My $20 150w HPS Econolight DIY reflector/remote ballast

Ok so I have been working on my plants for a little less than a month now and it has all been CFL's, well I couldn't pass up the $32 Econolight shipped, and I spent less than $30 on the materials to make a remote ballast and reflector. Here it is:

nice i have a similar setup but i need to make a reflector, how did you do it?

I went to the ventilation dept of the depot and bought a sheet of thin steel/aluminum I believe (24inw/36inL), then I bought an L bracket/bolts/nuts, I bent the sheet to my measurements and bolted the L bracket with light to the reflector and painted in white with high temp paint. I drilled holes in the top to make attach hooks.

Here's some pics of the new econolight HPS system with the light turned off.

I couldnt pass up that e-conolight either bro!

i cool tubed the one I got...

To the guy above me, looking healthy =] So is the OP's plants.

I think Im gonna buy a few myself for extra lighting during flowering

Awesome cooltubes setup, my closet vents directly to the attic so I never needed a cooltube.

bx so u used sheet metal to make the reflector and white paint? I quess I could put mylar on the sheet metal instead right or something else reflective

I don't see why not. I got my piece of metal from the heating and cooling dept and home depot for $9, and I have enough to make another reflector at some point.

bxke1414 said:

Awesome cooltubes setup, my closet vents directly to the attic so I never needed a cooltube.

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thanks!.....Im not so lucky Im growing in a tiny cabinet 32 in H x24 in Wx 11 in D

yea nice cool tube whats the tube from and where u get it? does the tube cut down lumens at all?

Now that people can get these light so cheap they can grow more..I currently have a 1000 watter and 400 watter...but if i setup 3 of those 150 watters i can grow probably 15 more plants or just use the lights for side lighting during flowering...might actually be able to go from 30 plants to 50

Nice setup. Love the window fan whats with the lines on the pics tho?

Have you ever heard of lapping? Im making myself two cool tubes (just scored 2 bake-a-rounds for 30 bux off ebay) however im going to lap & polish the metal reflector to a mirror finish. A well lapped/polished peice of metal will reflect more so then just white paint.

Anyways if you need a guide check this out: How to Lap a Heatsink Guide - Overclockers Club

It's a fairly simple process, just requires some time. I do recommend giving it a practise run on a spare peice of (any) metal just to get the hang of it.

GL /w the grow!

towlee said:

yea nice cool tube whats the tube from and where u get it? does the tube cut down lumens at all?

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its a bake-a-round i got off ebay for $15 im sure it does cut some lumens but I can drop this bitch 1 inch away from my plants with out burning so imho I think its works it self out

Hey. I just got my e-conolight in the mail. So I can just strip the black and white wires where you screw in the bulb and then use a couple of wire nuts to put on another one of the screw in bulb holder things so I dont have to have the ballast in my growbox?

make sure you connect the green wire to the copper wire thats in there

ground that shit

yeah just turn it on

Hey dude.....question: Do you have a ballast for that 150 watt hps?? Where do you get this and what type etc? i need a step by step kinda thing to hook this light up. PLease help!

Order the light from econolight and I'll walk you through it.

Nice setup! very well done!