Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Grow Light Build 2015

SQWIBB · December 19, 2018

Supply List (updated 2018)

Timer - Amazon
4 light Shop Light - Home Depot
Germination Station - Midland Hardware
Heat Mat Thermostat
Garden Stake Tags - Amazon
6500k - Lowes 2018 Replaced with 6000k Led bulbs Amazon
Oscillating Fan
Power Strip Not the one in the picture, but this is what I use for my fish tank.
4 pack of LED Bulbs
Tray# GS2211 and the dome is a V2211.
Non Shunted Tombstones for Led's
20 oz. Tumblers
16 oz. Tumblers
Adjustable Grow Light Rope Hanger

December 18th, 2018

Update on the grow table
Since I am going into my 4th year with the light, I decided to replace the 4 three year old fluorescent tubes with 6000k Led bulbs from Amazon, the cost of the Led's is 42.00 as opposed to 23.00 for new 6500k fluorescent bulbs at Lowes.

My new bulbs are due to come in Friday but I had some motivation so I decided to do the mod and use my existing shop bulbs until the new bulbs come in.

When I took the light down, I noticed a strip of Led's that were out, the Led strip still works but the driver is shot, I didn't feel like trying to figure out what driver it needed so I replaced with Led tape, and let me tell you, soldering Led tape is not fun! Pardon the grimy fingers, I'm a Printer by Trade.

I installed three strips, 2 on the bad side and 1 on the good side. I placed the strip directly over top of the old strip and secured with hot melt glue.

These fluorescent bulbs are three years old.

Time to mod the fixture for the new Led's. The new Led's are "Single end powered ballast bypass" or "direct wire LED fluorescent replacement tubes" that means they are powered on one side and that there is a positive and negative on one side of the Led bulb and the other side is not powered.

Disassembly and ballast removal. Ballast wires are cut a few inches from the ballast for two reasons; 1) to reuse the wires and 2) just in case I need to reuse the ballast.

Tombstones have one wire so they are shunted.

I checked the tombstones with a volt meter and verified that they are indeed shunted, so I need to fix that problem.

Shunted

Shunt removed. There is a little tab in the center that connects the two sides, this is a shunted tombstone, after the tab is removed it is now a non-shunted tombstone.

Notice the wire touching the metal in the tombstone, this existing wire will be for the hot, I now need to add a wire on the other side so I have a neutral and hot on each tombstone.

I removed the Ballast and used the wires from the ballast to rewire the tombstones, the problem here was that the hole in the tombstone to feed the wire on the other side did not go through to the metal piece like shown above, so I had to drill out the hole to accommodate the new wire. One side is red, the other side is blue.

Testing time

My 12 bulb Led grow light is working perfectly. 8 led tubes and 4 led tape strips.

I have the light setup as follows. The four led bulbs in the center are one group, the 4 outer Led's are another group and the led tape strips recently installed are another group, so they all work independently from one another. This works great If I am using two trays lengthwise. I turn on all the lights when using 4 trays side by side.

Plugs for outside Fluorescent bulbs and Led strip lighting.

The new 6000k Led bulbs came in. you can see the difference, one bulb in the center 4 (to the right) is a 4oook I believe.

I moved the Temperature controller and power station to the side, it was a bit of a PITA when I had to make adjustments on the light height with the timers plugged into the power strip.

Removed the silver Mylar and added flat white plastic tiles.

Tidying up the drawers

My indoor gardening is about to get a little bit easier

I installed these Adjustable Grow Light Rope Hangers and it is one of the best things I have done to this grow area.

December 19, 2018	#3
SQWIBB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Philly 7A Posts: 739	Supply List (updated 2018) Timer - Amazon 4 light Shop Light - Home Depot Germination Station - Midland Hardware Heat Mat Thermostat Garden Stake Tags - Amazon 6500k - Lowes 2018 Replaced with 6000k Led bulbs Amazon Oscillating Fan Power Strip Not the one in the picture, but this is what I use for my fish tank. 4 pack of LED Bulbs Tray# GS2211 and the dome is a V2211. Non Shunted Tombstones for Led's 20 oz. Tumblers 16 oz. Tumblers Adjustable Grow Light Rope Hanger December 18th, 2018 Update on the grow table Since I am going into my 4th year with the light, I decided to replace the 4 three year old fluorescent tubes with 6000k Led bulbs from Amazon, the cost of the Led's is 42.00 as opposed to 23.00 for new 6500k fluorescent bulbs at Lowes. My new bulbs are due to come in Friday but I had some motivation so I decided to do the mod and use my existing shop bulbs until the new bulbs come in. When I took the light down, I noticed a strip of Led's that were out, the Led strip still works but the driver is shot, I didn't feel like trying to figure out what driver it needed so I replaced with Led tape, and let me tell you, soldering Led tape is not fun! Pardon the grimy fingers, I'm a Printer by Trade. I installed three strips, 2 on the bad side and 1 on the good side. I placed the strip directly over top of the old strip and secured with hot melt glue. These fluorescent bulbs are three years old. Time to mod the fixture for the new Led's. The new Led's are "Single end powered ballast bypass" or "direct wire LED fluorescent replacement tubes" that means they are powered on one side and that there is a positive and negative on one side of the Led bulb and the other side is not powered. Disassembly and ballast removal. Ballast wires are cut a few inches from the ballast for two reasons; 1) to reuse the wires and 2) just in case I need to reuse the ballast. Tombstones have one wire so they are shunted. I checked the tombstones with a volt meter and verified that they are indeed shunted, so I need to fix that problem. Shunted Shunt removed. There is a little tab in the center that connects the two sides, this is a shunted tombstone, after the tab is removed it is now a non-shunted tombstone. Notice the wire touching the metal in the tombstone, this existing wire will be for the hot, I now need to add a wire on the other side so I have a neutral and hot on each tombstone. I removed the Ballast and used the wires from the ballast to rewire the tombstones, the problem here was that the hole in the tombstone to feed the wire on the other side did not go through to the metal piece like shown above, so I had to drill out the hole to accommodate the new wire. One side is red, the other side is blue. Testing time My 12 bulb Led grow light is working perfectly. 8 led tubes and 4 led tape strips. I have the light setup as follows. The four led bulbs in the center are one group, the 4 outer Led's are another group and the led tape strips recently installed are another group, so they all work independently from one another. This works great If I am using two trays lengthwise. I turn on all the lights when using 4 trays side by side. Plugs for outside Fluorescent bulbs and Led strip lighting. The new 6000k Led bulbs came in. you can see the difference, one bulb in the center 4 (to the right) is a 4oook I believe. I moved the Temperature controller and power station to the side, it was a bit of a PITA when I had to make adjustments on the light height with the timers plugged into the power strip. Removed the silver Mylar and added flat white plastic tiles. Tidying up the drawers My indoor gardening is about to get a little bit easier I installed these Adjustable Grow Light Rope Hangers and it is one of the best things I have done to this grow area.