DIY flip flop box

Besides the Kong Pow tutorial on flip boxes on ICMag. Any other people try to make one of these.


Or does anyone here have any pictures of some that are hand made?


I did Google it and came up with some older ones.


I need something to run my digi Lumateks. 2 rooms with 5-600watters.


Thanks

 

never even heard of a flip flop box, much less a hand made one. You just trying to power your lights? Like Res says, a dedicated circuit or two for 3K watts seems like a solution.


My wife, my kids, and my ex-wife and kids will be in your fair state for the next two weeks vacationing, quite without me. Maybe they will stay :roffl:

 

A flip box is a box with relays (1 per ballast) that when triggered can flip power between lights. In turn powering 2 lights from one ballast. Just not at the same time...They flip from one room to the other. :jj:

 

ballasts are like $100 for a 1k from hydrofarm, don't see the point really


How much to build this box thing?

 

my thoughts exactly


In my grow, I keep an extra on hand, brand new just in case, for the $100 its welllll worth it


I see the idea behind it, just doesn't seem worth it. If your going THAT hard, then surely you can afford to just buy up a few more ballasts, you already have the bulbs, cord n sockets

 

I don't have 10 ballast..just enough to do 5 lights (I also keep another on hand like yourself CC)


I live in a med state and trying to keep numbers down and increase my harvests. Having 60 flowering plants is a boat load of work, not that I mind...but..


Having 2 rooms with 4 trees (bulbs in diamond shape vertical) will yield the same as 4 rooms with 12 ea.


I can't get over the #'s they pull in over at ICMag.


The box will cost roughly 130.00 to build and my labor is free.


10 lights 5 ballast...well in my case (2) dual 600 and (1) 600 lumatek.

 

I am also building a light controller with a digi timer so it will shut the ballast off and on for four mins every 12 hrs to do the (cold) flip. example;


Light controller turns ballasts off at 9:58am


flip box timer flips the relay for 5 bulbs, room A at 10:00am


Light controller turns ballasts on at 10:02am


Light controller turns ballasts off at 9:58pm


flip box timer flips the relay for 5 bulbs, room B at 10:00pm


Light controller turns ballasts on at 10:02pm


and so on....


never a hot flip for the digi ballast.


Now if you had magnetic you could continually leave ballast on 24/7 hot flip.


Come on you guys never heard of a flip box??

 

:icon_confused::eusa_eh::BangHead:

 

Never mind, I'm high.

 

What's wrong with the Kung pow design?

 

Nothing is wrong with the Kong Pow box. On the inside.


Just not liking the plugs on the outside. To many connections. I want to hard wire the lights and ballast to the relays.

 

I don't get it. You want to run 5 lights from 2 ballasts ? I get the timed relay acting as a switch between two bulbs but where does the 5th bulb come in? Why would you ever hot swap regardless of ballast ? Yes you can do it but you also don't have to push in the clutch when shifting gears in a car either. Just making analogies but still your equipment will wear faster. I don't know though man it's perfectly sound but adding another link to the possible failure chain vs spending some bucks on more of what you already use. If I was to do this I would try to make it temporary solution. That's just my opinion.


So all that shit you don't want to hear being said. What is the issue at hand you need to make one? I found this HPS service guide useful.


http://www.americanelectriclighting.com/Library/Literature/PDFs/HPS%20Servicing%20Guide.pdf


It has a table with recommended socket voltage and typical current draw of a given wattage. Seems like if you stay under 1kw you could use 240v 7.5-10a relays operated by any number of timer.

 

Not 5 lights from two ballast. :bduh:


10 lights from 5 ballast.


I have 2-dual ballast and 1-single ballast that will all ready power 5-600w bulbs. If I go through a relay bulb than I can power 10 bulbs, 5 at one time.


Two rooms, 5 in each. flipping every 12 hrs.


NOT hot though. example;


Controller will shut the power off on the ballasts at 10:00am


Relays will flip from one room to the other at 10:02am


Controller will turn the power on to the ballast at 10:10am


Same thing happens 12hrs later


Controller will power off the ballast at 10:00pm


Relays will flip power to the bulbs to the other room at 10:02pm


Controller will power on the ballast at 10:10pm.


ETC.......

 

Nice. So double your flower power without doubling your ballasts.


Damn the light bill

 

Ya, the light bill is around 800 but thats with my 2000sqft house.


I anticipate going through a few ballast a bit quicker.