electricians work?!?!?

redroach404 · Jan 24, 2009

if i were to design a grow room, using 400w hps running 240v, and i had a section of property that ran 240v, does that mean i could fashion my own pigtail on to the fixture, plug it right into the outlet, and eliminate the need fer a BALLAST :bigjoint:

???

TOKEMASTERFLEX · Jan 24, 2009

um no...
but if you do try it let me know how it works

but no seriously don't even try this...i swear ive heard someone ask this same exact question before

OregonMeds · Jan 24, 2009

A full grown cat has the right capacitance to ignite a bulb though, if you wrap three turns of bare wire around his feet, wet his hair, and stand him in a tray of water.

Wire the 240 to his front paws though, and the two leads to the bulb to his back paws. Use your imagination for where to stick the ground lead.

redroach404 · Jan 24, 2009

im sure its nothing to be attempted by anyone less then a professional electrician. and i would not try it fer shits n giggles, cuase im not an electrician, ima a welder, but my union make me take courses in everything construction... and iv taken basic electricity, so i believe i could make needed modifications (if even possible/practical/etc) with proper guidance... no disrespect but im reall looking fer a pothead electrician

redroach404 · Jan 24, 2009

not exactly what i meant but thanx

OregonMeds · Jan 24, 2009

I'm an electronics tech and if you see my sig you'll see I do electrical wiring also.
Had there been a way to do it without just buying the proper ballasts, I'd have told you. You were supposed to get the hint by the absurdity of the cat idea.

redroach404 · Jan 24, 2009

now see, i had some faith in you with 3000 posts and all.that was much more helpful but isnt a ballast just a small transformer, isnt it doing the same thing as the transformer on the line???

badluck · Jan 25, 2009

redroach404 said:
now see, i had some faith in you with 3000 posts and all.that was much more helpful but isnt a ballast just a small transformer, isnt it doing the same thing as the transformer on the line???

you need the ballast and all other components to transform the voltage so that the lamps will fire..i believe you need alot of voltage to as well as firing aid capacotor..wiring them 240 v only reduces the amperage on the supplying cicuit

panhead · Jan 25, 2009

redroach404 said:
now see, i had some faith in you with 3000 posts and all.that was much more helpful but isnt a ballast just a small transformer, isnt it doing the same thing as the transformer on the line???

Yes a ballast is a transformer but not the same application as a line transformer.

You are aware that a 400 watt hps system only costs about $150 complete & shipped right to your door, right ?

jnuggs · Jan 25, 2009

Panhead, where for $150? Bulb and all? Is it any good? I think I paid like $190 or so for Lumatek Digital, $10 for socket/cable, $75 HiLux HPS lamp.
Is the $150 deal comparable quality? This is my first grow, so I'm not sure if maybe I overpaid for name brand. As I understood it, Lumatek was supposed to have a pretty good ballast. 2 year full replacement, then like 3 pro-rated. Thanks, PEACE.

panhead · Jan 25, 2009

jnuggs said:
Panhead, where for $150? Bulb and all? Is it any good? I think I paid like $190 or so for Lumatek Digital, $10 for socket/cable, $75 HiLux HPS lamp.
Is the $150 deal comparable quality? This is my first grow, so I'm not sure if maybe I overpaid for name brand. As I understood it, Lumatek was supposed to have a pretty good ballast. 2 year full replacement, then like 3 pro-rated. Thanks, PEACE.

You paid for the lumetek ballast build quality,a digi ballast cant be cheaply made & still have reliability so you did ok on the bllast you have.

Lumatek is only a great ballast if were comparing digital ballasts,alot of other digi ballasts have short life spans & lumatex is the best in that line up,so far from what i see with any digi ballast including lumatek im not that impressed,,the savings in electrical use are not that large on a 400 watt light to begin with & surely not large enough for the cost difference considering the long life span of magnetic ballasts,with that being said i much prefer standard magnetic ballasts & i own both types ballast just not lumetek,magnetics are a technology thats proven to work for decades of continuous on & off operation & im near positive that even a lumetek will not hold up that long.

When you compare a lumatek digi ballast against a good build quality magnetic ballast its not the better quality of the two designs,this 400 watt magnetic system is every bit as good initial build quality as the lumatek & will outlast any digi ballast, including lumatek.

jnuggs · Jan 25, 2009

Thanks for the info once again Panhead. The reason I went with the digital ballast was mostly because of the magnetic ballast "buzz". I have never owned a ballast other than this lumatek, so I wasn't sure exactly how loud the buzz was(my lumatek makes no noise at all, only heats up a bit). After having a 550 CFM inline fan hooked up, I don't think the magnetic ballast could possibly be louder than that? I would like to move up to a 600w HPS. In your opinion, the magnetic would be better?

redroach404 · Jan 25, 2009

aww i see. a capacitor is used to jump the voltage to get the initial firing of the bulb...

panhead · Jan 25, 2009

jnuggs said:
After having a 550 CFM inline fan hooked up, I don't think the magnetic ballast could possibly be louder than that? I would like to move up to a 600w HPS. In your opinion, the magnetic would be better?

