Flip Flop rooms with LED or T5 type lights??

echo_chamber · Jan 5, 2018

We just got a bunch of LED lights which don't have the typical ballast & bulb setup like HID lights do. Is it possible to do a flip flop system with just regular 240v power cords? All the controllers i see are built for using the same 10 ballast for 20 lights, etc. I want to plug 20 LED's (10 in each room) with a regular power cord (ballast attached) into a controller and have each room run while the other is not. Is this only possible with typical ballast/light setup?

GOT_BUD? · Jan 5, 2018

I have searched high and low for a flip flop I could use. I'm going to end up making my own from a couple of high voltage relays and a timer. I should be able to build my own for less than $50 ea.

Speed of green · Jan 6, 2018

So each LED is 240v and it has its own ballast with its own 240v cord?

you want to plug all of these cords into a device that turns them on at the same time?

you can get a 240v direct contactor and wire 240v sockets to it.

there is a trigger cord 110v that plugs into a timer and controls when all the sockets have power.

it would be easier to build two separate lighting controllers than to have multiple direct contactors and plugs wired in the same enclosure, plus you would have to run wires further to get to the "flipbox"

echo_chamber · Jan 8, 2018

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like we are thinking on the same level here. I'm no electrician but was imagining a single 240v cord coming from a 50amp breaker. That cord runs into the hallway between my 2 rooms, and on the wall i put a 240 "splitter/contactor/relay" that is connected to a timer of some sort that controls the relay/contactors. then i can have both of my Titan 8 port light boxes (one for each room) sitting below that, and wire those boxes to the relay? Does that make sense?

My initial research i was hoping somebody already had a plug & play box that you wire into the panel ready to go like they have for ballast/bulb type flip flop boxes.

I wonder if the risks of splitting the amperage like that runs much higher?

GOT_BUD? said:
I have searched high and low for a flip flop I could use. I'm going to end up making my own from a couple of high voltage relays and a timer. I should be able to build my own for less than $50 ea.

Speed of green said:
So each LED is 240v and it has its own ballast with its own 240v cord?

you want to plug all of these cords into a device that turns them on at the same time?

you can get a 240v direct contactor and wire 240v sockets to it.

there is a trigger cord 110v that plugs into a timer and controls when all the sockets have power.

it would be easier to build two separate lighting controllers than to have multiple direct contactors and plugs wired in the same enclosure, plus you would have to run wires further to get to the "flipbox"

growingcrazy · Jan 8, 2018

In this situation I would go:

Breaker - flip relay - hard wire to outlets in each room.

Speed of green · Jan 8, 2018

The additional contactors are redundant if you already have two light boxes.

you could simply run a conductor to one light box and then another conductor "jumper" from the first light box to the second light box.

The light box trigger cord timers will make sure both boxes are not running at the same time, just make sure you buy good digital timers with battery backup so you will not lose your light schedule in a power outage.

raphenilweed · Jan 8, 2018

The purpose of a flip flop box is to reduce the number of ballasts. I don't see how this applies to LED, t5's or the newer double ended all inclusive unit.
Some basic timers and the proper wiring is all you really need

echo_chamber · Jan 9, 2018

growingcrazy said:
In this situation I would go:

Breaker - flip relay - hard wire to outlets in each room.

Thanks, i'm looking for 50 amp flip relays now

Speed of green said:
The additional contactors are redundant if you already have two light boxes.

you could simply run a conductor to one light box and then another conductor "jumper" from the first light box to the second light box.

The light box trigger cord timers will make sure both boxes are not running at the same time, just make sure you buy good digital timers with battery backup so you will not lose your light schedule in a power outage.

This style setup crossed my mind, but the fear is somehow the 2nd box turning on by accident, or some human error. If both boxes kick on can it start a fire? Is there some sort of "safety" mechanism or fuse i can put in there in case they both turn on?

raphenilweed said:
The purpose of a flip flop box is to reduce the number of ballasts. I don't see how this applies to LED, t5's or the newer double ended all inclusive unit.
Some basic timers and the proper wiring is all you really need

I totally agree. Another way to say it would be the purpose of flip flop is to reduce the amperage needed from the panel as well. My line of questioning stems from only having 50 amps left in my panel without the ability to upgrade the panel to higher than the 200 amps i have. I'm trying to use those 50 amps just sitting there while the lights are off for 12 hours. :dance013:

growingcrazy · Jan 9, 2018

The reason to run one single large amperage relay is to avoid having power fed to both circuits. It is impossible with a single relay unless the relay fails, in which case the breaker would flip to shut down the line.

Flips with LED and T5 are wise in 60-100 amp service limit situation.

GOT_BUD? · Jan 9, 2018

raphenilweed said:
The purpose of a flip flop box is to reduce the number of ballasts. I don't see how this applies to LED, t5's or the newer double ended all inclusive unit.
Some basic timers and the proper wiring is all you really need

I'm behind enemy lines. My reasoning for a flip flop is so that I am constantly drawing the same amount of power so my smart meter doesn't detect a lull in power, alerting someone to some fuckery.

It's probably over kill. But $50 for piece of mind is worth it in my opinion.

Speed of green · Jan 9, 2018

You could wire a DPDT relay to the trigger cords on your flip boxes. This will only allow one system on at a time.

The breaker should prevent from drawing too much current.

Search

Flip Flop rooms with LED or T5 type lights??

echo_chamber

Active member

GOT_BUD?

Weed is a gateway to gardening

Speed of green

Active member

echo_chamber

Active member

growingcrazy

Well-known member

Speed of green

Active member

raphenilweed

Member

echo_chamber

Active member

growingcrazy

Well-known member

GOT_BUD?

Weed is a gateway to gardening

Speed of green

Active member

Latest posts

Latest posts