Just curious on what I so with the dimmer? Will i get shocked with the connections just open like that?
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doubtful as its 0-10v and low current, though you can cover them up with some shrink tube or liquid electrical tape
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Dear god you could light a baseball diamond with that thing lol. The grass would probably grow too!
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Like Mr Sparkle said, not likely to hurt you. I myself would cover the connections just to prevent the legs from shorting out if it hits metal. Nothing seriously bad would happen; your light would just be bright.
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Yes, what @Mr.Sparkle said. Might want to pop a knob on it too! Easier to use, but not needed to operate. 
So this is embarassing. But I wired the new ballast I was replacing to the existing 3 pin connector without checking the wiring on the other side. Just figuring it was wired correctly. It was not.
Tripped my breaker
Apparently the live was wired to the ground slot. The neutral was in the right spot. And the ground was wired to the live slot.
Did I ruin the ballast?
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Probably not, but the only way to find out is to retire and flip the breaker. Safety should be built into the driver, to a point, and from the outlet to the breaker panel.
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Isn’t that the whole point!?! 
Cheers
G
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Potentiometers like those are a bit like reaching the volume knob on an old TV with a long stick… it doesn’t pose a risk.
It controls a current/voltage that controls the main current But like with any electronic/electric circuit that is exposed, there’s always a chance of getting touched by something that can short the circuit, so like @Mr.Sparkle suggested, just use electrical shrink wrap to reduce the risk and you should have no problem.
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This is all dope af and has me looking at an upgrade in my next couple grow cycles. How big of an area do y’all think 10 of the solstix x3s will flower?
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I think they are around 80 watts rating. So ran at 70% to keep them cool makes 56 watts.
56x10=560
560 watts divided by 35 watts per square foot makes 16 feet which is a 4x4 area.
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Damn, not as cheap as I was hoping/coverage area. They’re rated at 86w, would it be safe to run them at 80w? I can’t imagine degradation accelerates to quickly if you run them at/near 100%.
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Peace fellow OGers. I was wondering if some of you could point me in the direction of the best budget friendly strips to build a good veg light. I have an extra hlg 185-48 driver that I would like to use. Thanks in advance.
Peace
NSBs
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Bridgelux 3500k to 4000k Gen 2 and Gen3 seem to be a good choice from previous posts in this thread.
Octapart.com to search for parts and prices.
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In general with LED lights, especially strips, you want to run them as low power and hang them as close to your canopy as possible. There’s a cost/benefit analysis that people do to find the best strip for a given situation, and it’s almost always more strips run at lower power, rather than the opposite.
Speaking of, @The_Lazy_Hippie tipped me off that the 2700K 90cri Bridgelux EB3 4ft strips have had a major price cut at Future Electronics. They’re $10.18 per strip when ordered in multiples of 20 (which is perfect for a 4x4 build). $8.79 per strip when you buy 60 or more. That puts them on par with the EB2 strips if you’re building multiple fixtures. Build fixtures around 10 strips per HLG-320H-42a driver and you’re set for a 2x4 flowering rig, two for a 4x4 that you could legit flower a 5x5 with at full power.
@oleskool830 put me on the best price I’ve found for angle aluminum to build the frames, too. $9.83 per 8ft stick of 1"x1"x1/8" angle aluminum from Grainger, and I know most of you have Graingers nearby for pickup.
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If I make the switch to led I’m trying to keep the same capabilities as my 3 1000w hids in a 6×12 area. I’m gonna need to do some math. 
and get out a grow or 2 with the current setup.
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*disregard, see posts below
Hmm, maybe you can just x3 what @nube just put together especially since there is a deal going on right now, I mean he mapped it out for a 2x4, so times 3 puts you at a 6x12.
So 30 strips (I think you might have to buy in sets of 20, at least the ones he’s referring to, so 40 actually), and 3 drivers, then make three frames for 13 strips each and you’ll have a spare strip just in case one goes bad.
Heck, I just bought some 2 footers but am thinking about grabbing a set of those 20 4 footers for supplemental outdoor greenhouse lighting.
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FWIW I run (14) X2s on (2) 320w ballasts which is around 45w per
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So I found some qb288 boards with lm281b diodes (3500k + uv + ir) $15 each on alibaba. Thinking 20 boards with 10 hlg240 drivers. Just not sure what all else I’ll need(this won’t be happening for at least a few months), just trying to get it planned out so that I know what I’m getting myself into 
(I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew.)
Better check your math… 3x2x4 != 6x12
The correct answer is 9x2x4 = 6x12
But your point is still true especially if taking advantage of the bulk deals.
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