Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & More!

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

And that...boys n girls..is the insides of a T5 8 Bulb light unit. Kinda simple...... thank goodness

First thing I will do is check the ballasts. I hope that is not the problem, I don't have time to wait for an order. My nearest local hydro shop closed down...as they all seem to do here.

If it's not the ballast, then I will trace down the wires for loose connections. There are only two bulbs out, of the 8 and they are on the same end. That should make it easy peasy.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Well that was quick. It is a ballast. Damn!

Hope everyone survived the New Year festivities okay, and have a great week! Back to work today.

 

[wildjim]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

I have been checking my bud pantry and have discovered that all of my Boveda packs need recharging...yesterday.

So, in the meantime I decided to try an experiment to get some needed moisture back into the buds. Back when I was a smoker I used to buy tobacco by the bag and roll my own to save money. The tobacco would become dry and crumbly after a while and didn't make for a good ciggy. I would add a piece of bread into the bag overnight and by the next day it was "rehydrated"...so to speak. This is also what I do to get that rock hard brown sugar back into a soft state. Put the sugar in a bowl, top it with a piece of bread and put a lid on it. Works like a charm.

Let's see if it helps the dryness of a jar of popcorn and smaller buds. I used the butt end of a loaf of bread and cut it in a circle, then placed it on top of the buds. Hope it works for a temporary!

I used to use orange rinds. They worked well. Just don't leave them too long (too many days) in the jar.

WJ

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

I need help...electrical question on the T5 light unit. Apparently, either I had purchased a bad ballast to replace what I thought was a bad ballast in the unit, but no go. I still cannot get power to one switch/2 bulbs on this unit. I have traced every wire....I cannot figure this out. The only way I can get all 8 bulbs to light up is to eliminate one switch and the set of ballasts that go to that switch. Probably a bad switch, but I can actually get a bulb to partially light up with it. It's mind boggling at this pointn.

My question is, for the other two ballasts that operate the other 6 bulbs, will it be an issue to use those to run all 8?

The idea of the two switches is to have less bulbs on for veg mode, and all of them on for flower when more light is needed....I think.

I'll upload a pic of the ballasts with the max power information etc. in a bit.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Here's the ballasts on one side of the unit that run 4 bulbs:

Is this going to overheat or cause any kind of issue If I connect one more light to two of the ballasts? There are 4 of them total. What I see in the pic is that they can be set for 4 bulbs? Each ballast right now has two bulbs connected to it.

I really don't need the separate switches, so eliminating one will not cause me any problems. If I want to run just 4 or 6 bulbs, I can just remove what I don't need.

 

[MagicJim]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

I'd love to be able to help but vaguely understand electricity and certainly don't know what would be advisable here. I know you'll get it.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

I'd love to be able to help but vaguely understand electricity and certainly don't know what would be advisable here. I know you'll get it.

Thanks Magic dude.

A little more info for anyone with ideas here....

There are only two bulbs not being lit up. Two "sockets" on one end appear to have an issue, there are two other lights working off the ballast I thought was bad. So, it isn't the ballast....and I just tested the switch. Works fine. I tried bulbs from the other end that lit up, and they won't light on that end either.

I may have to just accept a 6 bulb unit and move on with these plants who have been in the front windows during this down time.

 

[Radogast]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Here's the ballasts on one side of the unit that run 4 bulbs:

Is this going to overheat or cause any kind of issue If I connect one more light to two of the ballasts? There are 4 of them total. What I see in the pic is that they can be set for 4 bulbs? Each ballast right now has two bulbs connected to it.

I really don't need the separate switches, so eliminating one will not cause me any problems. If I want to run just 4 or 6 bulbs, I can just remove what I don't need.

If that photo is of your ballast, and your ballast has 4 blue wires and 2 red wires - The diagram pretty much says it's OK to run 4 lamps from that one ballast. If the label said 120/240V I would be concerned, but it just says 120V.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

If that photo is of your ballast, and your ballast has 4 blue wires and 2 red wires - The diagram pretty much says it's OK to run 4 lamps from that one ballast. If the label said 120/240V I would be concerned, but it just says 120V.

Thank you Radogast. Looking at these two ballasts, each set of them (2 sets) are integrated onto a strip of metal casing. I don't see any wires connecting the "Ballastwise side from the "Duropower" side, but I'm sure they are both operating from the same ground wire as there is only one green ground wire connecting to the duropower ballast end of the metal strip, nothing from the ballastwise. There are only two blue wires coming from each ballast. I'm thinking that diagram is referring to both ballasts as one unit...... see this pic again to show how they are connected:

When I connect the "new" ballastwise that I ordered in place of the one that is clearly not working, I get nothing. Even making sure it is attached to the strip that is grounded.

I'll try it again this afternoon and see what happens. I need to get a battery for my multimeter and do some testing with that once the new ballast is reconnected.
If I can't get it fixed, then I will just go with the 6 bulbs and rewire to space them out across the lamp housing instead of having two completely out on one end, which limits the number of plants I can get under there that receive light. If all of that makes sense to you, ....I'm happy.

 

[Shawnee]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Hi Canna, Duggan is an electrician I do believe at a University in Canada.....wonderful man....a high brix Doc Bud grower and he would be happy to help you...good people of the highest order....

