HerbalT

I'm in the beginning stages of designing a micro cab and just wondering if anyone has ever disassembled CFLs to elongate the wiring to allow the ballasts to be mounted remotely? In theory, it should be as simple as cracking the plastic shell, desoldering the leads connecting the CFL to the inverter circuit and adding longer wires.

I ask, because CFLs are probably going to be the cheapest and safest lighting method for me to use at this time, and I want to cram as many as I can into a cab that has just a hair over 4 cubic. ft. I figure it's far too small a cab for HID. But, the cab I have chosen (or rather the cab that was delivered to me by the botany gods) has a 3 inch hollow base that would be perfect to hide all the electronics and even some ducting/carbon filter equipment.

Luke Highwalker

yup thats how you do it... pretty self explinatory really

its typically best to mount the electronics up high becaus, well heat rises but we make do with what we got.

you may have to expirement with wire gauge and length though. at some point the bulb just wont light from the loss of extending the wiring.

knna

Its way better to use remote ballasted CFLs directly, isnt it?

Although it may be more expensive initially, because you buy good ballasts (electronic very often), its cheaper on the long run (you just need to replace the bulbs), and remote ballasted CFL are very often the most efficients avalaible.

The type L CFLs are less than 1" thick, are remote ballasted and are the most efficients of any CFL in the market (the 55w model, 22" long). The 36w models are 17" long and run directly from standard floro 36w ballasts. They are ideal for small cabs.

__________________


Bulb Analyzer Tool

choader

knna - could you post a link to a catalog or website? (no endorsment implied)

Choader

__________________
SS Bubblegum & DP Mazar Small Cab - Complete
Choader's 600W HPS Grow - Complete
Small Cab Grow - Complete

READ ME!! Posting Guidelines
Male and Female Pre-Flowers

knna

Ok, lets go!

Although not integrated CFLs are widely used for growing in small cabs in Europe, it seems northamerican growers almost dont know them. So im going to try to explain them.

There are two basic types of CFLs, those having the ballast integrated in the bulb and wich uses screw in sockets and those being just the bulb and wich are remote ballasted. This second group is manufacturated for all main lighting companies on some predetermined shapes and perfomances, each one called for one letter:

There are not integrated CFLs of type S, C, D, T, F and H. They are called too "plug in" CFLs (vs self ballasted CFLs).

How to recognize them? What name to seek for? It depends of the manufacturer company. Each one have a name for their CFLs family:

GE call them Biax, Phillips PL, Sylvania Linx and Osram Dulux. With the type letter after than generic family name, you get a given model. For example, the L type (the most widely used for growing, especially for vegging cabs) is called (GE) Biax L ; (Phillips) PL-L; (Silvania) Linx L; (Osram) Dulux L. And after it, the wattage (power) of the model. Each type is avalaible on a range of differents wattages. Of course other smaller lighting companies manufactures not integrated CFLs using the same standars. Ive posted just the most known brands.

Not integrated CFLs uses an external ballast. Its very often an electronic one, but some models may work on standard floro ballast (magnetic) with starter, so its possible to run them with a typical ballast for floro tubes, as far as the wattage match.

For example, PLLs (ill use the Phillips family name, mainly because its the shorter one ) of 55 watts only works on electronic ballasts, while the 36w model may run too with a ballast for a 36w floro tube (that used on shoplights and that are very cheap).

I dont know how difficult is to buy floro's electronic ballasts on NorthAmerica. In Spain its pretty easy: almost any hardware store have them or at least, may order them. I buy them on electric equipment warehouses, because they usually have them in stock and often sell them cheaper. As easy as ask for a electronic ballast for flourescence of X watts. Ive replaced all old mag ballast for electronic ones in my house and all the family.

If you find electronic ballast for fluorescence lamps, they are a better choice than mag ones: they increase lamps duration and lm manteinance, reduce electric consuption and, opposed to electronic ballast for HIDs, they are reliable and although cost more than mag ones, the difference is quickly recovered by the savings on electric bill.

Often worth to buy electronic ballast able to feed multiple lamps at once: it simplifies instalation and reduce cost, due very often multiple lamps ballasts only cost a little more than a single one.

Almost all downlights used at homes and shops uses not integrated CFLs (discarted ones from shops are a good way to get the sockets and ballast ).

This is a table of the Osram family of not integrated CFLs (220V, 60 hz: Europe. But models, lenghts and sockets used are the same for 120V):



For accurate reference of models distributed on the US, go here (Phillips: notice the "find a distributor" link on the bottom left, it allows to find a distributor near your house). A good thing about these lamps is they arnt rated "horticultural", but of general use. There is no concerns about ordering this kind of lamps being a sign that you grow MJ

For General Electric, the larger US lighting comany, check their plug in CFLs here. For the required ballast, go here. And to seek for a close distributor, go here Notice there are 12 links to online retailers at the bottom right.

Note: these CFLs are standarized, thus there is no need that lamp and ballast are of the same brand. For example, i like to use the Phillips electronic ballasts (they are more efficient and easy to wire) but with Osram bulbs.

The most used plug in CFL for growing is the type L, because its very slim (less than 1") and efficient (its the most efficient CFL avalaible). There are prebuilt systems for them. For example, this one . At that price, doing it DIY have little sense.

Hope this help, but dont hesitate to ask if something is still unclear or you want to built a custom system using plug in CFLs.

__________________


Bulb Analyzer Tool

Nelson Mutz

Great info [as usual] knna!...

Nelson

__________________
"Ha, Ha; your Mom's a jailbird!!"

PotHole Hippy

I've seen the remote ballast cfl's used in apartment building lights here in north america... and have seen them in HomeDepot

HerbalT

Standard remote ballasted CFLs won't work for my cab, I have too little space. my max interior width is 17.5 in. so if I were to use remote ballasted cfl tubes, I'd be limited to the shortest ones that have lower wattages. If I use spirals, I lose a little more headroom, but can maximize wattage much easier.

knna

17.5 inches * 25.4mm/inch=444 mm. So the 36w PLL fits in your space (411mm plus the socket, wich is less than the remaining inch). The PLL 36w use both electronic ballast and a standard 36w floro ballast.

Or you may use the PLT, wich are tree u-tubes CFLs, as self ballasted screw in CFLs. Same dimensions.

Take in mind that on self ballasted CFLs, the weakest part is very often the ballast. Plug in CFLs use better ballasts, wich are costly but enhance perfomance. With the advantage you dont need to replace the ballast, but just the used bulbs.

If you are concerned of not being able to find the sockets, dont worry, many people connects them using standard electrical conection pieces without any problem.

__________________


Bulb Analyzer Tool

HerbalT

Thanks, Knna for all your info on the lights, could you help me clarify my numbers here?

From a general google search, it looks like PL-L sockets are a hair under 3" each, meaning I could realistically fit 5 of them in the 16.25" depth I have to work with: 5x36w=180w.
Another general google search brought up some 105w integrated spiral CFLs that look to be around 4"wide, so I could fit 4 across the back of the cab and maybe another two on each side toward the front: 6x105w=630w with the downside that I lose a couple inches of extra headroom out of the 24.75" vs the 2 inches that the PL-Ls would take.

Unless my estimates of the diameter of the big CFLs are way off, it looks to me like I'd be better off "spending" a couple inches of height for over 3X the wattage. Being a noob to all this (with the exception of all the reading I do about it) I could be completely missing the point though.

After a slightly more detailed look around it may still be possible to cram the BIG cfls in, if I find the right make and model to satisfy size requirements, but the 85w ones are slightly smaller and would still beat the PL-L in raw wattage. (again, assuming I'm not missing the point)