and small services) and also in the very large wire range like 1/0 and up. Copper wire for circuits for sure. Aluminum wire of type SE is fine for say a small 60 amp sub panel or range and even dryers but when it is used Oxide inhibitor must be applied to prevent corrision. Go copper on small scale copper is not that much more. no fires don't wana burn your babies before they hit your pipe or papers. Hehehehe good luck....O one more thing if u use aluminum wire and must junction it make sure the wire nuts or connectors are rated for aluminum wire this is a big deal for sure. Most wire nuts are rated for copper clad and copper. some are rated for aluminum and copper and copper clad the package should have a LISTED use on it make sure you read as this is very important so connection stays TIGHT!!!

can somebody help me i have a outdoor garden tipe reflector with the ballast atached so i drilled two holes in it and connected aluminium tubeing and the exhaust fan and now its a cooltube so my question is could this pose any problems and does the ballast create a significant amount of heat or is the bulb a major heat producer couse i was thinking of extracting the ballast from the reflector but then i would have to rewire it,never done that,also i was thinking of buying another reflector just like that one and making a cooltube.

they both get hot bulb and ballast i have seen bulbs melt the plastic lens on hps and mh lights outside on biuildings cooling is vrey important remote ballast and cool lamp if it makes grow area too hot. I have 10 years exp with electricity licensed in 3 states hid fixtures make lots of heat bulb and ballast just make sure whatever you do tight connections and fire proof container for remote ballast (metal) when these things short they got HOTTER then hell and melt. Bulbs will get extremely hot as well. good luck

I have a 400 watt hps ballast, I just got it last week. the transformer in the ballast heats up to around 170F, is that normal? should I put a low speed computer fan on it?

lorenzo08 said:

I have a 400 watt hps ballast, I just got it last week. the transformer in the ballast heats up to around 170F, is that normal? should I put a low speed computer fan on it?

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Yup. Can use a fan if ya like. but the 'built' version use the housing as art of the heat sink. I had put on on an aluminum plate.

BigBudBalls said:

Yup. Can use a fan if ya like. but the 'built' version use the housing as art of the heat sink. I had put on on an aluminum plate.

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mine's mounted on a large heat sink from an early 90's computer power supply. the mounting bracket blocks most of the heat from transferring into the heat sink.

would a line conditioner save alot of money on 4 digi 240v ballasts, 2 fans, 4 pumps, etc?