Flip Flop Relay?

jfour

Active Member
Anyone have any links to a cheap Flip Flop Relay?


Or maybe even jsut have a name?

THanks



( A Flip FLop Relay is used to alternate the output of one 24 Hr a day Ballast to two 12 Hr a day Lamp and Hoods. It's used when the two lamps are in opposite light cycles)
 

Dirtfree

Well-Known Member
That link is worthless.

I found one but it is 350.00, it controls four ballasts and eight hoods.
Here is a link....
www.progressive-growth.com

Sorry you have to put in google
 

Dirtfree

Well-Known Member
That was the cheepest I could find!
It says you can have only one light controling two lamps if you want.
The other option is find an electrician.
They are pretty simple to make, just need a high load relay and a timer and the right plug ends.
 

Silky Shagsalot

Well-Known Member
go to e-bay and do a search for flip box. this is an entire flip including the relay. i just got one not too long ago....
 

jfour

Active Member
Well, thanks for all the help, its appreciated.

Problem is, every relay is more expensive then a balast and switch.

If one company had the sense to sell it for less than twice it's worth I would probably get it, lol.

Bah stupid greed.

Thanks again.
 

mr.smileyface

Well-Known Member
yo relays are about 20-40 bucks each. I can do two ballast off one relay. I use the black cords to flip the power and the white cords get wired together on the side with a morrette. So one relay has 6 black cords. One side for the ballast has two and the other has four. So for each side which is three cords. I screwed the black ones to the relay and the white cords i taped and put a morrette on the side. Makes sense cause your only flipping the power not the nuteral cords. Just make sure your relay can handle 15 amps. If your running on 120 you can only do one ballast per relay depending on your relays ampere max. I run 240v so i can get away with two ballast per relay. It cuts the relay cost down by half. Just make sure you rememberd what im saying.
So with 4 relays i can have 16 bulbs 8+8
 

michael39

Member
I'm not getting what you're saying and can't find a definition for morette without deeper digging. I thought of the possibility of using 2 relays, 1normally open and 1normally closed, then running the same coil to both. A relay either make or breaks theconnection on the hot wires, the neutral shouldn't even be relevant, no? And what is this mysterious morette?
 

mrmadcow

Well-Known Member
a standard dpdt relay will work but you need to know a few things.
1- the voltage coming out of a ballast can peak @600volts, input means nothing-120 or 240 vac, the ballasts job is to kick the voltage up to fire the bulb
2- a relay under $40 will probably be rated for at best 277 vac, running more through it will work for a while,maybe yrs but will eventually arcweld itself shut.-very little chance of a fire but is possible.a relay that can handle the voltage is going to be closer to $100.
3- ballast manufacturers recomend the ballast not be run 24/7 but recomend at least 2 hrs a day off to cool.
it makes more sense to me to buy a 2nd ballasts instead of a $40 relay and a new ballast every couple of yrs.
 

Beansly

RIU Bulldog
Here's a better DIY flip flop thread
Proceed with caution!
If you kill yourself it wont be on my head.
 
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