Growroom Electricity and Wiring

[RipVanWeed]

"Wow..... I don't get it. I really don't. I guess your just having a bad day... You really aught to try and not rip on people when all they are trying to do is help you (on their own time for free)."

If you notice I've been appreciative and thankful for any help from the beginning.

"I try not to give direct answers especially when the answer is staring you right in the face."

I admit to having a problem with the lack of direct answers, but indirectness is your choice. I admit to sometimes missing the obvious.

"Just because you are too lazy to sit down and read this thread (or even look at a simple chart) and perhaps increase your overall knowledge in the process, doesn't mean that I am here to serve at your every whim."


Trust me I've read plenty, understand most, was just seeking clarity. I felt good about using the formula's on pg#1 to determine my load reqirements. But as I pointed out, the charts you take for granted are not clear enough for me to be 100% sure. It seems with my load requirements I fall between 4/3 and 6/3, I just wanted to be certain I bought the right size.

"hand holding 24/7" "serve at your every whim."

Please, just looking for concise info.

"But being nasty about it is uncalled for and rather rude."

Never was nasty or rude, maybe too direct though.

Sorry to offend you, some people are easily led by the hand, I am not. Came looking for answers, not hand holding. I shouldn't have snatched my hand back when you tried to take it. Then I became obstinate...MY BAD.

 

[madpenguin]

With my first reply, I was agreeing with you that the chart in the very first post was kinda screwy, so I said to use table 310.16.

This was your first post. I have no idea how you arrived at the wattage totals. If your using the wattage of a HID light, then that doesn't work when your trying to size for wire. Ohms law will give you a rough estimate only.

Also, In the US, you'll typically see 120v at a receptacle during peak hours and 125v late at night when the grid isn't as congested. So using 110v in your calculations will skew the results. However if your in the middle of bum fuck, you might actually see 115 or so volts at a receptacle.

So I totaled up the watts to be used at 110v to be 2100w

2100/110 = 19a

5 x 1ks on 240v

5000/240 = 21a

Then add some more for resistance and heat...

Looks like I should go with a 60a subpanel.

Now to go back to pg1 to see about size of conductor.

If my calculations above are wrong please call me out.

Much Respect,

Depending on distance/voltage drop, yes, a 60A subpanel fed with 6/3 copper sounds more than adequate. There is a link in my sig if you have any questions about installing a subpanel.

 

[SmokinErb]

Question. What about sunlight reflectors and uhm sunlight ballasts, or maybe HTG cool tube if I decide to save a few bucks.

 

[madpenguin]

That power cord I posted is for sunlight stuff. I don't know what the cool tubes use.

 

[SmokinErb]

I guess I meant is that cord setup only for the galaxy ballasts to sunlight reflectors, or do I need to get that for whichever ballast/reflector I plan on using?

Or rather, if I'm using sunlight ballasts with sunlight reflectors... would it still be necessary?

 

[madpenguin]

Sunlight Hoods mate with a galaxy ballast so a Galaxy ballast uses male sunlight supply cords. Then the hood has the 10-15' female cord.

I can only imagine that a sunlight ballast uses the same male ends that a galaxy ballast does, otherwise, how would a sunlight ballast mate with a sunlight reflector....

Hydrofarm reflectors use a different female receptacle cord. So if you were going to build a flip for hydrofarm stuff, you'd have to ignore those cords I posted and figure out on your own how to use the hydrofarm receptacles and plugs with your flip/flop box.

I need to do some more googling. You would think there has to be an authorized DSM&T distributor somewhere. Found some spa places that sell some of their stuff but I didn't have any luck in finding the Sunlight male and female plugs....

If I were using hydrofarm stuff, I'd have to get my hands on one of these to see if the female ends could be used to "lock in place" like the sunlight female ends are capable of.

BTW, I've done a pretty good search on the sunlight supply extension cords. The original link seems to be the cheapest I can find them which is $10.48 a piece. Everywhere else they are 12.95.... The #14 gauge ones range from 16.95 to $20.00...

 

[SmokinErb]

So basically, I need the extension cords from whatever ballast/reflector I'm buying?

I thought you made these relays with receptacles basically?

 

[stink.whistler]

So basically, I need the extension cords from whatever ballast/reflector I'm buying?

I thought you made these relays with receptacles basically?

You use receptacles for light controllers, but it is a bad idea for flip flops as the standard electrical receptacles are not rated for the correct voltage, plus it would leave open the possibility for someone to plug a standard electrical device into the receptacle meant for an HID lamp.

 

[madpenguin]

So basically, I need the extension cords from whatever ballast/reflector I'm buying?

Yes.

I thought you made these relays with receptacles basically?

Standard receptacles? Your cords coming from the reflectors can't mate with a regular receptacle. You may want to wait until I post the tutorial with all the pictures.

BTW, I've already started on it. It's going to be a real bitch trying to insert those female ends into a dremeled square hole in your 6x6x4 enclosure. If you want them held securely in place anyway.

The female ends of the cords have 4 "tabs" right before you get to the groove that will be used to hold them into place. They designed these female ends for just this purpose. There is no other reason for them to have the shape and design that they do. However, they are made out of some hard ass rubber/plastic compound. There is no way in hell I'm going to be able to push past those 4 tabs and still retain the correct sized opening that the grooved part of the female end will fit into. By the way, you need a 1 5/16ths x 15/16ths square opening for the female receptacles.

Unless you guys have an extension cord and are looking at it as you read this, I really don't expect anyone to be able to follow what I'm saying. Basically I'm loking at buying a $20 creme brulee torch from Bed, Bath and Beyond just so I can heat those tabs up until they are just malleable enough to push into my dremeled square openings. Then you'd want to try and push them back out from the inside of the enclosure if they don't automatically expand back to there original shape.

