which non-digital timer to use

[KillerDemo]

Hi fellow ICmagers....anybody got any suggestions for a VERY-SIMPLE no nonsense timer to use....thx in advance....

 

[FreezerBoy]

It's in use so I can't give a model number. I've been using the same Intermatic Heavy Duty for 15 years. First with a 150 HPS, now with a 250 CMH. It's rated to 1500 watts. It's analog with the red and blue pins you pull and place where needed. Just make sure it's got a 3 prong plug and receptacle and is rated for more load than you actually have.

This looks like the new version
http://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-TN311C-Heavy-Duty-Grounded-Timer/dp/B00002N5FO/ref=pd_sim_dbs_hi_6

 

[PharmaCan]

I'm with FreezerBoy - Intermatic is the way to go. Check at Lowe's or Home dePot.

PV

 

[clowntown]

I think FreezerBoy is referring to the Intermatic TN311C.

But first I think you should provide some more information... such as the wattage / voltage of lights being timed.

I personally would not recommend the TN311C for anything larger than 600w. It's failed on me once on a 600w; to be fair I'm pretty sure it was an unrelated mechanical problem and not a wattage issue, but I'm just not gonna mess with it again. I do know for a fact that this particular timer is a known enemy for 1000w lights... if not today, eventually in the future it will get you. Each failed crop with downtime (and frustration) can easily cost me a few thousand bucks, even at the 600w level, and it just ain't worth risking anymore IMO now that I know better.

By the way, why are you trying to avoid digital timers?

 

[NorCalFor20]

never had a prob with my digitimer it works great you can program the whole weeks schedule in advance or just let it roll and its good for up to 4kw

 

[badmf]

I think FreezerBoy is referring to the Intermatic TN311C.

But first I think you should provide some more information... such as the wattage / voltage of lights being timed.

I personally would not recommend the TN311C for anything larger than 600w. It's failed on me once on a 600w; to be fair I'm pretty sure it was an unrelated mechanical problem and not a wattage issue, but I'm just not gonna mess with it again. I do know for a fact that this particular timer is a known enemy for 1000w lights... if not today, eventually in the future it will get you. Each failed crop with downtime (and frustration) can easily cost me a few thousand bucks, even at the 600w level, and it just ain't worth risking anymore IMO now that I know better.

By the way, why are you trying to avoid digital timers?

Answer: I had a power failure, was waay out of town. Came back to dead plants with a digital timer, it didn't reset. I have used intermatic tn311c's and they will work on 1k's, but like everything else will fail eventually, heat build up issue at first. I have filed the plug connectins ( on both the ballast cord and timer!)to remove oxidation and make a better connection not problems since. (PS; only one 1k per timer!!)

 

[clowntown]

NorCalFor20, don't take offense, but ... what do you know? Didn't you have a helluva problem barely pulling off a 400w grow, recently talking about putting 4ft plants on your roof, and now you're talking about your experiences with 4kw of lighting through... what model digital timer, again, that handles 4kw? Are you just reciting something you read somewhere (without any actual experience, again) like the technical peak ratings on a timer's sticker?

I'm not only taking your post with a grain of salt, I'm taking it with a 50Lb sack of industrial-grade, unprocessed salt.

 

[clowntown]

Answer: I had a power failure, was waay out of town. Came back to dead plants with a digital timer, it didn't reset.

Sounds like to me you had a POS timer that failed, and isn't at all indicative of all, or even most, digital timers. If anything, it's the exact opposite.

So because one digital timer (what brand & model?) failed, all other digital timers of other brands and models and such will fail, too? If a piece of crap Hyundai car breaks down often for you... does that mean that your reliable Honda will also suddenly break down? That's not very good logic.

I have used intermatic tn311c's and they will work on 1k's, but like everything else will fail eventually, heat build up issue at first. I have filed the plug connectins ( on both the ballast cord and timer!)to remove oxidation and make a better connection not problems since. (PS; only one 1k per timer!!)

I'm no longer playing this game of saving $20, "taking my chances" with products that have a very good proven track record of failure, and coming back to either a messed up grow or a burnt down house. I think by the time you're running 1kw (hint hint) you should be more inclined to spend that money to Do It Right rather than continue to go with some corner-cutting methods that'll eventually get you in trouble one way or another.

Seems like to me you're playing with danger, just to save a few bucks (which in the big picture isn't even a drop in the bucket)...

