Thread: Can someone help me wire a 'lampholder'?

http://images.orgill.com/200x200/6103527.jpg

It looks just like that, only ceramic, and is pretty old.

I remember a thread where a guy posted a DIY on how to wire them up, a bunch of them, and then wire the group to the power cord of just any old house appliance.

Can anyone point me in that direction? Thanks, in advance.

Looks like a std. 2-wire socket. There should be screws on the back for the terminals. Just connect a two-pronged extension cord/wire to the terminals. (Use a three pronged cord/wire if there is a green screw terminal, as the green is the ground) As long as the ground is right (if there is one) it won't matter which wire you put to which terminal, it'll light the lamp

Hmmm, so how would I connect one lampholder to each other, so that I can use one cord to power maybe two or three of them?

I've seen that done, but I don't know where I get the wire to connect them. Thanks.

How to Wire a Circuit "In Parallel"

There are diagrams of wiring in series and parallel - You would use parallel wiring, since if you wire in series, if one light goes out the rest of them go out.

STD 16 or 14 AWG lamp cord from any home depot, old extension cords, etc etc will be sufficient to wire them if you are only doing 3 or 4 - if more then maybe a slightly higher gauge

Proper wiring is a safety factor.
On the "shell" of the lampholder is the "grounded" wire or Neutral. On 115 volt circuits this would be the white wire. On a polarized plug this would be the broader (fatter) prong of the two (look closely, usually one prong is slightly broader). Lamp cord is also polarized, the "grounded" wire is the "identified" wire. It will have ridges on the outside of the insulation.
The "hot" wire on the cord will be smooth. It wires to the center contact in the lampholder. On the plug it wires to the thinned prong.

Any questions?

Shov

Uhhhm..


http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/7255/1003205ka9.jpg

K I got that.

Now, I don't know where the ground would be on that, but each of the screws are accompanied by a letter, "N" and "L".


Now, one wire of the power cord, does seem to have three groves put into the insulation, while the other looks to be smooth.

And the underside of the smooth wire has a bunch of what looks like factory imprinting/writing.

What can I do to keep those wires from coming into contact with skin or housing material, tape?

(N)eutral and (L)ive/(L)ine most likely is what the letters designate. The (L) goes to the center of the light socket?

The lettering on the wire helps you to keep the two strands identified for the whole length of cord

You should mount it to a piece of wood or something to "hide" the screws so you can't touch them. Tape could work, but wouldn't be as safe - I'd prefer to have it mounted

Ok. will do thanks.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

Ok, I think I might have made a series circuit but I'm not sure.

I tried to replicate the parallel circuit as best as I could.

I figured the batter would've been the power cord coming from the wall, and that Neutral could pass for the positive.

I connected the cord from the wall to the N on the fixture, and then using another type of cord, this time silver, instead of copper, connected that connection on the fixture to the same type of connection on the next fixture.

I did the same for the "L" or negative cord, and then plugged up in a they lit up.

So I guess I'm happy, but tell me if I did anything wrong. Also, could you recommend a method for hanging them? I currently just put two twist hooks into the plank of wood, and then hung that from a clothes bar in the closet using an old length of wire, pretty ghetto but it works for now.

ImageShack - Hosting :: 1003212wh3.jpg

I want to put another fixture on that plank to get a total of three CFL's to it, and then maybe build another one when I have the materials, also, are the fixtures pretty cheap? I heard somewhere between 50 cents and 2 dollars.

Thanks.

Here's Stretchy Pants Mcgee.

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/7955/1003215on6.jpg

Just an update:

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/3460/1003216ur5.jpg

I've moved both CFL's directly to this plant as the other one seems to be dying.

Does it look like a healthy improvement? More water? When should I start fertilizing? Thanks.

Originally Posted by ate

Hmmmmmmmmm.

Ok, I think I might have made a series circuit but I'm not sure.


I connected the cord from the wall to the N on the fixture, and then using another type of cord, this time silver, instead of copper, connected that connection on the fixture to the same type of connection on the next fixture.

I did the same for the "L" or negative cord, and then plugged up in a they lit up.

^^^If this is what you did then it sounds like a parallel circuit - try unscrewing the bulb closest to the plug/wall socket and see if the other one lights. If not, then its series

So I guess I'm happy, but tell me if I did anything wrong. Also, could you recommend a method for hanging them? I currently just put two twist hooks into the plank of wood, and then hung that from a clothes bar in the closet using an old length of wire, pretty ghetto but it works for now.

ImageShack - Hosting :: 1003212wh3.jpg


^^ Looks a little ghetto, but it works! As you find a better way to mount them, maybe inside a box and build a reflector, then adjust it, but as long as theres no bare wires visible and its sturdy/strong enough on the hooks then your good to go

I want to put another fixture on that plank to get a total of three CFL's to it, and then maybe build another one when I have the materials, also, are the fixtures pretty cheap? I heard somewhere between 50 cents and 2 dollars.

