HPS Ignition

[Hotrod13]

Got my fridge sorta sorted out and turned on the light tonight....now I had the 400watt CoolTube running this arvo and once agaib I went to turn on and all it would do was glow & flicker and pop now and again?

this went on for about 2 mins?

fearing there was something with my wireing and the Gremlins had struck again as I tested my 130 CFL n 6 hrs later no start?

I Totally Freaked!!

Fearing it was my wireing I checked every connection

After about 2 minuites I unpluged the underground lead (Twisted togeather and heavly taped at the join) and plugged another lead in , oy flickered a bit ang slowly glowed to life "YAY"

Plugged the underground lead nack in and all was good?

I will go to the hardware in the morning and try n get some 240 volt connectors, get rid of my twisted wire joins, failing that I will borrow a soldering iron.

 

 

QUESTION

1 How long usually does it take a hps to ignite?

2 Does useing electrical joiners or solder make a difference to just twisting the wires togeather? yes they are insulated with layers of tape.

 

 

Bit FREAKED Out here!

"I'm no electrician, but I understand that the brown wire connects to the blue wire and make sure it touches the green wire with the yellow stripe!"

 

 

A bit later after the screw up I had the clones in the fridge about 3 ins under the tube when the temp went to warp speed

over 50c clones withered a bit but I got em out after a half hr doused em in water n put outside for the night ynder shade cloth..........hopefully phew!

QUESTION 3

How close would you normally have the top of the plant to the cooltube glass? if ventalition was good.....

Edited February 27, 2011 by Hotrod13

[One]

QUESTION 1

How long usually does it take a hps to ignite?

 

ANSWER 1

It really should only take about 1-2 seconds max (a quick flick), then it will start to glow and light up until the lamp reaches full lighting capacity.

I had some old ballasts that used to flicker a lot, I used to switch them off at the power point, and adjust the electrical cord that plugged into the ballast from the lamp. That was about the only problem I ever had, sometimes a nice (not so professional) hard tap with my knuckles on the ballast worked also. (Only in extreme circumstances. Then I would buy a new ballast, the first chance that I had.)

 

QUESTION 2

Does useing electrical joiners or solder make a difference to just twisting the wires togeather? yes they are insulated with layers of tape.

 

ANSWER 2

Ummm.... If ur not an elecrician, you really shouldn't be messing with those kind of wires. They are too important and the risks are too high.

 

FACT:

I see a house, on the news, nearly every fortnight, that is burnt down, from a faulty wired hydro setup.

[MongyMan]

Bit FREAKED Out here!

"I'm no electrician, but I understand that the brown wire connects to the blue wire and make sure it touches the green wire with the yellow stripe!"

 

That's not right at all. If you don't understand electricity don't mess with it. It can kill you Especially if it's done as dodgy as it sounds like you have it

 

I don't know where to start with answering you and be confident you wont still die. Get an electrician or buy new leads is my advice. DON"T go trying to wire it up yourself.

 

Peace MongyMan

[One]

Bit FREAKED Out here!

"I'm no electrician, but I understand that the brown wire connects to the blue wire and make sure it touches the green wire with the yellow stripe!"

 

That's not right at all. If you don't understand electricity don't mess with it. It can kill you Especially if it's done as dodgy as it sounds like you have it

 

I don't know where to start with answering you and be confident you wont still die. Get an electrician or buy new leads is my advice. DON"T go trying to wire it up yourself.

 

Peace MongyMan

 

 

Well said MM....Well said..... I agree 100%.

[Hotrod13]

"I'm no electrician, but I understand that the brown wire connects to the blue wire and make sure it touches the green wire with the yellow stripe!"

 

 

I was Jokeing I understand the importance of keeping everything insulated

[Reverend]

Electricity is something that should never be joked about.

[merl1n]

LISTEN TO THE ADVICE YOU ARE BEING GIVEN

DO NOT MESS WITH ELECTRICITY

 

By law people have to be qualified for electrical work, primarily around safety. 3 to 4+yrs of training. It ain't a toy and it can kill.

Although you may know the modifications you've made, others won't and if somebody dies you will be up to your eye balls in shit. It is much safer to buy premade, preset up. Any problems then its back to the manufacturers.

 

I heard of a bloke who opened his ballasts up for more air flow but in doing so he exposed the connections. he lost his balance reaching over his plants and put his hand out to brace himself. The neighbours found him in a glowing shed that night dead on top of his plants.

 

Although, when you turn on the modifications you have made, on everything looks OK, the energy buildup, be that electrical energy or heat energy, can cause some BIG problems. The energy build up can get hot, very hot, and as mentioned ignites house fires on a regular basis.

