Build A Contactor/relay

[craigfjyp]

a contactor is an 'adapter' of sorts. the timer switches the contactor on, so the contactor takes the load.... and yes you need to buy an actual contactor, and not a set of terminals

thanks again your input is much appreciated.

[Laphroaig]

because that's not a contactor craig, thats a set of auxillary contacts... i.e. it connects onto the contactor to give some extra contacts, that switch control signals for a multitude of uses

hi scraglor thanks for the reply,so ill just have to buy a proper one then with the A1 and A2 terminals i guess. Iv also heard people saying u can use a normal plug in timer for a 250MH if its a decent one but iv tried four and they have all broke when it tries to switch of for the first time so i was wandering if i could plug an adapter in to a 10 amp contactor/relay that was bought from a shop. It only has 2 sockets on it and iv already got a 600 and a 400 HPS on it thats why i was wandering if i could have the adapter plugged in or is that just way to much for it? and thanks again for your help its much appreciated.

Think we may have some "crossed wires" here. The term "contactor" can apply to either an electrical component or a device incorporating a 24 hour timer and contactor component for switching HID lighting.

You currently have a 10 amp contactor device switching a 600w and a 400w lamp. Your 10 amp contactor device has 2 outputs, you wish to know if it can take the inductive load from another additional lamp by using a fused plug-in double adaptor to give you an extra output socket on the contactor device.

In addition you mention a 250w lamp but don't say explicitly that this is the one you wish to add to the setup.

My gut feeling is that you'd probably get away with adding the 250 but you'd be right on the absolute limit. I'll leave that to Scraglor and those who understand these things to run the numbers, because I really don't know for certain.

Personally I'd be inclined to spend £20 or whatever they are and get a second 10a contactor device. If you want to make your own incorporating a contactor component with the A1 and A2 terminals connected to a timer that activates them it's going to cost more once you add up the cost of all the bits you need to make one (you'll probably spend that £20 just on the box you get to put the bits in!) If you're up for the challenge and have some cash spare I recommend you make one. If on a budget I'd just invest £20 and sleep peacefully at night.

Peace

[craigfjyp]

because that's not a contactor craig, thats a set of auxillary contacts... i.e. it connects onto the contactor to give some extra contacts, that switch control signals for a multitude of uses

hi scraglor thanks for the reply,so ill just have to buy a proper one then with the A1 and A2 terminals i guess. Iv also heard people saying u can use a normal plug in timer for a 250MH if its a decent one but iv tried four and they have all broke when it tries to switch of for the first time so i was wandering if i could plug an adapter in to a 10 amp contactor/relay that was bought from a shop. It only has 2 sockets on it and iv already got a 600 and a 400 HPS on it thats why i was wandering if i could have the adapter plugged in or is that just way to much for it? and thanks again for your help its much appreciated.

Think we may have some "crossed wires" here. The term "contactor" can apply to either an electrical component or a device incorporating a 24 hour timer and contactor component for switching HID lighting.

You currently have a 10 amp contactor device switching a 600w and a 400w lamp. Your 10 amp contactor device has 2 outputs, you wish to know if it can take the inductive load from another additional lamp by using a fused plug-in double adaptor to give you an extra output socket on the contactor device.

In addition you mention a 250w lamp but don't say explicitly that this is the one you wish to add to the setup.

My gut feeling is that you'd probably get away with adding the 250 but you'd be right on the absolute limit. I'll leave that to Scraglor and those who understand these things to run the numbers, because I really don't know for certain.

Personally I'd be inclined to spend £20 or whatever they are and get a second 10a contactor device. If you want to make your own incorporating a contactor component with the A1 and A2 terminals connected to a timer that activates them it's going to cost more once you add up the cost of all the bits you need to make one (you'll probably spend that £20 just on the box you get to put the bits in!) If you're up for the challenge and have some cash spare I recommend you make one. If on a budget I'd just invest £20 and sleep peacefully at night.

Peace

hi ppl just a quick thank you to everybody that helped it was very much appreciated

peace

[growguy yorks]

Hy there guys..

Back again with contactor questions... I was hoping Scraglor or one of the other electrically minded chaps would would give an opinion about a contactor.. The Chint NC12508U5. Its a 4 pole 2no/2nc jobbie... Basically I would like to know if this is suitable for flip/flopping HPS. If you search chint lighting contactor on google uk, expert electrical has the pdf with all the tech details.

I managed to snag a telemechanique LC1D09 second hand for cheap, but Im still looking for more.

Hope everyone is doing well and feeling good.

Thanks.

[Guest tempa]

hi guys can you give me some help please , here is a link to the contactor i need help with

http://www.uk420.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=336623

thanks tempa

[Laphroaig]

I have in mind another project where I need to have nine independently switched sockets. As each is only going to be running a 600, using a 20 amp 2 pole contactor for each socket seems a bit like overkill. Could anyone suggest an alternative? 20 amp is the lowest rated two pole contactor I've found.

