Help with DIY MH hood - power connections

[Sambo]

Hi there

A newbie here with a quick (I hope!) question...

Building a hood for my 2 175W MH lights for my 55g tank... I have put together the hood (out of beech-fronted ply), complete with 3 3.25inch fans in the back, and lots of gaps for airflow. I bought my lights thru ebay - they look very nice (new ballast in old housings, so only $85 per light complete with bulb) and work. The problem: the ballast is hardwired to the mogul sockets, and I want to wire the sockets to a connector in the hood that I can plug the ballast into. Any thoughts? I went and bought a plain power socket and plug from HD, before realising (duh!) that I would have to wire the plug to the ballast - and therefore have a live plug in my hand! So I've abandoned that idea and am scouting around for another solution. Any thoughts?

Sambo

Will try and take some pics of the hood to post.

[wharyat]

Welcome to TRT!



Well basically, you'll need a plug and a socket rated for at least 600 volts. You can find a female plug and a male socket for the basic grounded two prong connections, so you don't have an energized conductor exposed if it happens to come loose or you unplug it when the ballast is plugged in (as you found out with the opposite connection )

You can also find plugs and their corresponding sockets in different arrangements, just make sure the voltage and amperage ratings are in spec.

[Geoff]

i have plugs and sockets on my MH bulb wires. i had to they are 10' below in a crawl space. i just got the big honkin high voltage rated connectors. i went with the bright yellow ones for one and the bright orange ones for the other. easier to keep them straight.

G~

[Loverotties]

And I think you would be able to find the waterproof ones too(it has a rubber cover that each side slids into each other tightly).

[Sambo]

Thanks all - wil go a'huntin. BTW Geoff, is that a real pint of guiness poured with a shamrock in the top??

cheers all

sam