Electrical discharges can travel distances and a spark can leap, a bit like a mini lightning strike. If there is nothing for the charge to discharge through that charge can build until you walk near then it can discharge through you. In short, YOU'RE DEAD.

Also metals conduct and if it discharges through a tin shed the whole thing is live. Moons ago, I knew a bloke who had an electric fence unit. He built a steel cage around the plant and set the unit up. What he didn't do was insulate it from the steel fence. It electrified the whole residential block. As all the neighbourhood fences connected. He was advised that if a neighbour with a pace maker touched the fence and died, he would be up on a manslaughter charge.

 

Trying to hook up a "homemade" cabling system is asking for big trouble. The shorting, as it sounds to me, that has already occured from your first 'experiment' may have damaged some components already. Buy new and replace regularly.

 

SAFETY FIRST

 

LISTEN TO THE ADVICE YOU ARE BEING GIVEN

DO NOT MESS WITH ELECTRICITY

 

IT BITES

 

Merl1n

[dimplex]

Got my fridge sorta sorted out and turned on the light tonight....now I had the 400watt CoolTube running this arvo and once agaib I went to turn on and all it would do was glow & flicker and pop now and again?

this went on for about 2 mins?

fearing there was something with my wireing and the Gremlins had struck again as I tested my 130 CFL n 6 hrs later no start?

I Totally Freaked!!

Fearing it was my wireing I checked every connection

After about 2 minuites I unpluged the underground lead (Twisted togeather and heavly taped at the join) and plugged another lead in , oy flickered a bit ang slowly glowed to life "YAY"

Plugged the underground lead nack in and all was good?

I will go to the hardware in the morning and try n get some 240 volt connectors, get rid of my twisted wire joins, failing that I will borrow a soldering iron.

 

 

QUESTION

1 How long usually does it take a hps to ignite?

2 Does useing electrical joiners or solder make a difference to just twisting the wires togeather? yes they are insulated with layers of tape.

 

 

Bit FREAKED Out here!

"I'm no electrician, but I understand that the brown wire connects to the blue wire and make sure it touches the green wire with the yellow stripe!"

 

 

A bit later after the screw up I had the clones in the fridge about 3 ins under the tube when the temp went to warp speed

over 50c clones withered a bit but I got em out after a half hr doused em in water n put outside for the night ynder shade cloth..........hopefully phew!

QUESTION 3

How close would you normally have the top of the plant to the cooltube glass? if ventalition was good.....

 

 

i am qualified.. and over my time ive been zapped twice. i can tell you now, without the rcd your dead.. with the rcd it still fucking hurts. obviously both times i was hit i had rcd in the loop somewhere but i can only say that only once was i flown a few ft back.

 

now im trying to understand your cabling .. of course you should be doing what everyone else is saying and just leave it alone for a pro. but on the other hand if you must know; green is earth. thatconnects to the other earth. also green in someway.. blue and brown ? thats the older generation of colours.. brown being the positive and blue negative.. DONT JOIN THEM TOGETHER.. and all three wires are to be at least seperatly insualted .. these days we have things called junction boxes.. we dont twist solder and tape . none of that shit. you can go to the hardware and get a junction box, preferably waterproof. highly recommend doing this as its easier then having to solder the wires etc. and of course turn the circuit switch off to that loop in your power box.

Edited February 28, 2011 by dimplex

[STONEDAJ69]

Number one:

 

HOW THE FUCK DOES NOONE GET THAT HE WAS JOKING TO JOIN ALL 3 TOGETHER???

 

 

Number two:

dude if you dont know what you're doing and you're not blast proof (been hit 7 times and counting, heart still works), dont fuck with wires. If your HPS ballast is doing what you're saying it is and you have to come here to ask for instructions, dont fuck with it. Buy a new one because clearly something is WRONG.

[Hotrod13]

Number one:

 

HOW THE FUCK DOES NOONE GET THAT HE WAS JOKING TO JOIN ALL 3 TOGETHER???

 

 

Number two:

dude if you dont know what you're doing and you're not blast proof (been hit 7 times and counting, heart still works), dont fuck with wires. If your HPS ballast is doing what you're saying it is and you have to come here to ask for instructions, dont fuck with it. Buy a new one because clearly something is WRONG.

ABOUT TIME SOMEONE GOT THE JOKE!! ofcourse I am not going to put different coloured wires togeather the ballast is brand new I will get some junction boxes and or replace the end of the lead.

Thanks for the advice guys I'm real carefull, just wish someone got the joke earlier