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Flip Flop Box or Relay Units??????

G

Guest

OK, members lets get this topic rolling. I've been searching over at OG and CW, without any real info. I want to buy or get a good design i can have a real Electrician build me a Flip Flop Box to run four 600HPS lights. I want to run one set during day and one set during night. I want my electric bill in the fall and winter to look like the heating bill. I'm think about setting up two Mini Colisuem for the fall and winter. I will be heating by a nice Kerosene heater and will also use the heat off the lights. I'm looking for a unit that is already made and saw advance Nutz. had a unit but they aren't listing it yet. Any and all help and info is welcome. I'm sure there are other members that are wondering about this informations, so lets get ther ball rolling. I want to know more about these units, because later on down the road when i move. I'll be setting up alot large grows and will be using them for their advanage.
Take care
 
G

Guest

I can't follow the logic, you want to run (2)600w bulbs during the day and a different set of (2)600w bulbs during the night. So you would have only 1200w kickin at any givin time.

Would you use a single set of ballast and then flip between them or would you have 4 ballast and switch between two at a time?

I'm confused.

I know somebody that could build a switching relay or PLC controlled terminal box, whatever you want but I don't understand yet.

I will go look at the advance nutes site and see if I can figure it out.

Tex
 
G

Guest

The box contains only two ballast and the light flip flop between them. So, you only use two ballast for the two lights that are on. You don't need the four ballast to run all the lights. The four 600HPS lights aren't on all the time and it spread out the electric evenlly and less amp draw also. You gett them setup for 220 also and plug them into a dryer outlet or stove outlet and your up and running. In my case, i'll need some for 110 now, since i don't have access to a 220 outlet. I don't want to have all these ballasts laying around and want to spread that electric around the board so no one will know. I'm in a area where it gets cold as shit, very cold. It will just look like heat, plus my electric bill is way below the guy that lived here before me, so that also helps. I'm looking for a unit that is sefl contain. I've seen them before but can't find them. I've searched google, OG, and CW with nothing.
 
R

rollininoh

Member
so basically you will have 2 grows goin on , one in the morning, one at night, and you want 2 ballasts that will switch from powering room a to room b.

Should be able to make a simple switch fairly easy id think.
 
G

Guest

Now I'm with ya.

No problem, you just want to run your lights into a switchable buss or similar to alternate between the 2 sets of bulbs on 1 set of ballast. Do want to manually make the switch or do you just want it to time out and switch to the other bulbs? Do you want it (the switching component) in a seal box (nema 4 or better) steel or abs plastic?

You could use an inverter in the mean time and pull off of your 110 source and scale it up just until you are ready to plug into the dryer socket.

I'll work on it tomorrow at the office, it will keep me from having to do real work

Tex
 
G

Guest

Are all of your plug ends from the light bases the same? If not, it might be easier if the all were the same but you can buy all of those seperate and all the same.

Ideally you would have a box with two input leads from your ballast coming in and four output leads coming out of the other side going to the 4 respective bulbs and a magic switch devise inside to energize one set or the other. I think a waterproof abs plastic box will work and they are cheap. The rest of the guts in there are just small component items that won't be that much at all.

There is shop by me that I use and they will give me an idea tomorrow what it will take.

Tex
 
G

Guest

I want to run off a 110 wall outlet. I want to run Coli unit A from 7am to 7pm. That's two 600HPS, then it will kick off at 7pm. The other coli unit B will kick on at 7pm to 7am. There will be only two ballast in use at a time. I will be running 1200watts. I'm running a total of 1300watt now, but i'm going to scale my grow to two coli one harvest every month with a 60day strain or my TrainWreck at 43 days. I want a harvest every month with only using 1200 watts total through the day, not 2400watt for 12 hours. The electric co. will know what's up then. I hope i didn't lose you. I don't know if this is possible with a 110 wall outlet, but that's all i have to work with now. Thanks and check this link out.
later

http://www.advancednutrients.com/fo...8&perpage=15&highlight=flip flop&pagenumber=1
 
H

homegrownsweets

Member
i looked into this before as well i emailed a guy on ebay selling them from canada and he said they need to plug into a 40 amp circuit like one for a fridge. i didnt want to get a 40 in the basement so i will wait. His smallest unit was for 8 lights so it was not for me. Let me know if you find any smaller units. peace Homegrown
 
G

Guest

Einsteinguy bring it on buddy. This is what this thread is for. The question and problem is for smaller groups that need a unit that will keep the two ballast to full power and switch over to the other two light without blowing them. Theres got to be something to put in the box to ease the start-up without blowing the lights or tripping the stanard breaker. I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Remember this is a unit that will run four 600HPS, but only two will be on at a time. Like half the light at nigth "2 600HPS" and the other half during the daytime "2-600HPS" Thanks and i look forward to your reply and any other member tht wants to help out. There got to be a unit us smaller growers can use or build.
Thanks and take care
 
Aquaman2112

Aquaman2112

Active member
Einsteinguy said:
Let me know if you want me to pursue this further. Thinking it should cost about 50.00 to 100.00 in parts to build.


Einstein :wave:
Click to expand...
I am all ears,
Obie One Canobie I could use the force but would rather watch and learn for the Master..... Lead on.......

Aquaman2112

PS so far eletricity and Aqua havnt mixed well together :)
 
G

Guest

Thanks Einsteinguy, have a super weekend and we'll see you on monday.
Thanks for the help
 
G

Guest

Thanks Einsteinguy, sorry for causing problems with this. How about this, will two 600HPS kick over a standard house break on one outlet if bought lights fire up at the same time? If not, then can't we let the first set of light go off and let a time kick on the second set of lights? The problem is the standard break on one wall outlet. Once this unit is figured out, this is going to be a hot little item for those who can not change outlets or breakers. Or, how about muti timers. Kick one light on at a time, so not to draw to many amps. I wish i knew how many amps tow 600HPS light draw at the same time of start up? Thanks for your help, just trying to throw some ideas out there, but if we can switch the load over with out turning off the ballasts. This would be awesomes, because the light don't pull to many amps while running and we could wire two switches to turn the ballast on, one by one to get over that hugh amp draw and just let them keep running. Then when the 12 hours are up, switch load over to the lights that need to come on next. Thanks for all your hell.
Take care
 
G

Guest

I fire both my 600's at the same time with no problem. So I don't think that will be a big hurdle to overcome. the ballast are whats going to pull the amp load anyways not the bulb so with your ballast being a constant it should be smooth sailin.

I'll stick an amp meter on them and see what the startup draw is. I have a meter around here somewhere.

Tex
 
G

Guest

Can't wait to see what we all figure out on this one. Because i'm sure poeple are reading this and think they can grow more on a more spread out power grow. Instead of growing at 2400watts for 12 hours and lights go out. I think the power company can figure out that one for sure in a small house or aparment. Good info guys, keep it coming. Can't wait to see a test model running in my grow room :)
Thanks and take care
 
G

Guest

Yup, that's another perk for sure. Saving that money on another two ballast. You can't beat that at all. :)
 
G

Guest

It looks right. So i'm guessing this will help with the power spike when the lights come on? Thanks for your help, looks good.
 
G

Guest

That sounds right. The 5 minutes down time will allow the ballast to ramp back up like a cold start on the new set of 600's.

Common male/female plug ends would make it easier also

Good show Einstien

Tex
 
G

Guest

Thanks for your hard work, can't wait to see the pictures. Did you figure out how to switch over under full power without blowing blubs? Can't wait to see what you came up with.
Later and thanks for your help
 
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