Flip Flop

[iamnotacop]

Assuming seperate cutting/veg area....

 

 

7 days times 24 hours = 168 hrs a week

9 weeks times 168 hours = 1512 hours

 

5 cycles of 9 weeks = 45 weeks and 7560 hours.

 

That would constitute "thousands of testing hours".

 

One year = 10 individual harvests from only two ballasts/four lights/two rooms.

 

So theoretically two years work in one year alone.

 

But not for this little black duck. I will test it to see if it works and then it will be chucked in a box in the shed to rust in peace. The goal wasn't to "use" a flipper, it was to learn how to "build" one. So now I know I can build one for one individual ballast or one for twenty.

 

If it works for couple of days I will be happy because then it will work forever. well maybe not forever, but what can go wrong? if the relays bugger up put new ones in. if the connections bugger up over time, redo them all cleanly. Nothing else can go wrong, surely.

 

But even if a smart person built a brand new one each year, then building one for 10 ballasts would cost no more than a thousand bucks.

[The Hash Nibbler]

Thanks for the lecture, was just wishing you good luck with it. Seems like a big waste of time if your not going to use it though. IMO. GH72

[pisspotgrower]

Thanks for the lecture, was just wishing you good luck with it. Seems like a big waste of time if your not going to use it though. IMO. GH72

 

i agree, if i knew u were building it not to use it i wouldnt have had a shot at ya. Nothing dangerous about building an electrical appliance ya not gona use.

[iamnotacop]

if i knew u were building it not to use it i wouldnt have had a shot at ya.

 

If I knew you had no idea of what you was talking about I would not have taken any notice of what you said at all.

 

I forgot that you was the first one to reply saying it was a waste of time before you even knew what it did.

 

my bad.

[The Hash Nibbler]

Dude, I'm gonna stick up for PPG, we were only ever concerned with your safety, as were others, whether you could do it or not was a moot point. I'm sure PPG mean't it was a waste of time if you didn't know what you were doing when you could buy one, and if it wasn't for Mongy's expert advice, you probably would of blown yourself up.

We are just amazed that you went to all that trouble just to chuck it in the shed, WTF?

Maybe you can set up your whole grow house that your planning and not use that either, makes sense by your reasoning.

GH72 OUT.

[Olyver]

Post #36 is using the wrong relays, they are not rated for 600V and will not handle the 5000V spike when a 1000W bulb is lit. The Horticontrol flips are a shock hazard if your ballasts are wired for 240V. They only use 1 relay for 2 ballasts and 4 lights. The neutral/commons from both lamps and the ballast output are wirenutted together. To get the best and most reliable flips, send an email to nowirenutz@yahoo.ca. You can get more info when you email. Here is what a flip should look like. Internal fan or louvers are a must, the relays do get warm.

 

 

Olyver

[The Hash Nibbler]

Nice work Olyver, now that is a Flip-Flop!!! put together by an Electronics person like me, I can tell by the attention to detail.

I did see a unit for sale off the shelf on Urban Gardeners in Australia if people want to check it out, cost is about $550, from Memory.

Nice Job Olyver =) It is the attention to detail that will usually save your life when making 240v devices, near enough is good enough is not good enough when it comes to your life. I have held a certificate in Electronics for 15 years and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my almost anal approach to detail when it comes to playing it safe.

BIG UP Olyver. And I bet this one gets used too........ GH72

[TD.]

I have held a certificate in Electronics for 15 years and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my almost anal approach to detail when it comes to playing it safe.

 

I wonder how many times u have felt 240v go thru your fingers

Its just a tingle

[MongyMan]

Post #36 is using the wrong relays, they are not rated for 600V and will not handle the 5000V spike when a 1000W bulb is lit.

 

I've used them on 400w and 600w ballasts for years without any problems. I've never used them with a 1000w though. What relay would you suggest instead?

 

Peace MongyMan

[iamnotacop]

Thanks for the heads up Olyver, but I only plan on using it for 600 watters, if I ever get it going. To be honest, it was chucked in a box and has not even been tested yet. OK, I will add a fan to it to blow some air on the relays to help keep it cool. Can you please explain more about the "horticontrol flips are a shock hazard if your ballasts are wired for 240 volts". Would you say that the one I made would be a shock hazard?? Oh, looking back at the post #9 I think you mean if I hacked the plugs off a US model and just bunged on Aus plugs. Anyway.