 

[NorCalFor20]

NorCalFor20, don't take offense, but ... what do you know? Didn't you have a helluva problem barely pulling off a 400w grow, recently talking about putting 4ft plants on your roof, and now you're talking about your experiences with 4kw of lighting through... what model digital timer, again, that handles 4kw? Are you just reciting something you read somewhere (without any actual experience, again) like the technical peak ratings on a timer's sticker?

I'm not only taking your post with a grain of salt, I'm taking it with a 50Lb sack of industrial-grade, unprocessed salt.

No offense dude but......

A hell of a problem pulling off a 400w grow? Do these plants look like they have problems to you?


























I think I pulled it off quite well if you ask me.... 3 1/2 oz from 1 out of 4 plants no idea what the others were and they were bigger than the one I harvested...

You can take my post with what ever kind of salt you want but my reply wasn't directed towards you it was to the OP.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell the max load of a timer....the manufacturer states the recommended max load and if your timer doesn't hold up to its rated load then you should probably return your defective timer to your dealer for a refund.Why do you always have something bad to say about someone? Most of the words that come out of your mouth its negative. I thought you went to another website because there were too many trolls here? Seems like when you did leave we had one less... no offense

 

[clowntown]

Are you a theoretical grower? Sounds like you're giving advice on what type of timer to get for a 4kw grow based on your 400w timer experience and reading labels. If you had any experience with anything bigger than a 400w (which you could not even handle, regardless of how your plants looked), you'd know that things aren't exactly 2+2=4 in either grow equipment, ratings, or much elsewhere in life.

There are more variables that come into play than someone with pretty much zero experience in indoor growing can easily see. It's not just a matter of seeing a 1500w rating on a timer, and thinking it's automatically safe to run a 12+ hour continuous load of 1000w+... things just don't work like that in real life. (Pretty much a failed 400w grow followed by getting robbed followed by being chased out of state, all while having illusions of grandeur of becoming a big-shot commercial grower doesn't really count.)

So what digital timer did you use to fire up your imaginary 4kw grow? I've seen a couple, but the rest are simply vanilla 120v timers wired to a larger (oftentimes 220/240v) relay/contactor to do the switching.

 

[gdawg]

those timers are 50-60 bucks at lowes and the only timer i trust. clown, what will that handle? i've had up to 3200 on it i think...

 

[bongasaurus]

what do you guys think of this timer?

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&p=53837&cat=2,42194

 

[clowntown]

gdawg, is that the Intermatic T104 (220/240v)? If so, I have the exact same one, it's a 40A timer. I have four 1k ballasts on it and it can handle more, but it heavily depends on the gauge of wire and the length of the run.

A typical 1k ballast @ 220/240v should rate ~4.5A, and you want to run no more than 80% of the breaker/wiring's rating meaning maxing out at 7 1k's if you've got a 40a breaker (and wiring to match). I personally wouldn't push it that far, but 6 lights should not be a problem.

 

[clowntown]

bongasaurus, I would not trust those types of "consumer grade" mechanical timers for anything bigger than 600w. If you look around these forums you will see plenty of references where these timers either just stop working (if you're lucky), or literally melting down and nearly causing a fire... not to mention the actual fires that we've never heard about (through the forums anyways).

I know people have run as much as 1200w on these types of things "without a problem" (try it and see how hot they get), but these are always things that will bite you in the ass sooner or later down the road. Sure it may be okay for now, but one day when all the conditions are right -- or rather, wrong -- you will wish you had spent the extra $20 and saved your house from going up in flames.

Here's a recent post I recall making on a similar topic Re: labeled wattage and timers and whatnot: http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=89233

Had that guy gone through with the plan of running the "under-label" 2kw on 20a, he most likely would have been facing an electrical fire. (Maybe he did, I don't know.)

 

[FreezerBoy]

I've tried a couple Digitals similar to the analog timer linked above. After 3-5 years they've all stopped accepting progamming. I use an interval timer now that breaks the day into 15 min increments.

I wouldn't use the above linked timer with anything bigger than 600 either. Something that big, I'd look into the 20 amp/5000 watt air conditioner timers
http://www.intermatic.com/Default.asp?action=subcat&sid=115&cid=43&did=5

 

[NorCalFor20]

Are you a theoretical grower? Sounds like you're giving advice on what type of timer to get for a 4kw grow based on your 400w timer experience and reading labels. If you had any experience with anything bigger than a 400w (which you could not even handle, regardless of how your plants looked), you'd know that things aren't exactly 2+2=4 in either grow equipment, ratings, or much elsewhere in life.

