ALL 8 of my electronic/digital ballasts went out on me

[Frozenguy]

yeah.. so i have 16 hoods.. and 8 ballasts.. each ballast is about 6.3 amps.. 600 watts each.. 8 ballasts running 24/7 equals 2 cycles of 12/12 through 1 hour period resulting in 4800watts PER cycle.. i have a 9600 watt grow and only drawing the amps of a 4800 watt grow.. talking about lights of course nothing else.. i didn't feel like hooking up 240 and it was a mess getting the ballasts anyways for reasons i dont feel like typing.. but anyways, the room did cost me $$$ lol.. as i'm sure you know..

thorodee-here are some pictures of a fuse i ahve.. i didn't see anything like a fuse or a button on the inside but there is a replaceable fuse on the outside.. the glass is slightly cracked but the wire inside is good.. and all the other glasses tubes are fine though.. no cracks or breaks or anything.. any other suggestions??

 

[HellaFella]

Thorodee Never once was a difference of wattage mentioned...... Merely Amperage... Fuck you think I dont know that?!?

 

[DOGIDOG]

Digital balast make lots of rf interference

I bee scared like shit If I hawe 6 of them.

Not watnt to scare you but better think about security first

With grow of 10000 w you can get long time prison easy.

 

[Haps]

Replace that fuse,
what you got to lose,
That's the trick the ole boy would choose.
H

 

[Frozenguy]

replace a fuse that isn't broken? i suppose i could try.. i should try anytyhing..

and dogidog.. court doesn't care if you have 10k watts or 30watts.. they'll care if i have illegal plants lol.. plus i was told that my ballasts are one of best on the market for no rf interference.. my hydro store carries the lumatek and one other brand.. i was gonna get lumatek cause they are brighter i thinik.. and even a tad quieter but they were farther behind 1000watts then my company because of all their problems with rf intereference.. so i went with the SECURE ones.. i dont take secuirty lightly..

 

[somoz]

try everything and anything frozen: it cannot hurt at this point.......and your right on point with the courts........it's the fucking plants they are concerned about dog.....granted more lights usually ==more plants but if you can't handle the pressure you shouldn't be growin big dog.....simple as that......sorry: jus got a little excited in ur thread frozen: good luck dood

somoz

 

[Verite]

Sure be alot easier if you went down to radio shack and picked up a simple meter.

 

[Frozenguy]

yeah?? what would i measure. my buddy has one i could borrow.. what would i have to measure?

 

[sproutco]

Start with the fuse and measure continuity across it to see if it is bad.

 

[Frozenguy]

k.. and just to confirm cause i really dont know.. i thought if the piece of metal in the fuse was intact that the fuse was good ( and if the glass wasn't broken or anything..) so it still could be

 

[Guest]

k.. and just to confirm cause i really dont know.. i thought if the piece of metal in the fuse was intact that the fuse was good ( and if the glass wasn't broken or anything..) so it still could be

do you need me to bring over a meter tonight? i'm sure that is something nick would have checked though when they were examining it right?

 

[sproutco]

You can check everything with a meter. Resistors, capacitors, transformer output, etc... just do not do this when stoned or drunk. I had lighting strike my japanese stereo reciever. After several hours of testing, the output chips for the stereo were determined to be the only thing burned (look for burned parts on the wiring, capacitor, etc..this is easy). I replaced them and turned on the receiver to find out my wiring was wrong. Drunk off home made beer.

 

[stonewall]

electronic ballast are a strange beast. I do NOT recomend using a meter to check the ballast output while power is applied. High frequency and high voltage can cause damage to the meter, and regardless the results will be misleading.

 

[Frozenguy]

... this is most dissatisfying (sp?).. i thought these digitals were going to be headache free.. grr.. oh well.. everything should be solved on monday..

 

[DOGIDOG]

Hey bro angels are sending you the mesage dont use them they

are dangerous 300 m from your home you will hear rf interference

6 of them will giwe huge rf inerference perhaps 500 m or more

only god if you liwe in desert.

(security frst) sel them and buy non digitals and you sleep better.

with 10000w you make big money must think wise dont get cought

with that cose god by blue sky

 

[Haps]

Chillichap, I've had fuses go that I could not see with my old eyes, and so learned that sometimes you just try them to see. It may not be, but the check is safe and not costly, so it fits in situations like yours. Good luck there.
H

 

[Frozenguy]

good idea.. i'll go pick some up..
and dogidog i've been considering just switching..i actually picked up a DUAL 600 watt regular ballast for 220 bucks with a 6 year warrenty from my hydro store to help things along the way till i decide what to do.. i probalby will end up selling the lights off.. even though i've been told that these dont cause rf intereference i'm still a little worried lol..

 

[DOGIDOG]

Check on the forums people try this new ones so caled with
no inerference but they also make interference.
Look this and englis forums
Some of shops are taking them of market also but they hawe large stock
of them and cant get rid of them.
Also there are many lies about the new digital balasts from
company i forgot name that say they giwe 20% more light and thats biggerst lie i hawe seen in long time,but people belive them nobody can giwe you 20% more light.
If you can go and sel them or sometnig do it wil not regret
if this digitals worth something I by them for my self.
I hawe had many normal balasts(non digital) and newer hawe any problem
with them and they are 200% more secure and giwe you buds same size
as thise digital i am shure diference is only max 5% and thats not much for good sleep.

 

[DB2004]

Digital ballasts are problems. The electronics generated emf that can interfere with AM radio band and shortwave radios. Most digital ballasts are manufactured in China and chances are they don't comply with FCC regulations against interference and may not have any UL/CE/CSA approval. The electronics for the ignition of the bulb may need to detect if a bulb is present before sending the initial spike to fire the bulb. I would re-attach a lamp to each ballast and try that. If that fails, then you nay want to have a custom flip-flop built. I'm curious as to what kind of dpdt relays the manufacturer used when he built your flip. I've seen people use cheap $5 relays, when there is only one kind of dpdt relay that will work, these are the relays I use. I can build you a flip-flop that will shut off your ballasts for 5 to 15 minutes, then turn the ballasts back on after the flip-flop has switched to the other room (lamps). Good luck and I hope your girls survive....

Best Regards

DB2004

 

[Frozenguy]

yes well i have alrady decided to sell these ballasts.. i will try and fix them or get them repaird and then sell them.. i bought (2) DUAL 600 watt ballasts.. normal ones yesturday.. i will be flipping them myself so i will have technically 4800 watts going.. i will figure out if my flip flop box is working properly before hooking anymore up.. i need to see what caused my ballasts to fail..anyways, thanks for the help guys.. i will let everyone know what happens when it comes time..