DIY Ballasts

[stemjosh]

This has been posted a while in the diy forum with no response i was just wonderin if anyone has tried these they are pretty cheap at htg supply and i could diy my own hood so i was thinking this would be a great cheap route any ideas?

 

[pcduck]

Wait on/or pm Growdude, he is good at that stuff.

 

[stemjosh]

Alright Im pretty handy I think i could handle the wiring part no prob. I would just like to know if anyones tried them out

 

[Growdude]

Alright Im pretty handy I think i could handle the wiring part no prob. I would just like to know if anyones tried them out

I use ballast kits, put them in there own vented boxes.
I bought my hoods as I believe homemade ones wont have the same amount of reflection but Im sure it can be done.

 

[Wetdog]

The hardest thing that I never did locate, was the enclosures and I did some heavy duty searching.

@Growdude Did you make your own 'vented box' or, is your search-foo much better than mine?

I was going to use my 400w MH enclosure for a 400w HPS kit to run CMH, but then they came out with a CMH that will run off a MH ballast and I never did.

I'd still like to source enclosures though.

Wet

 

[Growdude]

The hardest thing that I never did locate, was the enclosures and I did some heavy duty searching.

@Growdude Did you make your own 'vented box' or, is your search-foo much better than mine?

I was going to use my 400w MH enclosure for a 400w HPS kit to run CMH, but then they came out with a CMH that will run off a MH ballast and I never did.

I'd still like to source enclosures though.

Wet

I dont think the company I got mine from is still around.
Ive also done some heavy hunting for these things.

I just mounted it on a piece of wood at first.

 

[leafminer]

How's that 400CMH compare with the HPS, Wetdog?

 

[Wetdog]

How's that 400CMH compare with the HPS, Wetdog?

Haven't used it ... yet. Will on the next indoor flower, prob in late Sept/early Oct. Super hot right now, and it cost too much to run the lights AND the AC. Usually, by the middle of Sept, the temps drop enough where open windows and fans suffice.

Fixed income sucks. Have the CMH for the HPS ballast. The one for the MH is next.

I'm like you and use good ol sunshine whenever I can get away with it. But, usually just in the spring when no one is really looking. Fall gets kinda sketchy, cause everybody's looking at what's growing.

@Growdude ... I've seen those mounted on wood, not for me. I want it in an enclosure. I'd likely get drunk and lean against it or sumthin.:hubba:

Wet

 

[Mutt]

The hardest thing that I never did locate, was the enclosures and I did some heavy duty searching.

You have to think outa the box on those when doing a search.
Check out Computer equipment enclosures and storage racks. Like Rack mounts. You add the boards or in this case the ballast.
I have made on for a friend for his 1kw mag. Even had slots for 3 CPU fans. Which he added later and got that ballast running cool.
Just some stoner ingenuity and ground the chassis out and you're as we say "cookin with gas"

 

[Wetdog]

:goodposting: THANK YOU !!!!!

Those search terms never entered my mind.:doh:

Great outta the box thinking mutt. +rep

Wet

 

[Jack Harer]

I've DIY'ed every one of my ballasts. Being fortunate enough to live in a town where they demolished 2 major steel plants and foundries, I had access to as many 400w and 1K ballasts, both MH and HPS, as I wanted. And I bought as many as I could get my hands on, believe me. $25 to $50 ea. with bulbs and reflectors.
They were all High Bay and exteriorsecurity lighting and had to be modified for remote ballast application, but it's no biggie. You can even adapt an HPS ballast to run a MH bulb. Not recommended, but it works.Anyone need to know and see how I do it, hit me up.

I too have tried every thing I can think of to find appropriate enclosures for the ballasts. No joy. I just re-use the original enclosures now.