50hz/60hz

Here's an interesting question.
I am living in a 220v 50hz country. My lights/timers are from the states 110v 60hz. I already know my timer is loses 10 min an hour (about two hours a day). I periodically adjust the timer to display the current time. I will ALWAYS adjust it twice a day; but usually I adjust it four or five times a day. Point being, at worst my grow room may stay illuminated 15-20 min longer than programmed and off for 15-20 min longer than programmed. I figure as long as the inaccuracy is proportional (light to dark) I should have no problems.
My light to dark time stays the same...just shifted

However, i didn't consider the actual lights. Does anyone know if a ballast designed for 60hz but run on 50hz will suffer negative effects? It seems to me I may not be getting full power.
OR
Will my lights just draw more current?

The lights seems to work just fine, but then again I've never grown before...so I wouldn't really know.
Any thoughts?

 

I wouldn't worry to much about the 50 or 60hz, i would be more concerned about plugging a 110V light, into 220V socket, if that's what you've done , then i'm amazed it didn't blow ? As for your timer dude, adjusting it 3 or 4 times a day,:icon_confused: i would throw it in the bin, and buy a new one, they are only like about $5, unless you want a digital one, which are much better. If you have 220V, then your lights and timers also need to be 220V.

 

I am using a transformer to convert 220 to 110. I should have mentioned it. Its just become so common to convert to 110 that I forget. I have a 700w transformer i'm using for my setup. However, transformers are not able to change frequency.


The timer works properly (in theory). It is expecting to see 60hz but is only finding 50hz; which is why after 24hrs it actually reads that 22hrs have passed. I have no problems adjusting it but will probably get a 220 timer so I don't have to.


Like I said, the lights appear to work properly. I'm just curios if the freq difference changes anything in the ballast or my overall lumin output. This isn't for troubleshooting but more for conversation. I probably should have posted in the smokers lounge as I'm not actually looking for advice but for thoughts.


Thanks for the post. I think your right though. I think the freq difference doesn't change much.

 

I'd go ahead and try a new timer. I have a handful of cheap timers I've used and they're in a box in case of emergency now. Reason being I went out and got some better quality ones. This due to one failing on me and a couple others losing/gaining time. Never the amount you're losing but for maybe 20 mins a week. Part of it may be the 50-60hz and part of it may be a cheap timer. It'd be a small investment to try a new better quality timer. Especially if you end up not having to F with it twice a day.

 

If you're adjusting your timer 3-4 times a day, you should just get rid of it and run your lights manually. Then, you only need to worry about it twice a day.

 

what kind of timer are you using it shouldn't be affected by the frequency difforence replace it. the frequency of the electricity has some play to it and if that were true then no electric timer would ever keedp goodtime if it is a mecanical timer then it has a motor that turns and frequency shouldn't affect it that much if it is digital then it converts some ac current to dc current and uses a timing chip not the frequency of the electricity


the frequency of the current as far as this stuff is concerned is a moot point yer timer is a piece of junk replace it

 

i think that you should check your ballast and see if it is a multi tap.. if so then just unhook the wires from the 110 and put it to the 220 side.. most balllasts are multitaps nowadays.. I would check it to make sure. That might cure your problems there.. and if not just plug it in and see.. if it works then yay and if not then you need to get you a multitap ballast for it..any of the suppliers in my signature carries them for pretty cheap.

 

I think you're right. It probably is a cheap timer. And I never thought about getting a digital one. The chipset would totally ignore the incomming freq. Good idea. Thanks.


Oh, and yes its a mechanical timer, but the freq of the incomming power determines how it measures time. When it counts 60 cycles it thinks 1 sec has passed. But here 1 sec is 50 cycles. So one sec becomes 1.1 sec. Every 10 sec my timer is one sec off.


Anyway, I never thought of getting a digital timer. Thanks again.

 

I wish. I got a ballast in the hood type....So there is no remote ballast that I can just replace. It would require opening up the hood and buying parts. Though, the parts may exist. I found a lighting shop in the yellow pages out here yesterday. I will be heading that way in a few hours to see what they have.


Thanks for the help,


Peace,


Slugg