I recently posted a thread asking for help wiring my HPS 250 watt ballast... I wired it up but still couldn't find a lamp socket so I wrapped the bulb in copper wire and soldered the ballast to the bulb that way... anyways...

Now that I've put energy through it I'm worried that it might be storing a charge and I'm afraid to touch anything... I was wondering if anyone has any tips for making sure this thing is not going to shock me and without damaging any components! I don't want to do anything that could damage the bulb and since the bulb is now soldered to the ballast lol I just want to get some tips before I proceed.

Much appreciation to you guys for helping me get this far.

I posted a video of me firing it up the first time it was awesome thanks again.

 

I recently posted a thread asking for help wiring my HPS 250 watt ballast... I wired it up but still couldn't find a lamp socket so I wrapped the bulb in copper wire and soldered the ballast to the bulb that way... anyways...

Now that I've put energy through it I'm worried that it might be storing a charge and I'm afraid to touch anything... I was wondering if anyone has any tips for making sure this thing is not going to shock me and without damaging any components! I don't want to do anything that could damage the bulb and since the bulb is now soldered to the ballast lol I just want to get some tips before I proceed.

Much appreciation to you guys for helping me get this far.

I posted a video of me firing it up the first time it was awesome thanks again.

http://www.darwinawards.com/

 

Obviously you don't really know what you are doing. I would suggest you start with stuff that runs on 5V and learn about electronics.
I don't want to discourage you but the things some novices start to play with really is frightening.
Get some electronics experience and you will learn why we advise you to stay away from mains.
Please stop that direction of experimenting and start with safe stuff.
There are a lot of sites to help. Here is one...
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/education/

 

The only way energy can be stored in your disconnected ballast is in the capacitors , not clear from your circuit if a resistance is permanently across the capacitors , if so any charge will dissipate and it's safe , if not it's dangerous ...

follow the leads out of the capacitors , and check with a voltmeter , or momentarily put the two wires together this will discharge with a spark any stored electricity ....

ps I would move over to LEDs ...cheaper , less hassle, more efficient especially for growing plants ....

 

thanks oz93666! I didn't think that there was any electricity in the whole thing and just the capacitor. I just wanted to ask and get some input so thanks for that. I was afraid to discharge it because I'm worried I would damage the ignitor or the bulb or something. I have no idea whats in the ignitor or how it works. …

I'm going to plug the ballast into a grounded power strip that's turned off to see if it will release the capacitors charge. Then I will touch the capacitor to some plyers…

I'll let you guys know if the capacitor is even charged after being plugged into a grounded outlet that has no power running through it.

I've just been turning it on once in a while letting it run for like an hour. It's working great.

 

thanks oz93666! I didn't think that there was any electricity in the whole thing and just the capacitor. I just wanted to ask and get some input so thanks for that. I was afraid to discharge it because I'm worried I would damage the ignitor or the bulb or something. I have no idea whats in the ignitor or how it works. …

I'm going to plug the ballast into a grounded power strip that's turned off to see if it will release the capacitors charge. Then I will touch the capacitor to some plyers…

I'll let you guys know if the capacitor is even charged after being plugged into a grounded outlet that has no power running through it.

I've just been turning it on once in a while letting it run for like an hour. It's working great.

Post photos when you're black & crispy.

 

Post photos when you're black & crispy.

Black and crispy like the time I took apart a microwave so I could microwave my own head point blank?

 

Black and crispy like the time I took apart a microwave so I could microwave my own head point blank?

Now I know URA troll.

 

I recently posted a thread asking for help wiring my HPS 250 watt ballast... I wired it up but still couldn't find a lamp socket so I wrapped the bulb in copper wire and soldered the ballast to the bulb that way... anyways...

Now that I've put energy through it I'm worried that it might be storing a charge and I'm afraid to touch anything... I was wondering if anyone has any tips for making sure this thing is not going to shock me and without damaging any components! I don't want to do anything that could damage the bulb and since the bulb is now soldered to the ballast lol I just want to get some tips before I proceed.

Much appreciation to you guys for helping me get this far.

I posted a video of me firing it up the first time it was awesome thanks again.

