Covering distance between flip flops

[HookedonPonics]

What's up ladies and bromigos. A long time friend of mine has a current 6 light room and wants to add another 6 lighter on a flip. His lighting controller and current room is about 50 to 75 feet away from where he wants to build the new room. He was just going to get multiple extension cords with reflector plugs on them the distance but I advised him against joining more than one of those together. There's a crawl space connecting the two spaces. What would be the best/safest way to go about this guys?

 

[mastacheeser]

He's fine doing that its just gunna be a lil harder to ignite the bulb

I've seen people pull the ignitors out of the ballasts and put them by the reflector.

 

[HookedonPonics]

Does that just mean we will have a lot more misfires? Or will it just take longer and more attempts for the bulb to fully fire up? It's at most 50- 65 feet from ballast to the other space.

 

[HookedonPonics]

I've read the ignitor range for most magnetics is like 50' and digitals can ignite sometimes over 75'. Only problem is he has a buffet of ballasts in his room. 2 budget magnetics, 1 harvest pro magnetic, 3 galaxy digitals.

 

[Capulator]

why not just get 6 more ballasts? A 6 light room would cover that in a couple months no?

 

[HookedonPonics]

My buddy is pretty short on money and I'm letting him borrow a 6 ballast flip box I have laying around. He has everything else needed. So my choice is either A buy extension cords, B buy lighting controller, ballasts, pay electrician, etc. Were gonna give the extension cords a try tomorrow an see if they fire.

 

[ttystikk]

Hope you don't start a fire... I think putting the ignitors by the bulbs is the best idea, next to doing the second room right with proper cable, controller box, ballasts, etc.

 

[Olyver]

If you have solid connections and try and use one length of SOOW cable 14awg, you will be fine. To esure better conductivity, add a drop of Penatrox to any connection, especially any wirenuts. Put a dab inside the wirenut before you twist the wires. I have don runs over 80' and never had an issue. Also put a drop of Penatrox on the bottom of the bulb before you screw ito the mogul socket, this will also help with conductivity.

 

[HookedonPonics]

Sweet, glad you responded Olyver. I know your the go to guy for stuff like this on here. I measured and the distance is exactly 63 feet from ballast to reflector. So basically just use one 65 foot run of 14 awg per reflector wired up with plugs to connect the flip box to the fixtures? Small dab of penatrox on the bottom of the bulb and in between connections inside plugs? Should I run the wire thru conduit?

 

[Tank333]

You're not supposed to run sheathed wires through conduit, are you? That's what I was told at least...

 

[Olyver]

Forget the emt like Tank says, just use clamps to secure the soow, use these clamps not the steel clamps for emt pipe, it will work but is not compliant to CEC.

 

[HookedonPonics]

Thanks a lot guys, I'm heading over there now to put everything together.

 

[Tank333]

Good luck, don't start any fires! :P

 

[Miju Kush]

I'm actually doing something similar. Was wondering if this will work?? I have a room 35 feet from my lighting controller. No flip flop. It will be 40 feet from my lighting controller to ballast. Can I just splice the plugs from a cord like below and connect to 40 feet of 14g wire to connect the controller to my ballasts?

 

[MysteryChild]

Safest get 6 more ballasts
Other than that just get your hands on the hard to find 50ft lamp to ballast extensions
With the 50ft extension + the 15ft reflector cord + the 8ft ballast cord
You should be close to length you need

 

[Olyver]

Good idea to use those lamp extension cords, try to find 14AWG, to make a better connection put a little bit of Penatroz on the three prongs of each of the male plugs before making the connection.

 

[MysteryChild]

FYI when using 50ft plus extensions in residential settings its possible for interference with

Good idea to use those lamp extension cords, try to find 14AWG, to make a better connection put a little bit of Penatroz on the three prongs of each of the male plugs before making the connection.

What's Penatroz Olyver?
Fill me in please

 

[Olyver]

Penatrox is an anti-oxidant compound used one wires when connected to breakers, it improves conductivity, reduces temp at the wire connection and slows down the oxidization of the wire. Another brand name is Noalox.

 

[MysteryChild]

Penatrox is an anti-oxidant compound used one wires when connected to breakers, it improves conductivity, reduces temp at the wire connection and slows down the oxidization of the wire. Another brand name is Noalox.

Thanks olyver :)

 

[Olyver]

Here's a 65' lamp cord extension;

http://www.american-hydro.com/LIG-018.html