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Am I on a winner...??

2K views 21 replies 4 participants last post by  murihikukid 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi..I have been searching everywhere for a 240V to 12V PSU unit...but most never had the amperage required..Then today I found a server inside a Scrap metal business.....now I am no electrical person...my "advisor" is not responding so hopefully a couple of photos will bring a response.....These are rated at 47A according to what I see....Two would give me 94A or 1150W....I only want to run some 12V lighting .....
Am I right..surely if I am I should grab them .....Thanks MK
 

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#3 · (Edited)
Thanks Bill...I took a punt and bought the whole unit for $40....Now I am negotiating to get the Headlights/Fusebox/harness /lightswitch and even the taillights from a Ford Fairmont .....The Fusebox/Harness and Light switch I can get for a song but the lights are worth money.....Being in a scrap metal yard the car will be crushed (headlights and all) so unless anybody else has "ordered " them before me I will remove everything and they will end up in my greenhouse lighting system.....Yes LED's will have to be used cause as I understand I can only get the very low Kelvin (under 2500) that plants in the main require....a lot of reading to do first...
But I now have that crucial part no matter what System I use and that is a 12V Power supply .....Cheers...
 
#4 ·
Well, those lights will draw a lot more current (and generate a lot more heat) than LEDs so probably good you got some big watt PSUs available. And for $40, that would be hard to pass up.
 
#9 ·
Kinda looks like an older model Taurus but not sure. And even if there was a similar model here, not sure how "equivalent" it would be since you guys drive on the wrong side of the road down there ;) and don't have the same safety regulations either.
 
#12 ·
Yeah, it is hard to tell without knowing years and the size. So many in the same family look alike. And Ford (as well as GM and Fiat-Chrysler and no doubt others too) make basically the same model but under different names in different countries and parts of the world. And frankly, with all the mergers I don't even know who makes what anymore.

My grandson works in a car factory in Kansas City and they make vehicles for several manufacturers. They will make 20 or 30,000 for this company for a month or two then re-program the robots and may 20 or 30,000 for that company.
 
#14 ·
Hi Bill and SABL..Maybe I should not put my question on this particular forum but i am old and I must be crazy cause I come up with solutions that seem to make sense to me and wondered what you think...I saw an LED headlight bulb on our (NZ) online equivilant to Ebay...Trademe......and i thought "well I can see the LED" it looks removable its 6500K and the bulb itself fits an H1 headlight ..is it soldered on ?? .can the LED be removed and replaced by another LED with the same parameters ....if it could be ....why not look for an extreme RED LED with a Kelvin of perhaps under 2000Kand change the LED in the bulb and plug it in the headlight...but it cannot be as simple as that??? Cheers Ron
 
#16 ·
Hi Ron......:wave:

SABL is the acronym for Samuel Adams Boston Lager.....:beerchug: My actual name is Marc....which at the time when I was born (1952) was the uncommon spelling for Mark.

Your first question in regard to the Power Supply Units you've found pretty much fits this area of TSF. Now, the big question pertains to the intended use. Are you still working on your greenhouse and ways of achieving proper lumination for raising plants?? We can move your threads to sections that may get better response if we know exactly what you are trying to accomplish.

The headlamp switch is no big deal.....I'm sure there are plenty of other cars in the scrapyard that will have viable switches unless you are seeking a replacement for a specific vehicle. Just make sure you take as much of the associated wiring harness as you can get. If you are only looking for a way to power your project just grab something that is easy to get to/remove.
 
#18 ·
I'm within 20 miles of where I was born......:laugh: In fact, 2 of my children were born in the very same hospital.....:grin: All of my children are still in this area.....so far.

'52 a pretty good year and we got to watch as tech evolved.

Still had produce vendors that made their way down the street selling their seasonal wares....bread and milk was also delivered to your door. Watch with amazement as the 'furnace cleaner's' huge vacuum bag expanded from the back of the truck. Sonic booms were common.......stay out til the street lights came on. Made our own adventures for entertainment.....be creative, explore your world. Not so today......the 3 g-kids that live with me rarely leave the house and explore via iPhones as they sit on the couch or lay in their beds.
 
