VHO lighting problem
14 posts • Page 1 of 2
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fihsboy - Posts: 1837
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:20 pm
VHO lighting problem
Okay so i bought the PFO 4 lamp ballast that will run 2 3 or four lamps....Problem is it will only run 4......if i put two in there it wont fire. If i put three same thing. Anyone have any idea how to either re wire......or what ever I have to do.
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puffedupseagull - Posts: 623
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:38 am
Hi im an electrician by trade, and it could be that Electrically its not making the connection unless all bulbs are in.
Like a Christmas tree lights for example. Without looking it seems to me that they could be in series. If you take one bulb out, you actually in fact make the whole circuit open. It would be a matter of re wiring it so that they are in parallel. This way the current has always got a return path even when a bulb is out. Below is a link that describes it a little more in depth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_and ... l_circuits
Like a Christmas tree lights for example. Without looking it seems to me that they could be in series. If you take one bulb out, you actually in fact make the whole circuit open. It would be a matter of re wiring it so that they are in parallel. This way the current has always got a return path even when a bulb is out. Below is a link that describes it a little more in depth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_and ... l_circuits
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blueshoes2208 - Posts: 1077
- Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:01 pm
haha i ddint know that, so im guessing you know what happened when my friend stuck a paperclip into the light socket?
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blueshoes2208 - Posts: 1077
- Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:01 pm
hahaha we saw a fireworks show in history class... sparks look cool on concrete walls and tile floors haha
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puffedupseagull - Posts: 623
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:38 am
That stuff you guys have is baby Voltage. 110v isnt it. We have 240 at the house, some have 415v 3 phase places, but i work with live 1000v minig gear most of the time. Can be very scary when your underground about 5 kms and its blacker than black, and you see a metre long blue spark belt out of somewhere.
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puffedupseagull - Posts: 623
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:38 am
Well your power in the us is 110v supply to your house it think. Our supply is 240 volts.
I do site service work as an electrician on mining gear. You no Miner cutters, Shuttle cars iemcos, roof bolters etc, coal is big money here and when their machines break down, they want them fixed yesterday. I go down the coal shaft to where the machine has broken down and we try to get it working again. Imagine being underground a few kms or miles, holding your hand only an inch from your face and not being able to see it. the only reason you no its there is the smell. Thats how dark it is. All we have is a pit lamp on a hard hat connected to a battery pack that you have to hump around everywhere. generally its wet down there to, and your up to your anckle sometimes knees in black coal mud. F***K its fun
I do site service work as an electrician on mining gear. You no Miner cutters, Shuttle cars iemcos, roof bolters etc, coal is big money here and when their machines break down, they want them fixed yesterday. I go down the coal shaft to where the machine has broken down and we try to get it working again. Imagine being underground a few kms or miles, holding your hand only an inch from your face and not being able to see it. the only reason you no its there is the smell. Thats how dark it is. All we have is a pit lamp on a hard hat connected to a battery pack that you have to hump around everywhere. generally its wet down there to, and your up to your anckle sometimes knees in black coal mud. F***K its fun
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Snowboss4492 - Posts: 2098
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:24 pm
Puff . . . . i spent 15 yrs in the petroleum field ....started on a shovel, went to electrical and ended up an electronics technitian/job foreman.........yeah i only delt with 110, and 220 most of the time but got into some phase wild leg power for coolers and a/c units.....................all explosion proof nd sealed conduit and boxes, dangerous as hell but i miss it........kind of a rush when you get to come home with all your extremities intact.................lol.......man i miss it - - - much respect to you for doing thiat all under ground....interesting stuff - - - only problem with 110 vac is thats its a grabber, 220 and up just throws you across the room or blows something off your body as it travels through, 110 will grab you and hang on shaking the crap out of you till someone kills the power or it kills you
i would bet good money that the light is wired in series as well, easy mod with some wire nuts, just make sure the ballast is definatley rated to run 2-3-or4 fixtures, you don't want to over power 2 lamps vs correct power 4 - -some commercial light ballasts have "pitails" coming off of them, and there should be a diagram somewhere that tells you which leads connect to make 2 - 3 or 4 lamps light correctly or which leads make 440vac, 220vac and / or 110vac
Snowboss
i would bet good money that the light is wired in series as well, easy mod with some wire nuts, just make sure the ballast is definatley rated to run 2-3-or4 fixtures, you don't want to over power 2 lamps vs correct power 4 - -some commercial light ballasts have "pitails" coming off of them, and there should be a diagram somewhere that tells you which leads connect to make 2 - 3 or 4 lamps light correctly or which leads make 440vac, 220vac and / or 110vac
Snowboss
Last edited by Snowboss4492 on Tue Sep 30, 2008 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
