No more bad timers

Made this today at work
It is a 30 amp relay controlled by the timer so no load passes thru the timer.
Also has built in amp gauge to monitor current draw.

Cool. That's a nice lil invention.

Totally blatant use of a safety device........might as well put a fire extinguisher in the room while your at it....

allgrownup said:

Totally blatant use of a safety device........might as well put a fire extinguisher in the room while your at it....

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I dont get it ?

Nice to see someone else besides me is using contactors to carry the load of those lights. This does take all the load off the timer. I never thought of the amp guage tho. Great idea dude. Looks very safe to me.

Can you make me one??

so hows this timer workin for ya now?

That is awesome, really really awesome, thats exactly what I need. Expect a PM from me in the comming weeks my friend, I may need to pick your brain. Nice work.

someguy said:

so hows this timer workin for ya now?

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Still working, im going to be on grow 3 with it soon.

GREAT JOB ! thats the kind of thing to pass on to others !!!

Nice work my friend. Take care and be safe.

I'm just a little confused about what the purpose of the Ammeter is. If you know what the input specs are for your light set up and you are using a heavier rated circuit, then why do you care what the actual amperage is?

I'm not criticizing you, just asking for your reasoning so that I'll understand the purpose for it.

Also, for us that are a little -- or a lot-- less knowledgeable about household/commercial electrical things, where can we find these AC relays and boxes?

Approximately what should we expect to pay for the components for the relay, components and box?

Thanks for the great idea!

Don Jones

DonJones said:

I'm just a little confused about what the purpose of the Ammeter is. If you know what the input specs are for your light set up and you are using a heavier rated circuit, then why do you care what the actual amperage is?

I'm not criticizing you, just asking for your reasoning so that I'll understand the purpose for it.

Also, for us that are a little -- or a lot-- less knowledgeable about household/commercial electrical things, where can we find these AC relays and boxes?

Approximately what should we expect to pay for the components for the relay, components and box?

Thanks for the great idea!

Don Jones

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I plug 2 400 watt lights and some fans into it, lets me make sure Im not pushing thing too much, Really it was just laying around so I said Yea thats trick.
As for the relay A electrical supply or try Mcmaster carr.com
Prob. around 50$ for the timer and box or so.

My idea was to use something like this to control several low current items at once with one timer. Like say using the relay to power 8 duplex plugs and run 15 air farm hydro setups off of one time and another identical setup to run the air stones to aerate the 15 individual reservoirs off of one other timer, and finally another relay to run the lights and fans of off another single timer.

Is that kind of what you had in mind, as well as reducing the current load on the timers.

I can understand using the ammeter just because you had it around. I've done similar things myself.

Thanks for the idea and the quick explanation.

Don Jones

DonJones said:

My idea was to use something like this to control several low current items at once with one timer. Like say using the relay to power 8 duplex plugs and run 15 air farm hydro setups off of one time and another identical setup to run the air stones to aerate the 15 individual reservoirs off of one other timer, and finally another relay to run the lights and fans of off another single timer.

Is that kind of what you had in mind, as well as reducing the current load on the timers.

I can understand using the ammeter just because you had it around. I've done similar things myself.

Thanks for the idea and the quick explanation.

Don Jones

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The main reason to use this is in high current applications to save the timer contacts.

Growdude,

I have come up with a new question that I think the answer to is probably "Yes, it'll work." but I want to be sure before I try it.

I was thinking of using 2 of your relays controlled off of one timer. My timers all have 2 outlets. I was thinking of using one outlet to control the relay in the box and the other outlet to control a second relay/outlet box powered by a second circuit by connecting an extension cord from the timer outlet through the control circuit only on the second relay and then running the separate second circuit through the Input/Output circuit only.

My logic is that the control circuit is electrically separate from the switched circuit and do NOT have to be powered from the same source circuit. ( in fact if I remember my AC 110 v electrical stuff correctly, I could even plug the timer into a wall outlet, put the 2 relays on the 2 opposing legs of a 220 v line from the breaker box and control the 2 relays with the extension cords from the timer that is plugged into the wall outlet.) Is that correct and will it work?

