A Bored Electrician to Answer Your Questions

B

BloodShot420

Well-Known Member
well - basically, i'm wanting to run the cat 5 cable and on the other end, with the 8 wires i wanted them to be something like this:

wire #1 - 0v DC common to all of the SSR's.
wire #2 - 24v DC from plc to turn on water pump #1
wire #3 - 24v DC from plc to turn on water pump #2
wire #4 - 24v DC from plc to turn on HID's (2KW ;-)
wire #5 - 24v DC from plc to open co2 solenoid
wire #6 - 24v DC from plc to turn on UV lights
wire #7 - feed back to plc from co2 sensor 0v \
wire #8 - feed back to plc from co2 sensof 10v /

i can actually get it to control more than 4 things this way... since i will be using lots of SSRs i can use the same 24v common...

i just wasnt sure if the approx 5-6v signal will make it back to the plc... it would be the same 0-10v signal that industrial automation products use... its an analog signal compared to a digital... so the plc can translate the voltage 0-10v sent from the co2 sensor on the scale of 0ppm - 2000ppm

i guess the worst that could happen is the signal would fade a little bit and it would think there was actually less co2 in the room...

well - thats what i'm doin' THIS weekend ;-)

thanks for the insight bro...
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
BloodShot420 said:
well - basically, i'm wanting to run the cat 5 cable and on the other end, with the 8 wires i wanted them to be something like this:

wire #1 - 0v DC common to all of the SSR's.
wire #2 - 24v DC from plc to turn on water pump #1
wire #3 - 24v DC from plc to turn on water pump #2
wire #4 - 24v DC from plc to turn on HID's (2KW ;-)
wire #5 - 24v DC from plc to open co2 solenoid
wire #6 - 24v DC from plc to turn on UV lights
wire #7 - feed back to plc from co2 sensor 0v \
wire #8 - feed back to plc from co2 sensof 10v /

i can actually get it to control more than 4 things this way... since i will be using lots of SSRs i can use the same 24v common...

i just wasnt sure if the approx 5-6v signal will make it back to the plc... it would be the same 0-10v signal that industrial automation products use... its an analog signal compared to a digital... so the plc can translate the voltage 0-10v sent from the co2 sensor on the scale of 0ppm - 2000ppm

i guess the worst that could happen is the signal would fade a little bit and it would think there was actually less co2 in the room...

well - thats what i'm doin' THIS weekend ;-)

thanks for the insight bro...
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you might get some fade, but i doubt it.. the twist of the conductors on cat5e generally prevents it from happening on runs shorter than 200'
i was actually thinking that you may have some inductance going on, if you have DC voltage present on the cat5 cable.. it (the induced voltage) might interfere with 0-10v signal and give you inaccurate readings, (higher ppm's im guessing)

if thats the case just use a seperate cable for the co2 sensor. i really like your setup man, automation is the shit!
 
hwy420

hwy420

Well-Known Member
IAm5toned said:
since your going to be running some lights on this wire i would do it like its shown in the image bongsmilie
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How important is it that it's hooked up the way in the diaphram the way you recommend? I'm running 1200W of lights off the outlet?

So if I do hook it up in the way the diaphram shows, i'm going to be putting 4 romex wires under 1 wire nut for black/hot? I'm also hooking up 4 ground cables to one wire nut?
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
hwy420 said:
How important is it that it's hooked up the way in the diaphram the way you recommend? I'm running 1200W of lights off the outlet?

So if I do hook it up in the way the diaphram shows, i'm going to be putting 4 romex wires under 1 wire nut for black/hot? I'm also hooking up 4 ground cables to one wire nut?
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exactly... im guesing you have 3 romex cables in your box (power in, power out, and the new cable) and a plug.
youll end up with 4 wires under each wirenut for each conductor... 3 wires for each romex, with one wire going from the wirenut to the receptacle. bongsmilie

remember to make em nice and tight, but not too tight ;)
 
Hogdady

Hogdady

Member
Hey Iam5toned,

Can you help me to understand something about 220 single phase? If the power flow in 110 is line thru load to neutral to ground (at main panel), what would be the flow in 220? Thx for your help.
 
