CHEAP! HID / HPS / Metal Halide Grow Lights PART 2 - Ballast Removal

http://www.tomorrowsgarden.net/
Sorry it took a year to post this video. I wanted to do it the best way and make it as simple as possible. It really is the ideal way to modify and remove the ballast. Everything for this mod was under $8 US dollars. I'm going to do the other light that I have and time how long it takes. I'm guessing 10 minutes. I have a few more ideas to make things better but need to test. Stay tuned!

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Build
• Grow
• Light
• growlight
• Hyrdoponics
• CFL
• Lighting
• Aerogarden
• Cheap
• light
• Indoor
• garden
• weed
• DIY
• Do
• it
• yourself
• aquaponics
• nutrients
• dwc
• greenhouse
• fluorescent
• grow
• Garden
• Hydroponics
• compact
• bulbs
• Canon
• Vixia
• HF20
• Test
• Metal
• Halide
• HPS
• High
• Pressure
• Sodium
• intensity
• discharge

[tubadjim1]

dude those tomatoes look sick, I mean they're not pretty, to say the least.....

[SleestaksRule]

@tubadjim1 Yeah, I cut their life support the week before. They were planted on Thanksgiving and I filmed this April 13th. I think I ripped out the other plants at this point in the spot I'm filming this. I did get plenty of tomatoes but probably even with the cost of the electric bill. :( - yet fresh.

[matthewtchernev123]

@SleestaksRule i would use 2 300 watt replacment cfl's (those bulbs are the very big one) and they use only 65 watts, more efficient and cuts your electric bill, so try doing that instead of metal halide. or whatever u want

[SleestaksRule]

@matthewtchernev123 I used them in my older videos. They are 68watt. It wasn't doing the trick for a 5x10 area so I used two 400watt at 36,000 lumens each. The CFL is great for a couple plants indoors but not efficient for a larger area. My 68watts only put out 4,200 lumens each and not for me and my hobby.

[garygardens]

I read some of the comments regarding grounding of the light socket (or not grounding). Since the ballast is grounded, could the light have also been grounded through the bolts holding it to the ballast originally? Just seems that grounding might be a good thing.

Gary

[SleestaksRule]

@garygardens I'm working on the second one this weekend and will check it out. The screws holding the socket may have been acting as a ground. If this is true then I'll just use the extension cord ground between the socket and ballast. I'll post a photo link in the description If I can do this.

[CycleOgicProductions]

srsly is there no answer to what the hell that sound was at 1:05????

[FenderGibsonWashburn]

Not sure how I missed this video but I'm glad I finally saw it. To the few nay sayers I say let's see your videos on how to do this. All your really doing is extending the wires from the ballast to the bulb, not much of a safety risk really. It certainly outweighs the danger of having a heavy ballast fall on your head. Grounding would be as simple as attaching the ground wire to each case. You could then add another layer of safety by plugging the ballast into a GFCI outlet. Great video, thanks.

[BklynPrototype]

He farts at 1:05

[poiiihy]

what happens if you plug the lamp directly to the outlet and plug something else to the ballist? you should use a different plug so u wont screw it up.

[lvls13]

good vedio nice job

[ecafredrummailliw]

quick question. i know this will sound dumb but i don't know much about ballast and im wondering. are there any kind of ballasts where i can just plug it into an AC outlet and then screw the bulb in the other end and voila, i have light?