If my explanation/question is confusing, please let me know and I'll try to sketch a schematic for you.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and for your patience?

Don Jones

DonJones said:

Growdude,

I have come up with a new question that I think the answer to is probably "Yes, it'll work." but I want to be sure before I try it.

I was thinking of using 2 of your relays controlled off of one timer. My timers all have 2 outlets. I was thinking of using one outlet to control the relay in the box and the other outlet to control a second relay/outlet box powered by a second circuit by connecting an extension cord from the timer outlet through the control circuit only on the second relay and then running the separate second circuit through the Input/Output circuit only.

My logic is that the control circuit is electrically separate from the switched circuit and do NOT have to be powered from the same source circuit. ( in fact if I remember my AC 110 v electrical stuff correctly, I could even plug the timer into a wall outlet, put the 2 relays on the 2 opposing legs of a 220 v line from the breaker box and control the 2 relays with the extension cords from the timer that is plugged into the wall outlet.) Is that correct and will it work?

If my explanation/question is confusing, please let me know and I'll try to sketch a schematic for you.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and for your patience?

Don Jones

Click to expand...

If I understand correctly it will work.
The timer can turn on 2 relays with no problem, then if you had 2 different source voltages it would be fine.
And yes you could use it to control a 220 volt line with a 120 circuit.

Here is the start of my multiple circuit light controller, based off of Growdude's original timer saving controller.

Basically all I did was use a relay that had 2 poles like his, but instead of running both the line and neutral legs of the 120V circuit thorough the relay I only ran the line legs through it. Then I used a 2 wire extension cord to connect the timer to the control circuit of the relay. While not as neat and self contained as Growdude's original, my versiion lets me control 2 separate circuits with one timer because I'm geeting too many lights to run on one plugin circuit. Using extension cords instead of plugs and sockets enables me to mount the control box where ever I want it and run the extension cords to it.

It only made sense to me to use 1 timer and relay to control the 2 line legs of 2 separate circuits rather than to interrupt both legs of only one circuit.

This will be a work in progress so there will be other pictures later.

The attached circuit diagram has Grow dude's original diagram on top --IT IS MISTAKENLY LABELED AS BEING TATER'S --SORRY GUYS --and on the bottom is my version of the diagram showing running 2 power extension cords in with only the line legs going through the relay and the neutral and ground wires just going along the side of the relay. I also use a simple 2 wire extension cord to power the holding coil in the relay -- a 3 wire cord could just as easily be used but then you would have to fasten the ground wire some where and my relay doesn't have any provisions for a ground wire. I apologize for the poor quality of my diagram, but it is hand sketched and I do not claim to be a draftsman.

The picture is of the parts that I will be using to build my Light Controller. Not shown here are the various extension cords needed. In the background is the used construction power center that I will be using for a box. I will leave the circuit breaker assemblies installed to that I can use this for the power distribution center too when I finally get my new 220v circuit ran to the grow room. Please ignore it for this project.

I'll post pictures of the results when I get it done.

Good Smoking.

I forgot to attach the diagram and picture. My only excuse is that we have a lot of turmoil here today and I keep getting interrupted.

Good smoking

Edited by DonJones -- The darn diagram didn't upload for some reason so if you need it we can try PMing it to somebody and letting them post it. Basically, I just used the same diagram only ran one circuit through each half of the relay and back to ground without going back through the relay. Then I did the same thing with the other half of the relay. The other thing is YOU MUST USE 2 DIFFERENT POWER SOURCES FOR THE CONTROLLED LIGHT CIRCUITS and I also used a separate cord from the timer to the control circuit in the relay so that I can mount the box where ever I need it.

I just checked the attachment manager and it was a pdf file and I guess the manager doesn't like PDF files.

View attachment Light Control circuits0001.pdf

Let's try again. I just shrunk it down to my circuit and saved it as a jpg file.

Good smoking.

Edited by DonJones: Finally got it.