Fertraso Time Clock

An analogue 24 hour timer with a 30 minute interval, rated to 3680 watts and 16 amps. For indoor use.

The 30 minute interval, and what it means

On a mechanical timer you set the times with small segments around the dial. Each segment is half an hour, and that is the finest setting you can make.

For grow lighting that is not a problem in practice, because the common schedules fall neatly on whole and half hours:

• 18 hours on and 6 off for vegetative growth.
• 12 hours on and 12 off for flowering.
• 20 hours on and 4 off for cuttings and young plants.

If you need to switch to the quarter hour, you need a digital timer. For lighting that is rarely necessary; for short irrigation cycles of a few minutes this timer is the wrong tool entirely.

What a mechanical timer forgets

Two things are worth knowing before you set it.

It runs on mains power. If the power fails, the dial stops and afterwards it runs behind. Your lamps then come on consistently late, and after a few outages that can add up considerably. Check the dial position after a power cut.

It needs no memory, but it does need your attention. Unlike a digital timer it does not lose its programme, because the segments simply stay where they are. It is only the time itself that is now wrong.

What to keep off it

Finally, mind what you use it for. With lighting the current peak at switch-on is substantial, and it eats away at the contacts of any ordinary timer. The wattage above describes a resistive load such as a heater, not a ballast or an LED driver.

For a fan, a pump, a heating mat or a humidifier this timer is exactly right. To switch a lamp, take the LUMii Heavy Duty Timer instead, which has heavier contacts and was built around a lighting load. For a single LED fixture that is the right timer. With several lamps a relay box belongs in the circuit regardless, and this timer can then drive it. We stock those as the Cli-mate Mini-controller, with two or four 600 watt lamp contacts.

Technical Specifications:

• Type: analogue 24 hour timer
• Interval: 30 minutes per segment
• Maximum power: 3680 watts
• Rating: 16 A
• Use: indoors

Frequently asked questions

Can I connect my grow lamp directly to it?
It fits within the rating technically, but a lamp's inrush current is hard on the contacts. Choose the LUMii Heavy Duty Timer for that. Switching more than one lamp, put a relay box in between such as the Cli-mate Mini-controller, and let this timer drive it.

Why is my timer running late?
The power has probably been off. A mechanical timer stops and does not catch that time back up.

Can I switch for less than half an hour?
No. For shorter cycles you need a digital or a dedicated irrigation timer.

Can it live in a damp grow room?
It is intended for indoor use in dry conditions. Keep it out of the damp zone of your tent.