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My TxDOT Cooper OVW (OV-25 FCO) Lit!
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Okay.. So I had to do some re-wiring... The ballast isn't exactly a multi tap ballast so re wiring this thing wasn't a simple task, and the instructions on to how to wire it for 240 volts instead of 480 wasn't exactly straight up.. But I wired it based on the instructions and to how things were wired in there already. It said "For alternative voltage, make a jumper from 3 to 4, and 2 to 1. Use starter aid brown wire. Disconnect yellow wire" And that is all the information for how to convert it. So... I did that, but the instructions weren't all clear. But... The original wiring, there was one wire going from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2. And there was a connector in between, Two separate wires with spade connectors and male male connector inside, (I can't explain this well...) So because of that, I took the male to male spade connector out and then just connected the two free wires where they needed, the side the was connected to 3 I put it onto the terminal 4, and there was an extra unused male spade connector that I could easily slip the extra wire to it. And then the same for the other, I took the other wire that was connected from 2 to the male to male connector, and then connected it to 4, which also had an extra male spade connector.
Now onto the brown wire, It said "use the start aid brown wire and disconnect yellow wire". Even though it doesn't say explicitly anything about capping the yellow wire and then connecting the brown wire, which was capped before and connected to nothing, to the wire that the yellow wire was previously connected to, it implied that, so that is what I did.
(serious grammar fail there... But I think you can understand what I am saying)
Then I had to figure out how to wire it up to a 240 volt outlet, which had 4 connectors to it. So I looked a couple things up, 240 volt circuits don't use a neutral, so I just connected the red wire to L1 and then the black wire to L2, and then the white and green wires to the ground (and the housing) and then closed it up and then plugged it in, and then what do you know, Success! I was happy that I got this working, sure enough shows that I can understand electricity and how circuits work, and also this gave me a better understanding to how 240 volt circuits work in general.
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A little electrical knowledge for you, 240 volt circuits can use a neutral. All new construction dryer and range receptacles are 240 volt 4 wire. You have your two hots, a neutral and a ground. Also, your service from the street is 240 volt with a neutral.
Also, any word on the M-400 you wanted to send me?
Yep Tony already said you could do that in his second comment. You just need to make sure they're opposite legs in the panel.
Also with the M-400, I haven't gotten around to getting a cost for shipping. I'm on Vacation in a few weeks and should have time then to get a coat for you.
In your breaker panel, the two hot legs are 180 degrees out of phase. When you connect a load across both of those hot legs you add the voltages together (120V + 120V = 240V). When you try to connect a load across two hot wires on the same side of the panel (thus the same phase) you get zero volts because there is no potential difference between the two wires. So when you use the two plugs on the so-called "transformer" you need to make sure the plugs are on different circuits on opposite sides of the panel.
With three phase it's a little more complicated than basic addition. Because there are three phases 120 degrees apart, You multiply or divide by the square root of three instead of multiplying or dividing by two. For example, 208V / sqrt 3 = 120V. That's how you get 120V with a 208V line and a neutral. And that's how you get 277/480V power. 277V is one phase-to-ground of 480V 3ph. And 347V is one phase-to-ground of 600V (Canadian voltages). You don't need a transformer in any of these situations. It's just how electricity works.
i remember once i connected the 240 Volt side to a 70 Watt HPS ballast and a Microwave Oven Transformer's primary winding with nothing connected to the Secondary. Ran a 175 Watt MV on it.
That's the way I run the 240v UK fluorescents I have.