anyone using a flip Box ????????

OG Superfly · Jun 10, 2016

Hey Guys,
I am looking for a flip box that isnt 500.00 bucks and works so you can set it in 2 hour increments .... anyone got one or using one ? let me know I want one to help control my heat issues and lower my daily power consumtion.

Thanks Fly

P.S. names and brands or pics would be helpful thanks

bottletoke · Jun 11, 2016

How big is the load? If its small like 30-40 amps look at intermatic time clocks. If your good with electricity wire up a timer to a contactor or several contactor's depending on the load and number of circuits.
If not then your looking at shelling out some coin on a premade box.

Budley Doright · Jun 11, 2016

If your handy then yes you can build one as stated above. Contactors, plastic or metal box, some recepticles and your golden. They are very easy to put together, you could probably google a build.

OG Superfly · Jun 14, 2016

I am pretty good, have built over 300 homes and do just high end remodeling when I recover and go back to work I was in a horrible car accident and If i would have been in any other car I would have been killed.........thats according to WSP, anyways I believe I can do this the only thing about electricity I dont like is I cant see it....... LOL
I will google and see what they come up with.

Budley Doright · Jun 14, 2016

OG Superfly said:
I am pretty good, have built over 300 homes and do just high end remodeling when I recover and go back to work I was in a horrible car accident and If i would have been in any other car I would have been killed.........thats according to WSP, anyways I believe I can do this the only thing about electricity I dont like is I cant see it....... LOL
I will google and see what they come up with.

If needed PM me and I can help you get started if u can't find anything. I've built lots of analog controls for my room including switch boxes that turn on and off lighting and environmental equipment. Won't give u step by step though, the liability would be tremendous

.

Dr. Who · Jun 14, 2016

They don't allow you to "lower" your daily power use!

They are designed to allow you to use less ballasts and not stress them out by turning them on and off all the time.

They do not "turn" off any electrical use. They simply shift it from one light to another.

It should be noted that MOST digital ballasts are not designed to work with "flip box's" !

Budley Doright · Jun 14, 2016

Dr. Who said:
They don't allow you to "lower" your daily power use!

They are designed to allow you to use less ballasts and not stress them out by turning them on and off all the time.

They do not "turn" off any electrical use. They simply shift it from one light to another.

It should be noted that MOST digital ballasts are not designed to work with "flip box's" !

I didn't know that re digital ballast

. Why is that doc?

OG Superfly · Jun 15, 2016

I was just looking to put the lights in a checkerboard pattern and have four on at a time and have it set in two hour increments instead of having 8 run all the time besides I read that the plants cant use or need a solid 12 hours of high intensity HPS light .....That is my goal, but it would lower my use because I would only have 4 on at a time instead of 8,,,,,, thoughts and help is well regarded.....
thanks

Budley Doright · Jun 15, 2016

OG Superfly said:
I was just looking to put the lights in a checkerboard pattern and have four on at a time and have it set in two hour increments instead of having 8 run all the time besides I read that the plants cant use or need a solid 12 hours of high intensity HPS light .....That is my goal, but it would lower my use because I would only have 4 on at a time instead of 8,,,,,, thoughts and help is well regarded.....
thanks

Not sure if I've seen that schedule done, I'll be watching if you do. Midday Deppression is not just light, heat and humidity play a large role as well, don't think it's just a matter of turning the lights off at noon.

Dr. Who · Jun 15, 2016

Budley Doright said:
I didn't know that re digital ballast . Why is that doc?

Many digi's have a "safety circuit" that if there is a brief power loss. The ballast will then allow the bulb to cool a few min before it restrikes. The way the flipper works confuses the ballast and it won't restrike...

There is a Digital that is built for Flippers - don't remember which..

I suggest you give the Flip box builder a call or drop them an e-mail, asking which ballasts ARE compatible!

Budley Doright · Jun 15, 2016

Dr. Who said:
Many digi's have a "safety circuit" that if there is a brief power loss. The ballast will then allow the bulb to cool a few min before it restrikes. The way the flipper works confuses the ballast and it won't restrike...

There is a Digital that is built for Flippers - don't remember which..

I suggest you give the Flip box builder a call or drop them an e-mail, asking which ballasts ARE compatible!

No cause then I'd have to change my ballasts probably

. They do go into a cool down and been running them for two years so probably not the compatable ones lol. If they crap out then I'll rethink this whole thing. I think I'm going to try t5's for a run, I've been tweaked

.

redi jedi · Jun 15, 2016

Dr. Who said:
They don't allow you to "lower" your daily power use!

They are designed to allow you to use less ballasts and not stress them out by turning them on and off all the time.

They do not "turn" off any electrical use. They simply shift it from one light to another.

It should be noted that MOST digital ballasts are not designed to work with "flip box's" !

You can use any ballast with a flip box providing you shut the ballast down before the flip. You would need to use a timer in the circuit powering the ballasts. Then set the timer to turn off the ballast a few minutes before the flip then back on again after the flip.

Flipping while under load is very hard on the relays and if the ballast has a cool down function...wont hot restrike after a power interuption...you will have problems.

Im running solistek ballasts with a flipbox and a powerbox and it works mint.

Budley Doright · Jun 16, 2016

I guess I'm a "drive it like ya stoIe it" guy but I shut mine down all the time, every time I enter the shed I need to do it or it looks like I have a my own sun in there (need to fix that). Do the ballast not just have a thermal overload disc in them that opens on higher amp draw? I know it's not great but have not lost a ballast yet. Yup need to fix it though, again I know it's not great

. Actually I was going to put a time delay in the main circuit for the door thing but yup may stick one in the contactor circuit as well.

Dr. Who · Jun 16, 2016

redi jedi said:
You can use any ballast with a flip box providing you shut the ballast down before the flip. You would need to use a timer in the circuit powering the ballasts. Then set the timer to turn off the ballast a few minutes before the flip then back on again after the flip.

Flipping while under load is very hard on the relays and if the ballast has a cool down function...wont hot restrike after a power interuption...you will have problems.

Im running solistek ballasts with a flipbox and a powerbox and it works mint.

Yup, great solution! I LIKE it!

anyone using a flip Box ????????

OG Superfly

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bottletoke

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Budley Doright

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OG Superfly

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