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Question 1: Multiple Lights, Single Ballast
Question 1: Multiple Lights, Single Ballast
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Question 1: Multiple Lights, Single Ballast
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whatissixbynine
Answers
Answers
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Answers
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fat freddy
Love your work 
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whatissixbynine
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A puzzle!
Even then, how much more difficult would it be to isolate a ballast for each lamp onto a bank, of sorts? The unit itself would be considerably lighter in weight, run cooler, and more easily constructed and balanced. Additionally, that would allow you to quickly and easily pull any one ballast for maintenance or replacement. It would also allow you to change any particular lamp format (say, HPS to MH, or to CMH, etc) and of any desired wattage. It would open up just about an endless combination of lights. Going 240v or 480v would work well, I would think, in a large grow. lol...A spinner/rail combo?
I'm not really familiar with e-ballasts,though. Are they more/less/comparable in price to mag ballasts?
This is just me rambling and I know very little about electrical stuff, but, I love a puzzle!
Namaste, mess
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whatissixbynine
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I have seen those units in person, and everyone I've talked to hated them. They are just too inflexible and I think a DIY one would be dangerous. They spin VERY fast.
Check out the Solar Revolution, that unit let's you use your own hoods and ballasts (a major plus) and doesn't go 360, just 355*. Back and forth, reversing an AC motor. I think their design is fine but they used to use cheap plastic gears, not sure if that's still the case, but gear reduction is a necessity when spinning a couple hundred pounds of metal, bulbs and cords. I used one for a few years but never liked the thing, it was fragile and difficult to maintain, and hard to work around (lights move overhead and smack you or burn you, it WILL happen over a couple years of use guaranteed!)
Check out the Solar Revolution, that unit let's you use your own hoods and ballasts (a major plus) and doesn't go 360, just 355*. Back and forth, reversing an AC motor. I think their design is fine but they used to use cheap plastic gears, not sure if that's still the case, but gear reduction is a necessity when spinning a couple hundred pounds of metal, bulbs and cords. I used one for a few years but never liked the thing, it was fragile and difficult to maintain, and hard to work around (lights move overhead and smack you or burn you, it WILL happen over a couple years of use guaranteed!)
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whatissixbynine
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My apologies for being unclear. That was what I meant. That if it wasn't possible to run more than one lamp per ballast, the best option after that would be isolating the ballasts and would allow considerable flexibility in configuration. Then, the biggest problem would be making a secure connection between multiple ballasts and the spinner.
Again, my apologies for the misunderstanding.
Namaste, mess
J
JackTheGrower
Well why not just use a ceiling fan as the spinner drive?
You would need some armatures and some copper rings for the light power.
Two 250 twins would be cool..
4 bulbs.. 2 mh 2 hps
Add that to a home made mover and it would be cool..
AC motors can have their directions reversed by changing the leads with a relay.
You would need some armatures and some copper rings for the light power.
Two 250 twins would be cool..
4 bulbs.. 2 mh 2 hps
Add that to a home made mover and it would be cool..
AC motors can have their directions reversed by changing the leads with a relay.
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whatissixbynine
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It would be safer to use a commercial rotating connector and build the rest around it.
Maybe something like these,
http://www.cavotec.com/static/upload/media/Rotating Electrical Connectors catalogue.pdf
Maybe something like these,
http://www.cavotec.com/static/upload/media/Rotating Electrical Connectors catalogue.pdf
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whatissixbynine
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whatissixbynine
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My best guess is no. But, that means exactly nothing. I don't have the experience, let alone training, to say for sure. Then again, that is why I thought that multiple ballasts might be a better option. Allowing a customized configuration. Unplug one and plug a different one in!
It would also make production a lot easier. All that would be left to do is to make the spinner motor and arms into one unit, as the user could use what ever lamp/ballast configuration they wanted or had on hand.
Another "thought" I had, how would turning the sockets 90 degrees on the horizontal affect the lamp's spread pattern? Would the "rectangularish" pattern overlap somewhere in the middle, as opposed to the spread patterns of lamps sticking straight out? Height might be a bit more flexible and the arms could be extended for a little better reach. lol...But, like I said it is just a "thought."
Namaste, mess
It would also make production a lot easier. All that would be left to do is to make the spinner motor and arms into one unit, as the user could use what ever lamp/ballast configuration they wanted or had on hand.
Another "thought" I had, how would turning the sockets 90 degrees on the horizontal affect the lamp's spread pattern? Would the "rectangularish" pattern overlap somewhere in the middle, as opposed to the spread patterns of lamps sticking straight out? Height might be a bit more flexible and the arms could be extended for a little better reach. lol...But, like I said it is just a "thought."
Namaste, mess
Ummm ...... This scares me... I think you need a few more years running HID lights to be able to take on a DIY.
The answer is no by the way to your question. They will not ignite unless you have multiple ignitors and capacitors.