Peace

[Laphroaig]

Guess I'm buying nine 20 amp 2 pole contactors then.... ouch.

Peace

[blooRay]

it doest have to be a 2 pole contactor. You get a four pole and use two poles, or a single pole and switch just the live wire. I doubt there are many contactors out there that wouldnt suffice for a simple circuit like this, providing the current rating is sufficient. You cant be looking very hard if thats all you can get is a 20a!! And whatever you do dont spend £180 on 9 contactors! Im sure youll find some for a fiver each or not much more!!

[scraglor]

put in 10A contactor into ebay, and top of the list is:

Specifications
Number of Poles 4
Normal State Configuration 3NO/NC
Contact Current Rating 10 A
Contact Voltage Rating 690 V dc
Coil Voltage 24 V dc
Terminal Type Screw Clamp
Length 58mm
Width 45mm
Depth 57mm
Minimum Operating Temperature -25°C
Maximum Operating Temperature +50°C

there's only 2, but they're a fiver each, didn't look any further, but you get the point...

[scraglor]

do they need to be independantly switched? can you not group a few of them together? i'm guessing you want to stagger start up times?

[Laphroaig]

Okay here's what I have so far. Nine unswitched panel mounted sockets, nine spdt (on,on) illuminated switches, three 7 day digital timers, three on delay relays and a Danfoss wireless thermostat and receiver.

My idea is to arrange the sockets in a 3x3 grid, split the sockets into three groups vertically, each group controlled by one of the digital timers. The timed output from each of the digital timers also provides power to a second circuit for each group that is controlled by the wireless thermostat via one of the three relays (one for each timer/group). The spdt switches allows me to select which of these two circuits control each socket in the group so I can change the behaviour of each socket individually, from simple timed operation where the lights are governed solely by the time clock to temperature control where they are also controlled by the thermostat. I'm going to set the delays at roughly 30 minutes so they don't all switch back on at exactly the same time, so +/- 5 minutes for all three groups.

In very hot weather or vegging I can cycle the groups so that only one or two of the three groups can be on at any time and as I have digital 7 day programmable timers I can reverse or adjust the cycles on alternate or individual days so they're all getting roughly equivalent direct exposure.

Have surveyed the bay and there's nothing pricewise between 10a and 20a contactors, the 10's just seem to be harder to find. Meanwhile they're banging out new 20's in job lots of 10 for less than a ton.

eta: And thank you Scraglor for once more coming to my rescue, would be lost without you.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Laphroaig

[splifi]

Just a small point laphroaig if your thermostat is too sensitive you may have your lights switching back on before they have cooled down sufficiently for them to fire back up.

Some time your local electrical shop may have the contactors you need at a reasonable price, when dealing with electrical parts i would tend to go for quality not price schneider(formally telmech) are good quality contactors.

[Laphroaig]

Just a small point laphroaig if your thermostat is too sensitive you may have your lights switching back on before they have cooled down sufficiently for them to fire back up.

Some time your local electrical shop may have the contactors you need at a reasonable price, when dealing with electrical parts i would tend to go for quality not price schneider(formally telmech) are good quality contactors.

That's what the on delay relays are for. The thermostat triggers the three relays when the set temperature on the thermostat is exceeded and the temp-controlled lamps go out. Once the room temperature falls below the value set on the thermostat it turns the relays back on activating their timing function, once the set time has elapsed they turn the temp-controlled lights back on.

I usually just end up wading thru the CPC or RS websites, there aren't really those kinds of electrical shops in my neck of the woods, well I haven't seen any but the gouging b*****ds at Maplin. I must admit I did go to China via the bay for clocks, because they were £5 each as opposed to £50. Likewise if I get the job lot of new 20a contactors, I'm not going to be too troubled by the brand as I'm putting so little current through them. If I was running everything at its rated maximum then I'd buy Schneider/Merlin Gerin but for this, meh any old shite'll do

Peace

Edited June 11, 2014 by Laphroaig

[splifi]

Rs and mapplins are expensive i ment your local electrical suppler i.e. city electric's there should be some local, some of the cheaper contractor may be fine for the max load current but make sure they are designed for inductive loads.

If your thermostat for high and low then there should be no need to use delay timers.you could use the money saved to buy a better more reliable safer contactor.I must see at least 1 contactor burned out a every month or so.Some caring very little load.A lot of time the coil burns out not the contacts that why i would use a quality name.

[Laphroaig]

The beauty of RS is you can have anything delivered tomorrow and in this case they have much better panel sockets than the others just requiring a 50mm holesaw instead of a square or T shaped cutout which is a pita.

The thermostat isn't a multi point one like the STC-1000 or ATC-800+ it's just a bog standard Danfoss wireless room thermostat but even if it was I'd still need relays as it has to switch three separate circuits each with it's own time clock determining hard on and off times for the sockets in its group. The only way otherwise would be to give the thermostat its own clock and put all the temp controlled sockets on one circuit but then they couldn't be cycled as groups of three with the timed lights.

Peace

Edited June 11, 2014 by Laphroaig