Flip-Flopping Ballasts???

Hey was just wondering if anyone has tried this technique on any garden? I havent ever seen any hardware or wiring to make this possible.I read the idea out of the cannibusculture forums but no detail was discussed. I guess the premise is having 2 seperate gardens on alternating day/night times so that when 1 garden is getting ready for bed,the other one is waiting to rise.The ballast flips to the other garden when ready, theoretically 'doubling' your yields without shelling any money out,except for power consumption!!! I have not seen this technique even mentioned in any forums around here, so can someone enlighten me,please???

I asked about the same thing a week or so ago. People suggest it every once in a while but I've seen no plans or anything. All you'd need is a relay with two positions but where you'd find a suitable part i don't know.

I have seen an item made for this on the retail market. It was more expensive than just buying more ballasts though.

i would be interested in this as well.. i have found a few things you can buy, but i would like a DIY..

this would be good from an electricity consumption standpoint, because you would have a constant usage, with no spikes

I searched a bit and found this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Flip-Flop-Relay-hydroponic-grow-light-flopper-hps-mh_W0QQitemZ290309023641QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_2?hash=item290309023641&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

I wish I could just ask the dude what make/model relays he uses but it does in fact sound like he is using lighting contactors because he says it has a 120v coil to plug a timer into that controls the relay.

These are lighting contactors: http://shop.ebay.com/items/__lighting-contactor_W0QQ_sopZ1

You could probably just use a bare contactor in your own box instead of buying the whole kit.

I think I may try this myself if I have enough money left after buying all my other stuff for my new grow room.

of course you double your yields, you are running two rooms.

all you are doing is running a ballast 24/0. you aren't doubling anything or saving anything other than having to buy a second ballast. though the one you are running 24/0 is going to burn up twice as fast so you may want a second backup ballast.

you can't get something out of nothing, it just doesn't happen.

Sure but when you're talking about 10 ballast becoming 20, even temporarily, that will pay for 10 new ballasts in a heartbeat so no big deal if they do burn up twice as fast.

thats what im sayin, plus i like the thought of having a constant usage

fdd2blk said:

of course you double your yields, you are running two rooms.

all you are doing is running a ballast 24/0. you aren't doubling anything or saving anything other than having to buy a second ballast. though the one you are running 24/0 is going to burn up twice as fast so you may want a second backup ballast.

you can't get something out of nothing, it just doesn't happen.

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I didnt understand exactly what he was describing but after reading your post I completely understand and I agree with you 100%. Whats the point?

OregonMeds said:

Sure but when you're talking about 10 ballast becoming 20, even temporarily, that will pay for 10 new ballasts in a heartbeat so no big deal if they do burn up twice as fast.

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so why bother?


if you have 10 ballasts, you can certainly afford 20.

why would you want to run a ballast 24 hours a day 7 days a week for at least 8 weeks straight? sounds like a lot of stress on the ballast. i wouldn't be surprised if it burn out twice as fast.

fdd2blk said:

so why bother?


if you have 10 ballasts, you can certainly afford 20.

why would you want to run a ballast 24 hours a day 7 days a week for at least 8 weeks straight? sounds like a lot of stress on the ballast. i wouldn't be surprised if it burn out twice as fast.

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Don't any of you folks run your veg ballasts 24/7? I do, years on end. I can't afford another 10 ballasts with my $2000 limit for the grow setup. I managed to shop very frugally and get 9 1kw ballasts from high bay lights and 8 400w same deal but that doesn't mean I have the money to double them. However I can make a flip flip setup for probably less than $200. That I can afford, then there's double the bulbs and double the wire and double the sockets so it's still not cheap but it is doable. With enough shopping someone may be able to find a lot of high bays to double the ballasts for not much money, but it would still probably be double the cost of the flip flop or more.

OregonMeds said:

Don't any of you folks run your veg ballasts 24/7? I do, years on end. I can't afford another 10 ballasts with my $2000 limit for the grow setup. I managed to shop very frugally and get 9 1kw ballasts from high bay lights and 8 400w same deal but that doesn't mean I have the money to double them. However I can make a flip flip setup for probably less than $200. That I can afford, then there's double the bulbs and double the wire and double the sockets so it's still not cheap but it is doable.

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i run 18/6 to give everything a chance to "relax".


sucks to be growing that much dope, yet you can't afford a light. i don't get it. we get 3500 a pound. average a pound per light. 10 lights is $35,000. a new light is about $300 - 400, including everything. even the "wire".






running flip-flops saves you the cost of an additional ballast and prevents "power spikes".


there you have it.

I've never sold weed in my life, so I don't have 35k. However I will end up probably having a little extra next run and from donating (wink) my extra then sure I'll probably get some money back.

I do not have a clue what I'm going to do with my extra in this state. We don't have dispensaries, and I don't have those kind of connections. I set up grow ops but it's just for average disbled people doing small basic grows, not like I really know the right kind of people...

All input is greatly appreciated. Fdd this technique would yield double when using the same ballasts for flowering by lighting Garden A with said ballasts and when lights out for "A" the same ballasts are used in Garden B. This would be a great technique for someone that doesn't want to draw too big of a load at one time and for someone that doesn't want to invest in extra ballasts to run the same power to both gardens until said grower gets return on investment to buy new equipment,just my 2 purty lil' pennies....Anyway I was just asking for input on how I would run said particular setup....Thanks ya'll

fdd2blk said:

sucks to be growing that much dope, yet you can't afford a light. i don't get it.

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After I've grown that much then I can afford more light, until then I am simply setting up the biggest ghetto grow of all time.


$2000 for setup of a grow this size... Everyone would have said that's impossible, and probably still will until I start pumping out pictures. That will come once my stuff starts arriving and I get the garage emptied.

much obliged oregonmeds, glad to get responses from you all, especially the high rollers of RIU, the coherency of your thoughts are splendid....

dutchfunkle said:

All input is greatly appreciated. Fdd this technique would yield double when using the same ballasts for flowering by lighting Garden A with said ballasts and when lights out for "A" the same ballasts are used in Garden B. This would be a great technique for someone that doesn't want to draw too big of a load at one time and for someone that doesn't want to invest in extra ballasts to run the same power to both gardens until said grower gets return on investment to buy new equipment,just my 2 purty lil' pennies....Anyway I was just asking for input on how I would run said particular setup....Thanks ya'll

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well normally, when you have 2 rooms with twice the plants you double your yield. regardless if you flip flop or not.

like i said, all you are saving is the cost of an extra ballast. you still need bulbs hoods and wires. you are saving $200 on every 1000 watt light. but you are still doubling the load on your ballast so in the long run it's the same thing.

ya but if its the same thing as far as wear and tear, then theoretically you do save money by running them 24/7 and replace them twice as often because you are not paying for the spike for each set every 12 hours

do whatever you want.