FishouttaH20

FishouttaH20

Member
IAm5toned said:
So I stumbled across this site after a recent layoff, I had wanted to try and pick up a few tips on drying and curing and couldnt help feeling like I have hit the jackpot when I found it. Thanks for the great tips on harvesting. So I have decided to return the favor and lend my 15+ years of experience as a commercial/industrial electrician to try and answer any questions you have regarding wiring issues, lighting placement/intensity/spectrum, control wiring, power factors, heat dissapation, techniques and anything you can come up with dealing with ohms amps or voltage. I also retain an expert knowledge of electronic security/intrusion protection for those that wish to protect their babies from prying eyes and fingers ;) So give me a good question, im really bored and no one is hiring, and my babies are flowering so ive got nothing to do but sit here and spread the wisdom.... hope to see some good questions, some of the solutions I have seen regarding electrical problems on here have been ingenious and creative, however the majority i have seen leave me with a wierd feeling in my stomach, like the type you get when you know something is going to go wrong and bad things happen but theres nothing you can do about it... And I hate that! So give me your best shot, and I will do my best to answer your questions with solutions that are not only practical and easy, but SAFE!bongsmilie
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Your just the man I wanted to talk to. My question is: Can I quadruple y socket outlets effectively by linking 3 of them together in the proper configuration for a 360 side canopy of cfl 6500k love? would this be hazardous? How can I pull it off? this is where my BABY girls will kick it for a week or three. One "array" per chicka.
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
FishouttaH20 said:
Your just the man I wanted to talk to. My question is: Can I quadruple y socket outlets effectively by linking 3 of them together in the proper configuration for a 360 side canopy of cfl 6500k love? would this be hazardous? How can I pull it off? this is where my BABY girls will kick it for a week or three. One "array" per chicka.
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sure you can do this... but how you do it depends on manythings, what kind of lamps, what kind of y adapters, what type of power you have available....

i think youll find it will be pretty hard to fasten the 3 y adapters together so that there sturdy enough to support the weight of 6 lamps. heres a pic of a fixture I made from two lamp sockets, an old cord and some peices to an old aluminum folding table. i screwed the long curved bars on the sides so that i could hang them at just about any angle from 0 to 160degrees

i know it looks ghetto but it works out perfect for my small stealthy closet grows..i use three of em for what i need to do. the lamps i use are pretty bad ass for cfls, when my plants are vegging they grow QUICK, which is why i had to get some lamp guards, id come home after being gone for 12-16 hours and the plants would be burning themselves on the lamps lol
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
Hogdady said:
Hey Iam5toned,

Can you help me to understand something about 220 single phase? If the power flow in 110 is line thru load to neutral to ground (at main panel), what would be the flow in 220? Thx for your help.
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well to understand the way 220v single phase voltage is acheived, you have to understand the concepts of phased a/c voltage, the a/c voltage cycle, and basic fundamentals of electrical theory such as polarity and potential.

first of lets styart with the a/c voltage cycle. in north america, the voltage cycle starts at 0v. voltages climbs to 177 volts positive polarity, then sinks to 177 volts negative polarity, then returns to zero volts, to begin the cycle again. this happens exactly 60 times a second. this image is one leg of 120 volts as it makes a single cycle. the average voltage (beacause voltage is constantly changing as time moves) forward is 120v, even though it peaks at 177volts twice per cycle.


to achieve 240 volts, you have 2 phases of 120 volts, at OPPOSITE POLARITY :
 
R

RRGold

Active Member
I have a 400w Holophane switchable MH remote ballast. It has two "Lamp" wires in it.

Does this mean I can run two lamps off of the one ballast?

If so, can I use a timer in-line to the second lamp so I can use one continuous for veg and the other on a timer for flower?

TIA
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
RRGold said:
I have a 400w Holophane switchable MH remote ballast. It has two "Lamp" wires in it.

Does this mean I can run two lamps off of the one ballast?

If so, can I use a timer in-line to the second lamp so I can use one continuous for veg and the other on a timer for flower?

TIA
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do you have the model number?

i do not think you will be able to run two lamps with one on a seperate timer with one ballast... the ballast doesnt work like that, because hid lamps require two stages to ignite, pre heat and then normal operation... i dont see how you could have one lamp on and another come on at a different time... see what im saying?
im thinking the ballast you have is for a two lamp fixture, like the kind you find in very expensive up/down lights used in malls and buildings with huge open spaces to illuminate...
 
