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 DudeTron
Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 407
Last seen: 10 years, 9 months
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 Externally Ballasted CFLs 
#305396 - 10/28/09 12:04 PM (15 years, 22 days ago) |
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So... I caught wind of someone saying that it was possible to do... well, it is...
I just did a little tester bulb...
Basically, you pop it open, carefully. There's a positive and a negative from the mogul to the ballast board. The board then runs four wires; two to each pole of the bulb....
All we're doing is lengthening the four wires from the Ballast to the bulb...
Is it scary looking? Yes... But there's really no reason it should be. Those four previously mentioned wires only even have a short "knob and tube" style sleeve.
I'm going to leave mine running for awhile and see if anything weird gets hot or anything like that...
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hisheater
trigger man
Registered: 02/03/09
Posts: 61
Last seen: 13 years, 5 months
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 Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: DudeTron]
#305465 - 10/28/09 01:03 PM (15 years, 22 days ago) |
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interesting... but what good does that do?
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They call them fingers but I never see them fing... Oh wait, there they go.
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Doo Yoo Hookah???
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SmOakland
Now with Grow!
Registered: 05/31/09
Posts: 2,662
Loc: Oaktown to NOLA
Last seen: 4 years, 2 months
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Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: hisheater]
#305498 - 10/28/09 01:30 PM (15 years, 22 days ago) |
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Perfect for your setup DudeTron
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DudeTron
Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 407
Last seen: 10 years, 9 months
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Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: SmOakland]
#305502 - 10/28/09 01:34 PM (15 years, 22 days ago) |
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Well... Supposedly the ballast is what produces the most heat on a CFL... So, if you kept them seperate it could lower temps in gnarly multiple CFL grows...
I'm actually thinking about getting like a 70w HPS security light and rewiring it quite similarly to what I did here.. we'll see
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SmOakland
Now with Grow!
Registered: 05/31/09
Posts: 2,662
Loc: Oaktown to NOLA
Last seen: 4 years, 2 months
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Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: DudeTron]
#305508 - 10/28/09 01:40 PM (15 years, 22 days ago) |
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DudeTron
Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 407
Last seen: 10 years, 9 months
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Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: SmOakland]
#305520 - 10/28/09 02:04 PM (15 years, 22 days ago) |
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I wont Lie, that's actually where I got the whole idea... pretty sweet though.
We need more members! I find myself sneakin on over there all the time...
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TheShroomJew23
The Chemist
Registered: 10/02/08
Posts: 739
Last seen: 13 years, 9 months
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Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: DudeTron]
#306085 - 10/29/09 08:51 AM (15 years, 21 days ago) |
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So I used to have a setup with 1000w worth of cfl bulbs inside of it and it only covered like 5sqft so I had 200w/sqft and it gave me amazing yields and killer plants. I had a bit of a heat problem to the point where I had to build an air-cooled reflector to deal with the problem. I am going to set it back up and alter all the bulbs so I have like a professional ballast wall and lights inside. I was just wondering if you got any heat problems or other mishaps so far.
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SmOakland
Now with Grow!
Registered: 05/31/09
Posts: 2,662
Loc: Oaktown to NOLA
Last seen: 4 years, 2 months
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Shroom Jew- what situation makes you use 1000w worth of CFLs? Super inefficient why aren't you just getting an HPS?
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DudeTron
Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 407
Last seen: 10 years, 9 months
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Well, my bulb ran fine all day in that fixture... None of the tape got hot or anything, which was my only real concern...
But dude, 1000w of cfls in a 2.5' x 2' box is insane... What was the bulb breakdown on that? Please tell me there are a bunch of 65w'ers or something at least.
Also, if you got it dialed in with the vented reflector, why go tearing apart all your bulbs?
The only problem I can foresee but I'm unsure about is efficiency loss over long distances between ballast and bulb... The wire used in the bulb I modded (Which is an 18w cheapy) was 22 or 24 gauge... I would recommend 18ga or something a little beefier to handle a distance say too much longer than 2 or 3 feet.
Also don't use stranded wire if you can avoid it, it's a pain in the ass to work with... I did a stint as commercial electrician once and stranded wire sucks there too.... it has no purpose anywhere in the world and I hate it.... /rant
Just be careful too...
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TheShroomJew23
The Chemist
Registered: 10/02/08
Posts: 739
Last seen: 13 years, 9 months
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Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: DudeTron]
#306201 - 10/29/09 01:52 PM (15 years, 21 days ago) |
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I have a 1000w because I want to have 1000w. There are 16 65w'ers with 12 in the top and 4 on the ground for canopy penetration. I get node lengths so short that when they would flower they would just be thick nugz. I want to remote ballast my reflector so that I get more vert space.
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DudeTron
Registered: 10/24/09
Posts: 407
Last seen: 10 years, 9 months
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How're the 65 watters? Are they Coil type or "U" shaped stick type? How hot do they run?
I can't decide if I want to use like, 3 65w bulbs or 4-5 42w bulbs.... Heat would become a consideration.. Also, the size. I've seen Coil type 65w CFLs and they're like 4" diameter, 8" long... huge.
Yeah man, rock that shit... I wasn't gettin down on ya.
Let it be known though, that after even more time with my remote bulb, I've noticed the ballast actually creates LESS HEAT than the bulb.... The bulb on my 18w chop job is uncomfortable to the touch, whereas the ballast is barely detectable as warmer than my skin...
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TheShroomJew23
The Chemist
Registered: 10/02/08
Posts: 739
Last seen: 13 years, 9 months
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Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: DudeTron]
#306370 - 10/29/09 06:13 PM (15 years, 21 days ago) |
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I have the coil 65w and ya they are huge. If the ballast doesnt really matter than I might not do it but the ballast is huge and would save alot of space.
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SmOakland
Now with Grow!
Registered: 05/31/09
Posts: 2,662
Loc: Oaktown to NOLA
Last seen: 4 years, 2 months
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Quote:
TheShroomJew23 said:
I have a 1000w because I want to have 1000w. There are 16 65w'ers with 12 in the top and 4 on the ground for canopy penetration. I get node lengths so short that when they would flower they would just be thick nugz. I want to remote ballast my reflector so that I get more vert space.
Legit. Do you have pics of your space?
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TomCollins
Registered: 10/06/09
Posts: 2,943
Last seen: 10 months, 30 days
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Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: SmOakland]
#306837 - 10/30/09 09:52 AM (15 years, 20 days ago) |
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Post a picture of that christmas tree pot plant you claim to have as well. :-)
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andyistic said:
Ok so let me bring you idiots up to speed.
The admins are tired of this shitfest being made the joke of the weed community on the Internet.
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TheShroomJew23
The Chemist
Registered: 10/02/08
Posts: 739
Last seen: 13 years, 9 months
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Re: Externally Ballasted CFLs [Re: TomCollins]
#306943 - 10/30/09 02:25 PM (15 years, 20 days ago) |
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Well I never took a pic of the huge tree I grew but I am growing again this summer so I will see whats going on. As far as my light setup goes I will call my friend and see when I can go take a pic of it. It was my stealth grow and I didnt need it anymore so he is using it right now.
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