Electronic Dimming for Digital Ballasts

[Olyver]

No more selecting dimming features of 50%, 75%, 100% with a rotary switch. Microprocessor controlled to select dimming level at various times, all programmed with your settings. You can decide to dim your lights at various times of the day, automatically. For a 12 or 18 hour day, you can tell the digital ballast to dim to certain levels, minimum of 15 minutes per dimming level.

I can modify any digital ballast to have a microprocessor control the dimming levels. If you want to know more, let me know. Here's a pic of a digital ballast already modified.

There is a 120V outlet to control a flip box. The microprocessor will also shut off the ballast, then send a signal to the flipbox to flip from A side to B side, or vice-versa. Then power the ballast back on. This is done in less than 1 second and the flip box relay does not arc. Other controls/features available to have more control of your digital ballast.

 

[Olyver]

If you have 10 or 20 ballasts, you can tell the controller to have half the ballasts at 100%, 1/4 the ballasts at 75% and 1/4 the ballasts at 50%. It would lower room temps and power bill. One controller can have 10, 20, or 200 ballasts linked to control the dimming cycles. If you're just planting some recently rooted clones, then have all the ballasts at 50% dim for most of the day, then gradually increase to 100% over a few days to a week.

 

[mrdizzle]

damn bro that shit is on a different level, awesome

 

[deacon1503]

damn bro that shit is on a different level, awesome

No doubt that shits cutting edge; keep it Olyver!

 

[TrichromeFan]

I dig it. It sounds like you can have an ultimate amount of flexibility over all your lighting with the right controller hooked up. You mean you could mimic nature with sunrise to sunset, use it to control heat, increase potential energy savings? Awesome! Maybe you should get a quick patent.

-TF

 

[Asbestos4u]

"Quick Patent" LOL

So to make this clear for me. I dont need to turn my ballast off befor diming it or increasing the power? Been wondering this for awile now.

 

[Olyver]

Can't patent the microproccesor, it's just a controller. You don't need to shut off the ballast, the controller selects the dimming level via programming. You could dim to 50% or 75% as your CO2 burner comes on, then when CO2 level is reached, the ballast(s) will switch to 100%, this is great for controlling heat.

 

[TrichromeFan]

Oh, I see. You are using it to change between the ballast's preset dimming levels. I thought that you were getting full control of the light as an electronic wall dimmer would control a light.

-TF

 

[Olyver]

Also working with an EE to have 100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, and 25%. Seven dimming levels all controlled by a microprocessor. Definitely going to bring the price of the ballast up, but you could have the last 2 hours of the last 2 weeks, to dim from 100% to 25% in 15 minute increments. Shouldn't affect yield, but will affect power consumption.

If you clamp an ammeter on the 240V power, you'll see the ballast start at about 3.2A, then ramps up to about 4.5A in about 3 to 5 minutes. Not going to post any pix of the inside of the prototype. Also noticed that when a digital ballast dies, it gets tossed. The most expensive component on the pcb is the transformers. Any diodes, caps, resistors, triacs, transistors, etc, are all pennies each. For a $300 ballast, it should be an option to repair it. With the correct equipment, and digital ballast can be ascertained to the reason it doesn't work. There are no SMT components, so any component can be desoldered and replaced.

You can easilly remove 99% of the black epoxy and see all the components.

 

[Confuten1]

Cutting edge!!

Wow, the possibilities. Great work, cant wait to see grow journals with this implimented in it.

quik question, when u dim the ballast to say 50% does that drop the KWH usages directly aswell. i.e. 50% balast usuage power, 50% power consumption?

Confu...

 

[MTgrower]

Also working with an EE to have 100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, and 25%. Seven dimming levels all controlled by a microprocessor. Definitely going to bring the price of the ballast up, but you could have the last 2 hours of the last 2 weeks, to dim from 100% to 25% in 15 minute increments. Shouldn't affect yield, but will affect power consumption.

What about the spectrum shift that will occur when you under power the light? Is it significant? Has anyone done any testing with different lights?

 

[Olyver]

Thanx MTG, that is the biggest issue to overcome. The dimming part is easy, voltage, amperage, and frequency all have to vary with different light levels. If the spectrum is affected, then it will be an issue.