Help wire my MH (pics)

[TCU Reefer]

I've misplaced the instructions and have a few questions before I do this.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/Tank%20Project/P2180001Small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/Tank%20Project/P2180004Small.jpg

My question is, do I put all the green wires together? THe green wire on the ballast has a nut? I guess I ground that on the screws on the ballast?

What happens with the green wires from the mogul and the power cord? They go together?

Sorry for my ignorance.

Thanks.

[Zigzag Man]

Yes. Connect all greens together, since those are your ground wires. Ground wires are very good to have around water. ;)

Otherwise, the rest of the wiring should be self-explanatory by looking at the ballast.

Good luck.

[TCU Reefer]

So the two sky blue wires will go to one black and one white to the mogul socket, correct?

[orlenz]

yes thats correct

[TCU Reefer]

Sorry for all the newb questions but I just want to do this right.

One more question though.This will be the last one! So with the green ground wire from the ballast, it has a metal ring around it (I'm guessing this is for screwing it down.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/Tank%20Project/P2180007Small.jpg

If' I'm connecting this with the other green wires from the cord and the mogul, do I need to cut this ring off, strip the wire and put a wire twist on all three?

Or do I ground all the greens to one of the screws I'll be using to mount the ballast?

Thanks for the help.

[Zigzag Man]

Either/or... it really doesn't matter.

The green wire in the photo should be grounding the case of the ballast (and probably the other internal parts as well). As long as all three of the greens are connected, you should be good to go... it doesn't really make a difference how they're connected, since they'll all be grounded through your electrical outlet.

[keeperofthefish]

Don't buy DIY if you cannot DIY. This is a lot of electricity and you don't want to screw around. Buy appropriately sized wire nuts and make sure that your wall plug is grounded also. Scrape some paint off of the IceCap where you screw in the grounding wires to make sure that it is a metal to metal connection. And don't forget to use a ground fault interrupt!

[Zigzag Man]

Um... he doesn't need to scrape the ballast case, since the case is grounded through that wire in the photo... If you look at the schematic on the ballast, it shows the ground wire coming from the ballast case, which indicates that the case is what's being grounded.

Also, wiring HID lights is probably the easiest of all the electrical DIY projects there is... of course there's precautions to be taken, but the only way to learn stuff is to DO it.

Compared to wiring up fluorescent lighting, HID is a piece of cake (though fluorescent really isn't much more complex, it just seems that way).

[TCU Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6774110#post6774110 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by keeperofthefish
Don't buy DIY if you cannot DIY.

Wow. I thought these forums were for asking questions to get helpful answers and not get replies such as this.

I'm asking questions because I know this needs to be done right.

Figures that such a comment would come from a poitical reseacher. :mad:

Thanks for your help.

[TCU Reefer]

David,

Thanks for actually giving me useful advice. I appreciate your helpfulness throughout this thread.

[Zigzag Man]

No problemo. :)

If you fry yourself though, I'm not responsible. :D

(just kidding... you should be fine) ;)