^^Yeah somewhere around there - I got a 4-socket replacement fixture for a ceiling fan at Walmart and it was 3.95 or so

Thanks.

Your plant looks healthy - a little stretched but no problems. Put a little more dirt up around the stem another 1/2 inch or so. Keep the light as close as you can without burning it. Don't even think about fertilizing it until those 2 little round leaves have yellowed and started to die

Good Luck and post up if ya have any other q's!

Yes, it lights, so parallel, thank you. :]

Looks a little ghetto, but it works!

Yea, I think it will be like that forever :O, I want to order some mylar online and kind of drape it over the clothes bar on top of the closet, and then down the walls, and then extend it out over the door opening a bit, and then close that end off with another sheet at 90 degrees to make a small enclosure.

It will take a while to work out how to vent properly, but for now, I'm just going to get the plant grown, no matter the results, I need experience if I want to continue in the future, under better circumstances.

^^Yeah somewhere around there - I got a 4-socket replacement fixture for a ceiling fan at Walmart and it was 3.95 or so

Hmm, that sounds great, I could definitely switch it up a bit and use different pieces of scrap wood from the garage to make something more definite.

What kind of design would you suggest, for what I'm trying to do? That corner of the closet is pretty much my area, I think it's about 5 feet up, almost 2 feet wide and about 4 feet lengthwise in the closet.

If worst comes to worst, and I end up in the troubled situation of not being able to vent properly, I will just cover the light leaks on the door itself, and use the remaining space in the entire closet to grow.

Thanks, again.

I used cardboard from an old beer case, 1/2 a mylar emergency blanket and some tape to make this "reflector". Most expensive part was the 6500K/daylight bulbs, and they were $9 for 4

See if maybe you can find a refrigerator box or washer/dryer box or something, they make great cheap little veg rooms for cfls and you can even rig up two "rooms" in the closet. Be creative too - I once grew a decent plant simply leaning a 4 foot light fixture into a corner.

Good thread.

Ok, thanks for all the help, I'll post an update on his growth sometime in the near future.

Thanks for the info here... I'm just struggling myself with ate's exact problem of mounting standard sockets to a board for my closet. This will help me tons! Totally agree with 420Paul, excellent thread indeed!

I'm glad this thread could help more than just my-self, I've been looking for help on this subject for so long, knowing I would end up making some kind of homemade CFL circuit, just not knowing how. I'm definitely going to head out to the store sometime soon, probably tomorrow and pick up a bunch of the "lampholders", and a load of CFL's, and then get to work making some many CFL holding piece of work.

What kind of bulbs should I pick up?

Sorry, these are pretty much the noobest questions I could ask, but..

Should I get warm bulbs for veg? 23w CFLs, or 42? I think the 42 watt CFL's equal 100 watts of incandescent light, that's in lumen output and not efficiency right?

Anyway.

Here's an update.

There's a little brown/dead spot that formed on the end of the first set of real leaves about two days ago, I think it was from the heat, so I put plant under the fluoros, it seems to have regained a lot of dark green color, instead of being yellow, and the brown seemed to have stopped. Was that what it was and did I fix it? :? Thanks.

You guys got me thinking good.

I LIKE.

What are those kinds of two bulb connectors called?

:|

That is a replacement part for a ceiling fan, it only cost 2.50 cents from walmart, the socket spliter, I am not sure of the offical name, but they are in the ligh bulb section in wal-mart.

8|

That's hawt. Thanks for sharing.

A few updates..

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/100_3247.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/100_3246.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/100_3245.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/100_3244.jpg


Anything I should do? When should I load up on the CFL's?

I might be able to get a 400w HPS from a friend who only grew once and doesn't use it, I have to see if he still has it though.

I just put the lights like this, I still haven't gotten around to getting bulbs for the other Fluoroscent fixture, or the other CFL's and lampholders yet, I'm wondering whether it would be a better decision getting those longer style grow CFL's, than the regular spirals, though.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/100_3249.jpg

I'll see if he/she starts to burn again.

Bring those suckers closer, in a few days.... You can be 1-2 inchs, away from your plant, as long as its not too hot, just put your hand inbetween your plant and your bulb, if you cant stand it for a min, its too close.

Ok, so I made it out to the store with minimal funds :/, I'm still waiting on a few people to pay me back from a few sales I made.

So I picked up two more bulbs for the fluoros, randomly just grabbed some which are different spectrums from the first ones I have, accidently.

Can anyone point out any mistakes? Distance from light, position, spectrum, watt (i think i have 34 and 40), soil, bucket?

Now.

Would this work?

For when it starts to get big, instead of having it spread out and become thin and stringy, but to turn the fluoros vertical, to side light it, and then to just get around and build that monstrous CFL holding device?

Would that be worth it?

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/100_3254.jpg

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...t/100_3258.jpg

Yea, and obviously I got a 5 gallon bucket that I forgot I had out in the garage, and drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage and some around the top for LST.