My $20 150w HPS Econolight DIY reflector/remote ballast
- Thread starter bxke1414
- Start date
dirtbagg
Well-Known Member
this isnt true...... here is some info I've found on other sites please read and dont be a jerk be positive
this is a simular argument from another site read the whole thing.......
Hi everyone.
Just a head's-up on the E-conolight 150s; I fell into the cheap-price trap like so many of you (I bought four of these pigs), but do you guys know to light the 150 watt bulb, the E-conolight 150 watt ballast kit (Caster or Castor is the brand name) uses Over 350 Watts!!! Kinda blows the savings in the first month of operation. Any low-wattage HPS that doesn't have a seperate capacitor (two main parts instead of three; ballast,capacitor, and ignitor), you can count on being power hogs. This includes most "security" lights you rewire to remote the ballast.
A better option is to get a 150 w Venture ballast kit ( www.businesslights.com has good prices; just $12 more) that uses only 166 watts to light the 150. Power Factor is @ 90%.
http://www.businesslights.com/produ...&products_id=45
Hi Vern Equinox,
I posted on this in the OG days and I will explain again here;
The 350 watts you talk about is the total through put of the lamp - it still however only uses the same amount of wattage.
Think of it this way... each lamp is like a closed loop circuit...
when a lamp and ballast have a low power factor they pull more electricity through the ciruit - a portion of this is used to light the lamp - some of it is returned (not used) through the plug back to the line.
when a lamp and ballast has a high power factor the amount of energy returned (not used) is less and less power is pulled out of the wall.
Basically what the capacitator does is store and regulate charge allowing the lamp to only draw what it uses.
The power factor is the ratio of power drawn to power used.
Your power company charges you for how much you use, not how much you draw.
so in no way will your power bill be equivalent to running a 350 watt lamp as you imply.
Your power bill will be the roughly the same with either 150 lamp.
It should however be noted that the power company does have the ability to see the overall power factor of your ciruit and if you were to have as you do 3 or more of these plugged in it could be noticiable to them. The original author made this point and basically said that if you ran a single 150 it shouldn't be a concern but if you were planning on stringing together multiple 150's, 100's, or smaller lamps it should be looked at.
incidentally if you wire your lamps to the same plug you only need a single capacitor between the line and the first ballast to increase the power factor of all the lamps.
That all being said the Venture is probably a better lamp and I would pick it over the econo-light given the choice. Thanks for the link!
-suga
take from it what you will
ThatGuyOverThere
Well-Known Member
Dirtbag:
dont forget the econo also comes with a bulb. The kit you linked doesnt so thats another +10-20.
I'd prefer higher wattage myself but i like the ability to spread the light more evenly.
dont forget the econo also comes with a bulb. The kit you linked doesnt so thats another +10-20.
I'd prefer higher wattage myself but i like the ability to spread the light more evenly.
dirtbagg
Well-Known Member
thats true....
I just posted that to show that the argument has been had before and settled
I'm good with my econo matter of fact Im thinking about getting a 70 watt MH set up for my lil veg cab I just built...... the e-conolight brand is what it is economically priced for small timers like everyone here including myself....
I just posted that to show that the argument has been had before and settled
I'm good with my econo matter of fact Im thinking about getting a 70 watt MH set up for my lil veg cab I just built...... the e-conolight brand is what it is economically priced for small timers like everyone here including myself....
stonersrbetter!
Well-Known Member
so im new with hps so this mite be a dumb question. so im apologizing now for this question. so after i buy the bulb nd make the reflector, how do i make the ballast? what supplies will i need.
o shit dumb question shudda read the thread fully haha high move. but ya good fuckin find on the econolight bout to rig two up myself.
o shit dumb question shudda read the thread fully haha high move. but ya good fuckin find on the econolight bout to rig two up myself.
lilmafia513
Well-Known Member
Dear god can someone tell me how to make one of thes cool tubes!!!!!!kiss-asskiss-asskiss-asskiss-asskiss-asskiss-asskiss-assI couldnt pass up that e-conolight either bro!
i cool tubed the one I got...