R

RRGold

Active Member
IAm5toned said:
do you have the model number?

i do not think you will be able to run two lamps with one on a seperate timer with one ballast... the ballast doesnt work like that, because hid lamps require two stages to ignite, pre heat and then normal operation... i dont see how you could have one lamp on and another come on at a different time... see what im saying?
im thinking the ballast you have is for a two lamp fixture, like the kind you find in very expensive up/down lights used in malls and buildings with huge open spaces to illuminate...
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rbi400mhmt

So I could use two lights for continuous use though? Twice the light for the same electricity.... That would be a big bonus.

BTW, I do get what you are saying on the timer.... Kind of figured that.

+ Rep to you sir
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
anthonytaurus said:
I have a simple question.. caps vs electrical tape for splicing wires. which is better??
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if you mean by caps you mean wire nuts then yes...

you should NEVER use just electrical tape to hold a splice together... thats not what its used for! electrical tape is used for insulation purposes only... decades ago electricians would solder wires together and then tape them up once the solder was cooled... they never used just tape by itself...
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
RRGold said:
rbi400mhmt

So I could use two lights for continuous use though? Twice the light for the same electricity.... That would be a big bonus.

BTW, I do get what you are saying on the timer.... Kind of figured that.

+ Rep to you sir
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i looked up the ballast model number and from what literature i could find it appears to be a two lamp ballast... score!

BUT im pretty sure that you can only use UP to 400w not 2 400w lamps.. more like 2 200w lamps... though if you have a spare 400w lamp id be tempted to try it. if it doesnt work or the ballast gets to hot real quick just shut it down
 
R

RRGold

Active Member
IAm5toned said:
i looked up the ballast model number and from what literature i could find it appears to be a two lamp ballast... score!

BUT im pretty sure that you can only use UP to 400w not 2 400w lamps.. more like 2 200w lamps... though if you have a spare 400w lamp id be tempted to try it. if it doesnt work or the ballast gets to hot real quick just shut it down
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I have extra lamps to work with and will give it a shot.... I picked up 9 of these rigs on Craigslist. I know I got a good deal on them but if they will fire two 400w lamps the deal just became an excellent one! Will keep you posted....

Thanks
 
P

Peter421

Well-Known Member
IAm5toned, I'm planning to run 2 1000w bulbs and various equipment as well in one room. I know I can't just plug all of that in there and not have the room short out. What would I have to get installed to run the extra energy?
 
IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
jamesz01 said:
hey how to people hook these fans up with the pulg like this

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-80mm-ATX-Computer-Case-Cooler-Cooling-FAN-Black_W0QQitemZ180395451879QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Components?hash=item2a006825e7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
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well you either buy a 12vdc PC power supply and plug it into that OR

you cut the plug off and wire it directly to a wall mounted 12v power supply.

some one else had asked the same question earlier:
IAm5toned said:
unfortunately, probably not. unless your able to find an adapter that fits the cord type of your pc fan, however thats an expensive part to buy when you can safely modify any plug in 12v adapter that has enough amperage/wattage to push the fan.

typically 12v plug in adapters have 2 conductors. when performing this type of mod i like to use the cheap generic universal adapters you can find at any electronics shop. i like them because the polarity is usually marked on the cable, and if i mess it up, its cheap! just get another one.

cut the cord connecter off the pc fan. theres typically 3 wires, a red, a black, and a yellow/green/odd color. all you need to worry about is the red and black. the other wire is an rpm monitor for the pc fan. it has no purpose here. the red wire is the 12v+ the black wire is the 12v -

on the cord adapter, the wire with the white strip is normally the hot (+) and the unmarked wire is typically the common (-), although i have run accross a few where the exact opposite is true, so check it with a meter if you have one.

just connect the marked (+) wire to the red and the unmarked (-) wire to the black. i like to use ideal small blue wire nuts for the connection, although ' beanie' or 'dolphin' or 'beans' type telecom compression connectors also work well
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IAm5toned

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
Peter421 said:
IAm5toned, I'm planning to run 2 1000w bulbs and various equipment as well in one room. I know I can't just plug all of that in there and not have the room short out. What would I have to get installed to run the extra energy?
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well i need to know what type of voltage you have available... what type of equipment, and the wattage of all the equipment u plan on running.

2 1000w lamps though are going to pull a shitload of power.. like 2 20amp circuits worth. one for each lamp
 
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