There are more variables that come into play than someone with pretty much zero experience in indoor growing can easily see. It's not just a matter of seeing a 1500w rating on a timer, and thinking it's automatically safe to run a 12+ hour continuous load of 1000w+... things just don't work like that in real life. (Pretty much a failed 400w grow followed by getting robbed followed by being chased out of state, all while having illusions of grandeur of becoming a big-shot commercial grower doesn't really count.)

So what digital timer did you use to fire up your imaginary 4kw grow? I've seen a couple, but the rest are simply vanilla 120v timers wired to a larger (oftentimes 220/240v) relay/contactor to do the switching.

 

[clowntown]

Are you laughing at yourself, NorCalFor20?

Lemme give you some advice, big-shot pimp: if you're not ready and experienced enough to give advice, don't give it. Just sit back and watch & learn, and maybe if you have something useful to add, do so with "I don't have experience with...but how about...?" so people will know the difference. Don't talk like you've done larger scale grows when you can't even pull off a simple 400w grow without being forced to chop early w/o a flush and being chased out of state growing 4ft plants on top of residential rooftops. You're trying to give some potentially seriously dangerous info to some people who might not know better, and risking their freedom, property, and much more just because you felt your theoretical experience was ready (and let me tell you, it's far, far, faaaar from ready).

If you've got something else useful to add, do so, but stop the douchebaggery because people who know better can see clearly through it.

 

[NorCalFor20]

haha the pictures speak for themselves man...You seem tense man, you should smoke a joint- and chill out a bit. good luck with your future grows. I hope you can cultivate something that will mellow you out a bit, and maybe you wouldn't be so high strung.
...later man

 

[clowntown]

You're right, pictures do speak for themselves, and what I see are poorly flushed immature plants that you were forced to chop down, and later was robbed of... and eventually chased out of your own home... all because you couldn't even handle a simple 400w grow that requires no "special" equipment other than consumer products available at drugstores.

I wouldn't be "so high strung" and "tense" if people like you would stop giving horrible, dangerous advice to unsuspecting members who might not know better and follow your advice as if it was worthy of following.

Like I said, if you don't have anything useful to add, just sit back and learn rather than trying to put your 2 cents in that could end up getting someone jailed, hurt, or worse.

 

[NorCalFor20]

You're right, pictures do speak for themselves, and what I see are poorly flushed immature plants that you were forced to chop down, and later was robbed of... and eventually chased out of your own home... all because you couldn't even handle a simple 400w grow that requires no "special" equipment other than consumer products available at drugstores.

I wouldn't be "so high strung" and "tense" if people like you would stop giving horrible, dangerous advice to unsuspecting members who might not know better and follow your advice as if it was worthy of following.

Like I said, if you don't have anything useful to add, just sit back and learn rather than trying to put your 2 cents in that could end up getting someone jailed, hurt, or worse.

Let me lay a few things down for you:
1.Im still in the same spot where I grew my plants, yeah i got robbed (do you want to congratulate the robbers for their job well done) I don't see how getting robbed makes me less of a grower. The government makes it illegal so there is a risk of it getting stolen, if it were legal would people be breaking in houses and stealing plants? No.

2. Here is my original post.

never had a prob with my digitimer it works great you can program the whole weeks schedule in advance or just let it roll and its good for up to 4kw

What part of me saying that was dangerous? Or would cause the OP to be jailed or hurt?:I never suggested he run a wattage higher than what was recommended by the maker.

I just read the last 3 pages of your posts most of it is you arguing with other people and trying to discredit them...

Im done feeding your fire of rage so if you have a problem with any of my posts feel free to consult a mod if I am against the TOU. In all honesty I think you fall under this catagory:

Flaming/Trolling: Flames are posts intended to insult and provoke. Posters who speak incessantly and/or rabidly on some relatively uninteresting subject or with a patently ridiculous attitude will be banned. Repeated posts directed with hostility at a particular person or group of people or their beliefs will be cause for banning. Any individual who chronically trolls, who regularly posts arguments, flames or personal attacks for no other purpose than to annoy someone or disrupt a discussion will be banned. Trolls are recognizable by the fact that they have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand - they simply want to utter flame bait.