Light controller or timer to restart lights after brown out

KnowledgeSeeker

KnowledgeSeeker

Active Member
I'm using a hyrdofarm digital timer to control my lights http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=4168 There was a brown out (where the power goes off for just a second) in my area yesterday. When i checked my grow the lights were off and they didn't come back on afterwards. I immediately started the lights up again by cycling the auto/on/off function of the timer to off, to on, and then back to auto but I don't think they would've come back on automatically by themselves. Is anyone else using the same timer? Do your lights come back on after a power interruption? Would a lighting controller or different (maybe analog) timer kick the lights back on automatically? Thanks for your help!
 
Mcgician

Mcgician

Well-Known Member
Yes, I may have an idea of what's wrong. I've been using those same timers for all my lights and timed devices for a while now, but they aren't foolproof. They DO fail. I found this out the hard way, by seeing a couple of plants wilted over some from not getting enough water/nutrients from the pump and irrigation that was attached to the timer. The power spike most likely fried your timer, but it may be difficult to tell at first. I found that the "OFF" function on mine is what failed on the first faulty timer, and the second one that failed just failed to switch on altogether- i.e. the wilted plants. First thing I'd do is check your breaker, then start checking each individual component. Assume it's the timer first, then work your way up in cost from there. I'd put money on the fact you need at least 1 new timer.
 
KnowledgeSeeker

KnowledgeSeeker

Active Member
Mcgician said:
Yes, I may have an idea of what's wrong. I've been using those same timers for all my lights and timed devices for a while now, but they aren't foolproof. They DO fail. I found this out the hard way, by seeing a couple of plants wilted over some from not getting enough water/nutrients from the pump and irrigation that was attached to the timer. The power spike most likely fried your timer, but it may be difficult to tell at first. I found that the "OFF" function on mine is what failed on the first faulty timer, and the second one that failed just failed to switch on altogether- i.e. the wilted plants. First thing I'd do is check your breaker, then start checking each individual component. Assume it's the timer first, then work your way up in cost from there. I'd put money on the fact you need at least 1 new timer.
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Thanks for the input Mcgician. Actually the timers all work normally, as they did before the brown out. They are all turning on the lights, pumps, etc. at the set times and turning things off at the set times. I believe they would have turned on at the next set time on interval had i not done it manually but that would've been not until the next lights on setting which was 20 hours later.

I'm actually looking for a timer or controller that will turn the lights back on immediately after a power outage or brown out as long as it is within the lights on time frame. Hope that helps to clarify. Thanks again for the input.
 
desertrat

desertrat

Well-Known Member
an analog timer will always turn your lights back on after an outage. or a digital timer with a battery back up, which it sounds like yours does not have.
 
tea tree

tea tree

Well-Known Member
lol, the cheap timers from rite aid work awesome and also the cheap digi ballasts from yescomusa. get this twice in five seconds the timer got jggerd off the powerstrip and the ballast and bulb just relit nice both times not startup delay or anything. Just like a light switch. My old lumatek and also i beleive popualr 15 dollar analog box like timer would have both had probs with a hot start to no end. i am stuned yescomusa can handle a hot start. It is prob yer ballast if it is an older even purple lumatek that cant take the hotstart.
 
cephalopod

cephalopod

Well-Known Member
I use a reefkeeper2[ http://www.aquacave.com/reef-keeper-2-system-br-by-digital-aquatics-2341.html ] to handle a lot of functions for my veg room. It has a hot start function, so it will let any hid cool before it refires them. Has a thermometer that I'm currently using as a thermostat for cloning mat, you could have it run a exhaust fan. Has 8 channels to run what ever functions you set them to. If you wanted it would run 8 multi-timers. If you wanted something less check out the reefkeeper lite.http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewitem.aspx?idproduct=DA1131&child=DA1131&utm_source=mdcsegooglebase2&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=mdcsegooglebase2&utm_content=DA1131 This is pretty much the same thing, just 4 channels.
 
KnowledgeSeeker

KnowledgeSeeker

Active Member
desertrat said:
an analog timer will always turn your lights back on after an outage. or a digital timer with a battery back up, which it sounds like yours does not have.
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Thx desertrat. My digital timer does have a battery backup (it stays programmed when unplugged) but didn't turn the lights back on. sound like I'm going analog. Thx!
 
KnowledgeSeeker

KnowledgeSeeker

Active Member
tea tree said:
lol, the cheap timers from rite aid work awesome and also the cheap digi ballasts from yescomusa. get this twice in five seconds the timer got jggerd off the powerstrip and the ballast and bulb just relit nice both times not startup delay or anything. Just like a light switch. My old lumatek and also i beleive popualr 15 dollar analog box like timer would have both had probs with a hot start to no end. i am stuned yescomusa can handle a hot start. It is prob yer ballast if it is an older even purple lumatek that cant take the hotstart.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I have sun systems harvest pro 600 remote ballasts.
 
KnowledgeSeeker

KnowledgeSeeker

Active Member
cephalopod said:
I use a reefkeeper2[ http://www.aquacave.com/reef-keeper-2-system-br-by-digital-aquatics-2341.html ] to handle a lot of functions for my veg room. It has a hot start function, so it will let any hid cool before it refires them. Has a thermometer that I'm currently using as a thermostat for cloning mat, you could have it run a exhaust fan. Has 8 channels to run what ever functions you set them to. If you wanted it would run 8 multi-timers. If you wanted something less check out the reefkeeper lite.http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewitem.aspx?idproduct=DA1131&child=DA1131&utm_source=mdcsegooglebase2&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=mdcsegooglebase2&utm_content=DA1131 This is pretty much the same thing, just 4 channels.
Click to expand...
Whao! That shit looks fuckin pimp! The Metal halide "sure-on" feature looks like it will definitely do the trick. Gonna have to save up some cash and upgrade. Thx for the info!
 
Heads Up

Heads Up

Well-Known Member
KnowledgeSeeker said:
I'm using a hyrdofarm digital timer to control my lights http://www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=4168 There was a brown out (where the power goes off for just a second) in my area yesterday. When i checked my grow the lights were off and they didn't come back on afterwards. I immediately started the lights up again by cycling the auto/on/off function of the timer to off, to on, and then back to auto but I don't think they would've come back on automatically by themselves. Is anyone else using the same timer? Do your lights come back on after a power interruption? Would a lighting controller or different (maybe analog) timer kick the lights back on automatically? Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

I use a product from CAP called an HLC-2e. If your electricity goes off, like mine does once or twice a week the HLC-2e will prevent your lights from trying to hot start. It's a device that allows fifteen minutes to pass before it will restore the electricity to your timer. It's about seventy five bucks but it saves your ballast and lights from trying to hot start.
 
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