 

[ohioboy]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Hey canna I'm back on the grid and have started my germination today. I ordered two new mars 600's and am still building up my space but I couldn't wait to start lol so I'm germinating in the closet again until the room is done should finish next week. Glad to see you and nis are doing well bummer about the t5 but extra bulbs are better than no bulbs and if you gotta move all the plants out to get the fixture down to change out the ballast then that's your excuse to super clean lol. I'm looking for the bright side here. I'm glad to be back see ya around


Ohioboy can't stop!! Ohioboy With Fast Buds - Let's See How Fast Exactly

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Hi Canna, Duggan is an electrician I do believe at a University in Canada.....wonderful man....a high brix Doc Bud grower and he would be happy to help you...good people of the highest order....

Thanks Shawnee, I am totally familiar with Duggan. If this turns out that the new ballast is a good one, and I still can't get this working....I may send him a message.
Hope you are doing well! Loving this weather, makes for much easier driving back and forth to the dentist a couple times a week right now. Although, the headlights on the truck went kapoot. I think it's the relay switch in the fusebox, high beams work. I might have to peeve a few people off before I get this fixed.

Hey canna I'm back on the grid and have started my germination today. I ordered two new mars 600's and am still building up my space but I couldn't wait to start lol so I'm germinating in the closet again until the room is done should finish next week. Glad to see you and nis are doing well bummer about the t5 but extra bulbs are better than no bulbs and if you gotta move all the plants out to get the fixture down to change out the ballast then that's your excuse to super clean lol. I'm looking for the bright side here. I'm glad to be back see ya around


Ohioboy can't stop!! Ohioboy With Fast Buds - Let's See How Fast Exactly

Thanks for looking at the "bright" side with me. Glad you are back, and I will send major good vibes for healthy sprouts and plants!

I will pop over soon!


I'm having more luck in the kitchen cooking with cannabis than I am with lighting right now.

 

[Shawnee]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

oh, Canna, I feel for you....I was doing the exact dentist thing this time last year, Good Lord.

My first Blueberry Headband did not pop up, but my second did whoo hoo.

Also, that White Widow is a great looking girl. I've got more strains to shake a stick at and am really loving it....what a way to begin the new year....I am very grateful....

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Here's what's been happening with this problematic winter grow.

While the T5 unit has been in repair mode, my living room and dining room windows looked like this:

Unfortunately timing wasn't all I had planned, so they remained there for almost a week. Yep, they are in flower. It's okay, they have been in veg about 3 months now.

So I transferred some LED's upstairs and got my rolling rack higher to accommodate how tall these plants already are, plus expected stretch. They fit under there pretty good for now. Some super cropping is in the plans on a couple of them.

I have 1 Caramelo, 3 Purple Paralysis, 1 White Widow, 1 Super Cheese, 1 Pineapple Chunk, 1 Sweet Critical, and 1 Blueberry Cheesecake.

In the seedling room, it's been a battle as well. I think we are finally over the critters. These will all go into final pots tomorrow and under a Mars Hydro light gifted to me a couple years ago by a very good friend whom I miss much lately. The one in the back is a Darkstar, what a difference between that one and her other two siblings. Transplant needs to be done tomorrow for sure, the seedling soil is obviously depleted of nutrients based on the leaf color of the smaller ones.

3 Darkstar, and two White Cookies Clones:

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Now, the basement flowering grow. Disaster. I did get a harvest out of the White Cookies, but it was minimal. I didn't even weigh it up.
All three remaining plants had to be totally destroyed due to the damage done by the infestation of Thrips and Aphids. There was really nothing left to save, what buds were building were so full of bug crap that there was no way that I could have cleaned them off. Out to the fire pit they went. Such a shame. I couldn't keep going down there to try to control it, because every trip back upstairs would have brought bugs up with me. They could have been stuck anywhere on me. It would have been a vicious circle.

I turned off the heat vent and covered it up. The room has been vacuumed and cleaned, and I think I'm going to do a bug bomb down there as well. There will be nothing put down there at all now. Maybe by spring/summer it will be safe.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Super cropping has been done to 3 of the taller plants.

Here's two of the branches I chose:

Start with a clear area of the stem, press it between thumb and forefinger until you feel the inside of the stem give. I don't roll it when I press it, I just move my fingers to the other side and press again if needed. Then let it fall where it wants, if it doesn't fall I will gently nudge it downward. If it still won't go, I press again maybe a little higher or lower than the first time. The idea here is to let the stem bend downward without breaking through the outer skin. That way the stem can still take up nutrients.

On this one I pressed a bit hard and it oozed some life out from above my fingers, so I stopped and gently nudged it downward. I think it will be fine.

Now the canopy is a little more even. I might do a couple more tomorrow when I check on these. Sometimes they will be stubborn and grow right back straight up on ya. I may have to temporarily tie that larger one down.

 

[georos]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Hey Cannafan. How did those white cookies turn out? Just finishing last few weeks of mine.


Sent from my iPhone using 420 Magazine Mobile App

 

[Radogast]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

You've been through a lot lately - but - you've done this before. You are working it all out.

 

[Shawnee]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Have you ever burned sulfer, Canna?

 

[Duggan]

Re: Cannafan's Perpetual Grow - Where Everything Changes - Autos - Photos - Seeds & M

Here's the ballasts on one side of the unit that run 4 bulbs:

Is this going to overheat or cause any kind of issue If I connect one more light to two of the ballasts? There are 4 of them total. What I see in the pic is that they can be set for 4 bulbs? Each ballast right now has two bulbs connected to it.

I really don't need the separate switches, so eliminating one will not cause me any problems. If I want to run just 4 or 6 bulbs, I can just remove what I don't need.

Cannafan, i got the word you needed some electrical help. I'm getting ready to go to my son's hockey and am really tired right now....freekin early morning Sunday practices....bahhhh! I'l get on here with you later today OK. Dugg's.