Need help setting up a Light Ballast

J

Johnnny

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Jun 8, 2007
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Please dont judge me, i seriously need some help

I have a 400W S51 HPS Ballast that i want to set up, but i have no idea where to start... Theres a diagram on my ballast but i dont understand it...

The exact product number is V90J1911

Come on help a brother out
 
Dexter Sinister

Dexter Sinister

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It ought to be fairly easy, though like DurkaDurka I have to wonder what you're doing with high pressure sodium lamps. There will be connectors on the ballast for various input voltages, and if you're doing this in your house the 120 volt connector is probably the one to use. They should be marked clearly, as 120, 208, 240,277, and 480, and there'll be one common lead, probably marked as COM. The only voltages you'll have available at home are 120 and 240. The power supply at the place you're mounting it should have one white wire and one black or red wire, the white goes to the common lead, the other to the 120 volt connector. If you've got three wires, a white, a black, and a red, then you've got 240 volt service there, and I can't suggest how to make those connections without actually seeing the thing. The 240 volts is between the black and the red, and they're each 120 volts from the white. Doing it wrong will... well, just don't do it if you're not sure what you're doing.

Really though, if you don't understand the wiring diagram, I strongly suggest you find an electrician rather than trying to do this yourself. You must have a friend who won't give away your grow-op...? :smile:
 
J

Johnnny

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Jun 8, 2007
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ill take a picture of the parts, if you guys would be so kind to help me make sense of it.... i have tomatoes

thanks for the input so far, ill get this for you guys to veiw in an hourish
 
J

Johnnny

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Jun 8, 2007
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This is the specifics for my ballast
http://www.venturelighting.com/VLPS/BallastDataSheets/HPS/V90J1911.pdf













This is a heavy duty Cable with a male end


i have no problem clarifying any points for you. And i deeply appreciate anyone who took time out of there day to help me make sense of this...
 
U

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
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No no no. Take it and have someone put it in a box for you and maybe they will let you watch to see how it is done. You need a reflector to for your bulb. This stuff gets very hot you understand. Not to mention that you can kill yourself with it or start a fire. ;-)

So do yourself a favour. Also it's really small so how many tomatoes do you want to grow? I don't really want to know.
 
CDNBear

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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OK...

First installation, to a ceiling elec box...

The green wire is your ground, it should be connected to the green or plain copper wire in the box. If there isn't a green or plain copper wire present, then there should be a screw to mount the wire to. You should take a close look to see if there's a wire going to that screw from inside the ceiling. This is essential to ensure that the unit is properly grounded. If it isn't and it should ground out for any reason, the potential to start a fire or cause a fatal shock is extremely high.

That black wire should be connect to the black wire present in the ceiling box, and the yellow, to the white.

Installation two, to a male power cord end.

First you need a male cord end, with a ground. Clip the terminate of the green wire, strip the jacket off. The green wire should be attached to the ground prong, the black to the thick blade and the yellow to the thin blade.

Now, listen carefully Johnny. I am not an electrician, by any stretch of the imagination. As I said in my PM, I have run everything from 12v control circuitry to 600V.

I understand your financial situation, but if I may make a serious suggestion. Go to your local Home Depot, Rona or whatever passes for a serious home improvement store, and ask the guys in the electrical dept.

If I was at your place and could see what you had going on in the walls and the ballast itself, I could be more help.

What I've given you here is what I think is the best application, but I will not certify it's the best idea in any way shape or form.

Earth as One is an electrician, you may think of PM him, he's quite pleasant and helpful. I have no doubts he would be a much better help then most of us, lol.
 
Dexter Sinister

Dexter Sinister

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Okay, looks like what you've got is
1. a ballast, the large black rectangular thing with all the wires coming out of it
2. a capacitor, the large grey cylinder with two wires going to the ballast
3. in igniter, that little black thing with three wires in it
4. a ceramic lamp base, the white thing that appears clearly only in the third picture.

In the second picture you're holding a red and a white wire. If I'm seeing the details correctly, the white wire appears to join a white wire from the transformer and a yellow one that goes to the igniter. That's the common or neutral wire. Join it to the white wire in the lamp base. The red wire appears to join a white wire to the igniter and a red wire to the ballast. That's the hot wire to connect to the black wire in the lamp base.