CaNNaBiZNeSS
Well-Known Member
lmao cooltubing a 150 w, too funny.
ThatGuyOverThere
Well-Known Member
Yeah in a small 7sqft area, a 150W can make more then enough heat to kill plants if the heat cant escape.
No circualtion + heat source = buildup. plain and simple.
CaptE
Active Member
Is that how that works. Well fuck me, thank you for that equation. Ill be using that as a common reference from now on. Im obviously just screwin w/you so dont get all pissy now.
ThatGuyOverThere
Well-Known Member
lol dont worry, i dont take anything stated online seriously
Besides i enjoy some good sarcasm!anyways, youd be amazed how common sense escapes some people. I've seen some pretty stupid shit in my time...
MisterNiceGuy
Well-Known Member
That's not true, they will put a 300 watt load on the circuit but not towards your bill. It will still be the same 150 watt power consumption =)
diggitydank420
Well-Known Member
You can drop your amperage load...
I found this on IC Mag's forum
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=99240&page=3&pp=15
I found this on IC Mag's forum
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=99240&page=3&pp=15
I just built one of these with the $20 e-conolight. I connected a 4" octagonal box side-by-side with a 'handy box' (surface mountable outlet or switch box). I punched out the middle knock-out of the handy box and a side knock-out of the octagonal box and slipped a romex clamp through the hole to hold them together. I put the ballast in the octagonal box by itself so the heat wouldn't kill the igniter prematurely. i put a romex clamp in the top and bottom knock-outs of the handy box for power in and out to lamp. I test fired this and it worked fine.
Now because this is a normal power factor ballast it draws quite a lot of current. I measured it at 3.8 amps to start and it settled to about 3.4 amps in a few minutes. This works out to 425 volt-amps of apparent power while the actual power that the lamp and ballast use is 170 watts. I had done a little research and found that a high power factor ballast of this size uses a 52 microfarad capacitor to correct the power factor to over 90% so i had also ordered up a 330v motor run capacitor from eBay of that value. (well, 50 mfd was close enough.) I then connected this cap across the line and neutral of the incoming ac cord, fired up the lamp again and measured the current. I smiled as the new starting current was down from the previous 3.8 amps to a mere 1.75 amps. A couple minutes later it seemed to settle in at 1.4 amps. Now the apparent power is only 175 volt-amps and the true power of the device is rated at 170 watts. This means the capacitor corrected the power factor to 97% and cut 2 amps of current from my wiring.
The power company doesn't charge you extra for those extra amps of reactive power so this won't cut the electric bill, but if your house wiring is as old as mine or you plan on running more than 2 of these on a 15 amp circuit it sure does cut the amps which do nothing but heat up your wires.
So if you want to add this to your project get yourself a 50 microfarad / 125 volt or higher (mine's 330v) motor capacitor and connect it right across the black and white wires entering the box from the outlet in parallel with the whole circuit (see diagram below).
If you are planning on hooking up more than 2 of these lights to a 15 amp circuit, remember that without the capacitor they draw almost 4 amps to start and settle to 3.5 amps. That means that it's only safe to run 3 lamps on a 15 amp circuit. With the cap added to each lamp, your startup current is less than 2 amps per light so you can run up to 6 of them on a 15 amp circuit safely.
Here's a little diagram I whipped up in MS Paint:
nourdmrolnmt1
Active Member
So, i have the light, and also have a 25' 14 ga extension cord... the colors of the wires are white black and green, I am trying to figure out what colors go where on the ballast.
Thanks.
Thanks.
stonersrbetter!
Well-Known Member
im still not sure about the 3.4 amps the guys talking about. i would need to see it done in front of me to believe a 150w light that has 120v ballast would give off 4 amps. doesnt make sense...
but i bought two so we will see by next week
but i bought two so we will see by next week
winkdogg420
Well-Known Member
And go fuck yourself . In a language an idiot like yourself will understand.