If you do not have a large amount of experience, please do not play with mains or potentially lethal voltages! Stick to low voltage current limited supplies. Arduino, logic chips, and LEDs are the best way to start out. And do you even know about basic safety precautions? Do you understand what I mean when I say you are a parasitic capacitance to ground? If not, please avoid any kind of mains wiring/HV. And do you know which side of the line to ALWAYS put a switch for mains appliances?

Some shocking info: even just 5-10mA can be lethal, and your resistance can be just a few kiliohms when compromised. Do the math (V=IR). This only applies to DC.

 

Now I know URA troll.

Rofl you've done nothing but troll me since I posted this... sad life

ANYWAYS So I got the nerve to proceed with tests to make sure the system is not carrying a charge. I took a step to see if the system would de-energize on its own by keeping it plugged in to a grounded socket without power connected.

I connected the capacitors wires with some pillars and nothing happened! I then touched the wires together and nothing happened again.

I'm pretty sure that the system lost all of its electricity without any effort on my part besides making sure it was grounded after being turned off...

I'm cant be 100% certain that being grounded had anything to do with it or if the light bulb sucked up the last of the energy... Either way thanks for the help people... Everyone except "ian field"

If you do not have a large amount of experience, please do not play with mains or potentially lethal voltages! Stick to low voltage current limited supplies. Arduino, logic chips, and LEDs are the best way to start out. And do you even know about basic safety precautions? Do you understand what I mean when I say you are a parasitic capacitance to ground? If not, please avoid any kind of mains wiring/HV. And do you know which side of the line to ALWAYS put a switch for mains appliances?

Some shocking info: even just 5-10mA can be lethal, and your resistance can be just a few kiliohms when compromised. Do the math (V=IR). This only applies to DC.

Yeah I have experience with high amp electronics... Mostly microwave oven experiments... I've been through all of this before and I know basic safety precautions like... Wearing my rubber crocs so I'm not grounded... Don't touch anything when it's plugged in... I stuck my finger in a light socket multiple times when I was a little kid so... yea thanks for advice I take it all seriously. By the way I'm not playing around here I'm seriously. ​

 

 

Rofl you've done nothing but troll me since I posted this... sad life

That's OK - problem solved once you kill yourself.

We try to save people from themselves - but we just give up when the stupid is insurmountable.

 

Rofl you've done nothing but troll me since I posted this... sad life

ANYWAYS So I got the nerve to proceed with tests to make sure the system is not carrying a charge. I took a step to see if the system would de-energize on its own by keeping it plugged in to a grounded socket without power connected.

I connected the capacitors wires with some pillars and nothing happened! I then touched the wires together and nothing happened again.

I'm pretty sure that the system lost all of its electricity without any effort on my part besides making sure it was grounded after being turned off...

I'm cant be 100% certain that being grounded had anything to do with it or if the light bulb sucked up the last of the energy... Either way thanks for the help people... Everyone except "ian field"

Yeah I have experience with high amp electronics... Mostly microwave oven experiments... I've been through all of this before and I know basic safety precautions like... Wearing my rubber crocs so I'm not grounded... Don't touch anything when it's plugged in... I stuck my finger in a light socket multiple times when I was a little kid so... yea thanks for advice I take it all seriously. By the way I'm not playing around here I'm seriously. ​

Microwave is high voltage not high current! You are a parasitic capacitance to ground, so with AC, large currents can still pass through you. You may also have wet shoes, etc. Your existence as a troll is also parasitic to this world (no offense). I SERIOUSLY suggest you get away from mains with how little knowledge you have. It is not just when it is plugged in. You could have a charged capacitor or something that could easily kill you.

 

Microwave is high voltage not high current! You are a parasitic capacitance to ground, so with AC, large currents can still pass through you. You may also have wet shoes, etc. Your existence as a troll is also parasitic to this world (no offense). I SERIOUSLY suggest you get away from mains with how little knowledge you have. It is not just when it is plugged in. You could have a charged capacitor or something that could easily kill you.

MICROWAVES??!!! - I was wondering if I'd over reacted to the danger here!!!

I've posted the Darwin Award link as a warning - I think the administrators must've dozed off...…………..

 

I am the police! Well, in that I, despite being a humble hobbyist, have to talk people out of killing themselves! Just like police.

 

This thread had included the safety issue, so now was closed.