#19 ·
Well, I was born in Wright-Patterson AFB Hospital in Dayton. I've been back a couple times for various reasons, but I have no family there. Still, I have loyalties to the state! :) Unless they are playing Nebraska! ;)
 
#20 · (Edited)
Hi..I have taken the advice and asked my question on another forum ...I kept it simple...Usually I rely on my friend but he appears to be having problems and only occasionally comes online ....He tells me what to do like getting the Lightswitch/Fusebox and Harness from a car.....I just added the lights on ...Theres no problem here a car will eventually come in that has everything undamaged....
Now I have done a lot of reading on the subject of lights and must admit most is way above my understanding..but to me headlights is a simple way to do what I want as long as the PSU etc is OKed by my friend ....I can just set up everything wired to my friends instructions and simply plug the bulbs in ....and switch the power on....I can change the configuration as far as the colour temperature goes by the changing of the LED bulbs ......What I have not as yet sorted out is how best to get the under 2500K colour temperature which I understand is crucial to the ripening of the fruit....unless I put in a 2nd circuit whether it be 240V or 12V...in fact having two circuits..one for over 2500K and one for under could be the most beneficial way to go . but at this point of time I am just looking for a one circuit solution ...I am sure no headlight bulbs are produced under 2500K ...above 2500K is no problem even up to 7500K...Then in a thought of "madness" could the diodes be replaced on the bulb..and thats where I am at ...I actually saw a Motor bikes bulb on ebay...The diode was clearly soldered on..I would think very easy to exchange ...However there is probably other factors I have not even thought about...
Anyway thanks for all your help with the PSU and in a few months time I will let you know if I have had any success ...Regards Ron

PS Last night I actually found specially made "grow" 10w 660nm LED diodes so the more I look the more interesting it becomes... I think NM relates to the RED kelvin ...will take me a few months to figure that out...
 
#21 ·
If you are doing a hydroponic set up, you can use 12V pumps and fans, typically an inverter can be used for lighting or a power brick as supplied with a 12V pump.
If you use car headlights you will have to run them through a relay, similar to how they are connected in a car. A simple toggle switch would be better than a headlight switch.
Are the lights going to be used for heating as well or only illumination?
 
#22 ·
Panther063...Hi..Thanks for your posting ..I am having problems with what I thought was a simple question..I am trying to light my 4 X 5M greenhouse containing 60 Tomato plants (will be less next season) ...Now as I understand it some people want me to buy all sorts of lights at a huge cost EG a grow light @ $30 per plant is $1800.....plus the cost of being able to raise and lower these.....I think headlights are a cheap option and I can get them for a tomato?? The LED bulbs are cheap ,and can be bought in a wide range of colour temperatures ...the headlights provides a reflector plus the fusebox,harness,switches etc from a car ....I am assured can be used for the system.which my friend (who has all the brains here ) has designed ..Unfortunately its difficult getting hold of him at the moment...Yes he has told me about the basic plan he has worked out and yes..he told me they will have to be run through a relay... The lights are for light ..thats what the plants require ...Now I may put TWO circuits or systems in because it depends on various factors ...It seems to me that by using headlights I could light up my greenhouse like the sun and by using a combination of bulbs the light temperature would be between 2500K and 7oooK...Great for producing plant growth ..leaves flowers etc but what about the fruit ...when they arrive ...They have to ripen and I know cause thats whats happening to my crop this season ..Due to bad weather conditions I cannot get my fruit ripe ....
and the reason (as I understand) is that there should be RED light (under 2500K ) at a ratio of 3 to 1 or even more and this is seen in LED grow Lights where there can be up to 7 times more RED Led's than Blue LED's ...
So where do I get Red Light from..... Well I have various options ..could I modify the bulbs ...Could I use a second circuit which could be a real asset ...and I think worth considering and that I will discuss with my friend when I can...

However At the moment I am trying to discover if I am crazy or a genius..by trying to find out if one can exchange the diodes on a car LED headlamp bulb over to RED diodes ..after all I have seen some bulbs where the diodes look like they are just soldered on.. When I find out if this is possible i will rethink the plan........Regards Ron
 
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