need help converting MH security light into remote ballast

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bygmyke

Active Member
quantum said:
Dude,

Metal halide has a capacitor.
HPS has a capacitor and an ignitor.
if you have an old light with an ignitor in it, then you have a hps that the capacitor has been removed.
It is very simple, both of my lights are old MH lights that i took out of a shop.
when i'm out there again i will look at mine and takea picture of how everything should look.

Be careful with that light dude. those bulbs will pull all the power allowed to them, and trip your breaker or explode and set something on fire.
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it doesnt have a capacitor i actually went to lowes and bought a MH just like the one i have took it apart then returned it! and low and behold it doesnt havd a capacitor i was told by somebody that it doesnt need one if its under 250 watts the light i have is only100 watts the one from lowes didnt have a capacitor so it obviously dont need one
 
quantum

quantum

Well-Known Member
bygmyke said:
it doesnt have a capacitor i actually went to lowes and bought a MH just like the one i have took it apart then returned it! and low and behold it doesnt havd a capacitor i was told by somebody that it doesnt need one if its under 250 watts the light i have is only100 watts the one from lowes didnt have a capacitor so it obviously dont need one
Click to expand...

That's cool man. I didn't know that. Now put that thing in your back yard and order you a 1k HPS :bigjoint:
 
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bygmyke

Active Member
quantum said:
That's cool man. I didn't know that. Now put that thing in your back yard and order you a 1k HPS :bigjoint:
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i wish!! ive been laid off since january! i found the light in my dads garage just wanted to put it to use to save money so i dont have to buy bud!
 
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born2killspam

Well-Known Member
Black-yellow is the hot supply wire.. Com is connected to the not hot line from the supply, and the otherone is internally connected to that for convenience.. Its identical to the hps without cap wiring.. The com are just input/output passthroughs.. Makes wiring simpler since if you notice from the diagram, with only one com wire from the source you need to span the power cord from the ballast to the socket, which isn't convenient remotely.. The ignitor wires just like in that picture, just match colors..
Use proper sized marettes for the connections, and use a 3 wire cord and attach the green to the chassis for safety..

Capacitors alter the power-factor of the RLC circuit comprised of the lamp, coil, and capactitance of the circuit in general.. There is still capacitance involved without a capacitor because capacitance is an intrinsic aspect of material.. If you want to understand the theory, read up on RLC circuits..
 
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bygmyke

Active Member
born2killspam said:
Black-yellow is the hot supply wire.. Com is connected to the not hot line from the supply, and the otherone is internally connected to that for convenience.. Its identical to the hps without cap wiring.. The com are just input/output passthroughs.. Makes wiring simpler since if you notice from the diagram, with only one com wire from the source you need to span the power cord from the ballast to the socket, which isn't convenient remotely.. The ignitor wires just like in that picture, just match colors..
Use proper sized marettes for the connections, and use a 3 wire cord and attach the green to the chassis for safety..

Capacitors alter the power-factor of the RLC circuit comprised of the lamp, coil, and capactitance of the circuit in general.. There is still capacitance involved without a capacitor because capacitance is an intrinsic aspect of material.. If you want to understand the theory, read up on RLC circuits..
Click to expand...
thanx alot borntokill! now i can get the ball rollin without bein a worry wort i have a box built to put the ballast in with a 12vdc pc fan wired to it to help cool it!
 
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born2killspam

Well-Known Member
No, No, by all means be a worry wart.. Helps keep you breathing when you're playing with electricity whether the task is above your knowledge level or not.. That diagram is pretty clear to your needs with the explanation I gave.. If that diagram wasn't there I would not have contributed honestly..
Mains power work is definately not something you want to guess with, and one of my favorite sayings is "Nobody ever cuts off their thumb the first time they use a table saw":)..
 
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born2killspam

Well-Known Member
And be very careful your fan can never touch those connections.. I've seen a pc fan actually untwist marettes off connections over a long period of near silent contact.. Nothing is safer than you set it up..
 
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born2killspam

Well-Known Member
Anywhere on the metal box.. That way if you touch it and hot wire has somehow contacted that box or metal connected to it you won't get bitten..
 
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r3dn3ck

Active Member
I know this is an old thread and I'm loathe to add to it but it shows up on a google search as one of the top 3 hits for "400W HPS remote ballast kit" and I think it'd be helpful if we pointed to the tutorial I just did on the subject. This is only for the sake of Search Engine Optimization and cross linking. Again, sorry for bringing up an old one.

Here's the link. This is for a remote ballast 400W HPS. If you cut the ignitor out of the circuit then you'll have a MH light. I'll have to find an appropriate relay to use before I can update the procedure to make it a switchable MH/HPS kit.
https://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/388216-how-cool-diy-remote-ballast.html
 
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