If a 600 watt magnetic ballast is louder than a 550 cfm fan then that ballast is either malfunctioning or a very shitty build quality because they are not that loud.

Yes my preference is magnetic over digital ballasts because of the longevity issues with digital ballasts,there have been alot of bad reports about premature ballast failure with most digital ballasts,these reports are not usually centered around the newer line of lumatek ballasts but the older line of ballasts that lumatek was running was full of unsatisfactory performance issues just like alot of other manufacturers.

It appears that lumatek & other digi ballast manufacturers have came up with more reliable designs over the last few years but when its my money being invested in equipment i go for the sure thing,its just so damm hard to beat the proven longevity of magnetics that for me its not worth the risk of ending up with a dead ballast 5 years from now after its long out of warrenty,or worth the hassel of messing with a warrenty return & repair,most of which the consumer is responsible for shipping charges both ways.

I just cant see the savings that alot of people associate with digital ballasted gear when all aspects are taken into consideration because the daily power savings are not that large at all over magnetics.

redroach404 · Jan 25, 2009

oh and yea i have a 400w hps from sun system with a grow lux bulb, except my whole setup cost 250. now fer 150 i would give that out as christmas presents

TOKEMASTERFLEX · Jan 25, 2009

_____GAME_____ said:
r u fuckin' serious on this ????

uh yeah...thats how i have mine run....exactly

_____GAME_____ · Jan 26, 2009

TOKEMASTERFLEX said:
uh yeah...thats how i have mine run....exactly

hahahah yeah 4 sure

jnuggs · Jan 26, 2009

Sounds like a good deal to me. Thanks for the info once again! I'm not worried about the electricity, it's cheap! I'd rather have dependable products around my place. They pay off in the long run for sure!

panhead said:
If a 600 watt magnetic ballast is louder than a 550 cfm fan then that ballast is either malfunctioning or a very shitty build quality because they are not that loud.

Yes my preference is magnetic over digital ballasts because of the longevity issues with digital ballasts,there have been alot of bad reports about premature ballast failure with most digital ballasts,these reports are not usually centered around the newer line of lumatek ballasts but the older line of ballasts that lumatek was running was full of unsatisfactory performance issues just like alot of other manufacturers.

It appears that lumatek & other digi ballast manufacturers have came up with more reliable designs over the last few years but when its my money being invested in equipment i go for the sure thing,its just so damm hard to beat the proven longevity of magnetics that for me its not worth the risk of ending up with a dead ballast 5 years from now after its long out of warrenty,or worth the hassel of messing with a warrenty return & repair,most of which the consumer is responsible for shipping charges both ways.

I just cant see the savings that alot of people associate with digital ballasted gear when all aspects are taken into consideration because the daily power savings are not that large at all over magnetics.

OregonMeds · Jan 29, 2009

panhead said:
If a 600 watt magnetic ballast is louder than a 550 cfm fan then that ballast is either malfunctioning or a very shitty build quality because they are not that loud.

Yes my preference is magnetic over digital ballasts because of the longevity issues with digital ballasts,there have been alot of bad reports about premature ballast failure with most digital ballasts,these reports are not usually centered around the newer line of lumatek ballasts but the older line of ballasts that lumatek was running was full of unsatisfactory performance issues just like alot of other manufacturers.

It appears that lumatek & other digi ballast manufacturers have came up with more reliable designs over the last few years but when its my money being invested in equipment i go for the sure thing,its just so damm hard to beat the proven longevity of magnetics that for me its not worth the risk of ending up with a dead ballast 5 years from now after its long out of warrenty,or worth the hassel of messing with a warrenty return & repair,most of which the consumer is responsible for shipping charges both ways.

I just cant see the savings that alot of people associate with digital ballasted gear when all aspects are taken into consideration because the daily power savings are not that large at all over magnetics.

Actually many of the digital ballasts can cause more noise than electronics by way of electrical noise that seeps into your power lines and interferes with tv/stereo/etc.

Anyway I agree with panhead on the longevity of magnetic ballasted lights, I would buy a digital if I had crazy high electrical prices maybe but luckily I don't and the savings aren't that much.

What makes the digitals more and more attractive though is that they are starting to push the bulbs beyond 100% by default. I actually like that since I'm not going for long bulb life anyway.

fat sam · Jan 29, 2009

yeah he is right, the only reason to go 240-220 is that you can use smaller supply lines, you need a ballast because it converts your 50/60hz 110v house current in to dc which the bulb uses

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