The four wires you're holding in the first picture appear to be the white, orange, tan, and black ones mentioned in the spec sheet. The white is the common, joins the white wire in the outlet box you're wiring this thing to. The orange wire is the 120 volt connection, that joins the coloured (almost certainly red or black) in the outlet box. The other two are for 277 and 347 volts, which you won't have available in a residence. I'd put one of those wire nuts (marrettes they're called, officially) on the end of each one and coil them up out of the way, you don't need them.

Notice, however, the number of times I said "appear" and "appears." If things aren't exactly as I've described, don't do anything I've just told you to do.

And remember to shut the power to the outlet box off before making the connections in it. I hope that doesn't insult your intelligence, but it's such an obvious thing that some people don't think of it.

But before doing anything, what are the other ends of those three wires you're holding in the last picture connected to? I don't see them in any of the other photos.
 
CDNBear

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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Dexter Sinister said:
Okay, looks like what you've got is
1. a ballast, the large black rectangular thing with all the wires coming out of it
2. a capacitor, the large grey cylinder with two wires going to the ballast
3. in igniter, that little black thing with three wires in it
4. a ceramic lamp base, the white thing that appears clearly only in the third picture.

In the second picture you're holding a red and a white wire. If I'm seeing the details correctly, the white wire appears to join a white wire from the transformer and a yellow one that goes to the igniter. That's the common or neutral wire. Join it to the white wire in the lamp base. The red wire appears to join a white wire to the igniter and a red wire to the ballast. That's the hot wire to connect to the black wire in the lamp base.

The four wires you're holding in the first picture appear to be the white, orange, tan, and black ones mentioned in the spec sheet. The white is the common, joins the white wire in the outlet box you're wiring this thing to. The orange wire is the 120 volt connection, that joins the coloured (almost certainly red or black) in the outlet box. The other two are for 277 and 347 volts, which you won't have available in a residence. I'd put one of those wire nuts (marrettes they're called, officially) on the end of each one and coil them up out of the way, you don't need them.

Notice, however, the number of times I said "appear" and "appears." If things aren't exactly as I've described, don't do anything I've just told you to do.

And remember to shut the power to the outlet box off before making the connections in it. I hope that doesn't insult your intelligence, but it's such an obvious thing that some people don't think of it.

But before doing anything, what are the other ends of those three wires you're holding in the last picture connected to? I don't see them in any of the other photos.
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Jeesus Dex...are you an electrician or a Science master? Or both? :lol:

Johnnny said:
thank you very much thank you, Dexter, CND, and yes thank you Unforgiven for watching out for my safety....

You guys are alright in my book
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No problem Johnny, and thanx. Just be safe. Every installation I've ever done was with enclosed systems, what you have there is a mess from where I'm sitting, lol.
 
Dexter Sinister

Dexter Sinister

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Well, no, quite a bit less than that, actually, but thanks for thinking that. :smile: It's just that when you've studied the detailed physics of electricity and magnetism, what electricians do is usually a fairly straightforward application of it.
 
CDNBear

CDNBear

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Sep 24, 2006
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Dexter Sinister said:
Well, no, quite a bit less than that, actually, but thanks for thinking that. :smile: It's just that when you've studied the detailed physics of electricity and magnetism, what electricians do is usually a fairly straightforward application of it.
Click to expand...
Funny, when ever you go at something out here, in full force, I sit back stick my finger in my belly button and mumble..."I like thoup"...:lol:
 
J

Johnnny

Frontiersman
Jun 8, 2007
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Thanks again, i got it started and running pretty well it would seem..... Believe it or not you guys were more helpful then the people at the Tomato Forums... I'll find out tommorow if the place burned down, no worries my name isnt on the lease :)
 
Dexter Sinister

Dexter Sinister

Unspecified Specialist
Oct 1, 2004
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CDNBear said:
Funny, when ever you go at something out here, in full force, I sit back stick my finger in my belly button and mumble..."I like thoup"...:lol:
Click to expand...
Hey, nuthin' wrong with that, we all have our talents. That's pretty much what I do when you start talking about welding and metals, and that super nano thrusto zoomo thermite or thermate or whatever the Hell it was in one of those 9/11 conspiracy threads. :smile:
 
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