Basically, I'm saying my design scheme is going to be a freaking nightmare. It would be alot easier to just use strain releifs and have the 4 female ends dangling out from the box, just like I was going to do with the 2 male ends that mate with the ballasts...

The dremel work is tedious to boot. Eh... I'll push forward with my original design just because I have my heart set on it. Whether or not anyone chooses to follow it is up to them. It'll look way nicer than having all these cords flopping out everywhere but will be a bitch to make.

 

[SmokinErb]

Lol, on one hand I'm saying "FUCK" on the other hand its "Right on!"

There's not much more I like than a nice clean set-up. I really wasn't thinking too much either. It's the lamp to ballast cord I wasn't taking into consideration. On your advice though, I'll wait. I'll just get started on wiring up the circuit.

So much to do =/ So little time =/

My plants are already almost done with the seedling stage lol.

 

[RipVanWeed]

MadPenguin,

In regards to your fabrication, mounting the female receptacle, could you make the rectangular opening "taller" with cutouts for the tabs on the receptacle, and then push the female thru the upper part of the opening and slide it down to lock in place. Then use a small piece of similar metal to close off that extra amount of cutout and secure it with couple of small screws.

I know, more dremmelling, but cleaner. Ime, heating and reforming plastics rarely works to my satisfaction.

Another way, especially if your working from new. Make a larger than receptacle rectangle cutout in the enclosure.



Use a piece of sheet metal to make a rectangle about 1/2" larger (in both dimensions).
Then, cutout a rectangle from one edge that is the exact size of the opening required. Slide this new piece over the receptacle, should be tight and secure on 3 sides. Next, screw the fabricated sheetmetal on to the enclosure,



covering the opening we cut earlier and butting the 4th side of the receptacle to the enclosure.

Don't know if my input is welcome, or clear enough.

Jus puttin' it out there,

 

[madpenguin]

Yea. Those are all good suggestions. Time savers to boot. Your probably right about trying to heat both sides of the female receptacle.... Probably won't work the way I want it to. I have my mind set on exact dimensions for the receptacle openings.... Seeing a separate piece of metal with screws or pop rivets on the top or bottom of the receptacle to hold it into place...... Eh.......

I'm going for the custom CAP, Horti-Control, PowerBox clean sleek look. Anything other than that and I'll just be embarrassed to look at it. Yes it will work just like the expensive pre-fab flip/flops but will basically look something like this:

Ewww........ That's a light controller. Look at that and then look at the one in my sig and tell me which one looks better. Then tell me which one costs more.... Mine of course.... By exactly 2 fold.

 

[madpenguin]

Ime, heating and reforming plastics rarely works to my satisfaction.

Yep. Didn't work out so well. It's not coming out when you tug on it but...... Eh..... You just melt the plastic tabs and you basically just deform the thing....

I'm using a shitty old camera so you can't see any detail but the tabs are burned and smashed. I used a small flathead screwdriver from the outside and inside to pry it the rest of the way in after torching it.

I'm not overly happy with it to say the least. If Jeff from powerbox was serious about the DIY kit then we would be alot better off. We just need the damn snap in receptacles.... Why the hell can't anyone sell them solo? Makes no sense.

Here I snipped the female end off of the extension cord. You can see 2 of the tabs along with the groove that is the same width as the enclosure:

I've only dremeled one hole so far. Just for a test run to see how it would work out. Here is the receptacle inserted (not to my satisfaction) into the enclosure:

On this one, you can actually see the scorched tabs... Once I got it in, I used a small flat head to try and bend the tabs back into shape from the inside. It worked to some degree. The receptacle isn't going anywhere but I also managed to aesthetically fuck it up at the same time.

I need to sit down and brain storm this one a tad more. Maybe just a screw driver and prying the hell out of it will be better than trying to torch it.....

 

[Avenger]

Maybe try heating it in an oven or something instead of with an open flame?

 

[madpenguin]

I just grabbed a hold of both dog ears and yanked the shit out of that thing to see if it would come out. It's not going anywhere. So I guess overall, It was a success. I also was careful not to apply direct heat with the torch for too long. I didn't want to compromise the internals of the receptacle.

Overall, I guess this will work. One down and 3 to go. Will probably exacto knife the dog ears off just to give it a cleaner look. Dunno yet.

 

[SmokinErb]

Can I get an idea of the cost of the whole thing, not including tools needed?

 

[madpenguin]

Ugh...Maybe just over $100 bucks? Dunno. It's the damn extension cords that will cost upwards to $60 bucks after shipping. If you can find everything locally and avoid shipping then all the better.

I'm not a very good estimator. That's why I don't work for myself anymore.

 

[ugmjfarmer]

Can i use a contactor/relay to switch two separate 110 hots on and off using an external timer? Doesn't need to be 100% professional, just a way to take two separate 110 plugs and light up two 1000's off one timer. I think the DPST (on/off) 120v relay should work?

 

[madpenguin]

Yep. A DPST will do it. Keep the neutrals of each circuit separate tho. Use a 5-20R as well if you could. They are about 5 times more expensive than a standard 5-15R but the extra few dollars will give you piece of mind. Ground the box out if it's metal... Just read the light controller tutorial and try to follow it as closely as possible and it should be safe/up-to-code.

I still need to finish that damn relay tutorial....

 

[ugmjfarmer]

Right on, thanks. Its a simple concept, exactly like you said. I'm only switching the hots, the neutrals and grounds need to be kept separate. And lookie here, those nuts are the same ones I use too! looks like i'm doing something right.

GL on the tutorial. Your doing a great thing here on Icmag keeping growers safe.