I put together 4 150 hps from econolight but used the cheap orange extension cord for their remote ballasts. I did the math and believe the 16 guage 3 wire is not ideal but acceptable for the amps on a 150W lamp. The cord is rated to 75C though, which from the heat these lights put out I believe to be a real problem. I am thinkig of splicing in the 105C rated wire. Any thoughts or experience with this situation? I have ran one of the 4 lamps to grow a nice WW, my first grow. No urgency here, so reply anytime. A bit of wiring 3x3x4x2=72 splices. I could just use the 14 guage 3 wire rated to 105C but it would cost me $70 for 100 ft. Again any experience with this or suggestions, feel free.

OK my friends,

I will order this high temp wire from McMaster Carr (specs attached below), just a half a foot for each connection will get it away from the heat.
At $2.60 a foot I figure there will be 12 *3 connections. That is 4 lamps and 3 wires going out for each lamp, for the 4 ballasts 3 wires going in and 3 going out so the number is 36. Maybe 6 inches for each so that is 36 feet. Still kinda pricey (16 guage $93.60) (18 guage $61.20)but I might try it just cause I put the work into it and I'd hate to scrap my 150W growlight project. I dunno you guys working with remote ballasts lamps in DIY land, isn't the heat one of the biggest safety hazards? Melting the insulations would be a drag, no?

Electrical Cords > Highest Temperature Range > Amps



Electrical Wire, Cable, and Cords
This product matches all of your selections.




Part Number: 8240K321-99 Ft. $2.60 per Ft.
100 or more $1.97 per Ft.
Type
Single-Conductor Wire and Cable
Single-Conductor Wire and Cable Type
High-Temperature Wire
Volts
600 VAC, 600 VDC
Amps
29
Gauge (AWG)
16
Number of Conductors
1
Outside Diameter
.123"
Length
Cut-to-length (per foot)
Maximum Continuous Length
100'
Conductor Type
Stranded
Conductor Material
Nickel-Plated Copper
Conductor Insulation Material
PTFE
Jacket Material
Braided Fiberglass
Jacket Color
Tan
Temperature Range
-67° to +482° F (-55° to +250° C)
Specifications Met
Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
CSA Specification
CSA Certified
UL Specification
UL Recognized
Additional Properties
Chemically Inert, Moisture Resistant

Ooops halve those costs: only a half foot per connect. I'm doing it for sure at those prices. btw this will set up my 600 watts of HPS I have a 400W Metal Halide for the Vege Stage of growth. I'm collecting pollen to freeze for my next plant. I have 4 Nirvana WW seeds left. And if anyone has read this far, if you want to recommend a variety for my next grow please do so.

that may be overkill. yes safety is top priority but a 600vac limit is over triple your usage. a fiberglass jacket would be nice it could go a lot higher on temps but still may be a mit overkill. if you feel like droppin the dough it definitely couldnt hurt

__________________
"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government." ~ Thomas Jefferson

i've got the Wonder woman as well as snow white from nirvana going right now. I like the snow white over the WW tho. softer buds but much ?hairryer? and ?crystalyer?

__________________
"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government." ~ Thomas Jefferson

also the 29 amp rating is enough to trip the 30 amp breakers before failing. they always include a safety range on top of the actual rating for safety so if your only using one breaker (which i assume 4 150's fans an any pumps would be safe on without tripping) your are way safe with this

__________________
"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government." ~ Thomas Jefferson

Thanks for the reply SMC,

Yeah I think the electrical may be OK but as an amateur am listening to all feedback, and appreciate your information. On another forum I was told my 18 guage orange 75C 3 wire electrical cord was bad news by one but ok by another, I am not too sure that it is really unsafe (electrically) but rather is not best practice as far as being "in code". Any insight here is welcome. I ran only one of the 3 lights for a few weeks 12/12 and had no probs but don't want to risk it with all 4 lamps humming.

The heat is my concern, my cord is rated to 75C and the better stuff (at the home improvement stores) is only 105C. I am guessing (certain) inside the ballasts and lamps the heat can get much higher than 75C or 105C. I put a piece of my orange cord into a 450F oven and watched it get mushy in 10 minutes, I put it over an open flame and watched it ignite, hence I am going with the fiberglass jacketing close to the sources of heat.

My big take-away, don't mess with DIY lamps, buy it off the shelf or a kit. Making a remote ballast requires a learning curve which may be too high a price to pay. Just an FYI for anyone wanting to DIY a remote ballast, it is more than just the electrical it is the heat too.

Snow White and Wonder Woman, nice, I'll look for it. I am thinking of an outdoor grow but either have problems with the deer eating the plants or too much human traffic in the area, so the Low Growers are of interest to me as well. Too bad they don't have the same potency of the taller variety, sativa vs ?.

Yeah my pollin saving experiment is moving along, I'll be freezing the pollen and storing it in the freezer packed in saran surrounded by rice. Too bad there isn't verified info on the shelf life for the pollen. Freeze and moisture free is consistent, though the top range for storage from the posts varies, years, months days. I'll post the shelf life especially if it is 6 months or greater.