1000w Hps Ballasts And Lightspeed Flip Box 16

  • Thread starter Bud Bros
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Bud Bros

Bud Bros

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Question for my fellow growers, I have plans to set up a new room/rooms, my plans got moved ahead of schedule to take advantage of extra vegged plants (60) that were ready for flip. So we moved ahead and setup 1 side of a flip flop. Invested in 8 ultragrow 1000w switchable ballasts, and lightspeed flip box. And got 1 side going. With plans to have the second side ready when other veg plants are ready to moved over in about a month. Everything has been working great, but ballast started to stop working, I have had to replace all the ballasts so far and even the new ones are now dying. I have had 2 electricians take a look at my system and they can not find anything abnormal that would cause this. I have swapped lights with working and non working ballasts, tried new bulbs, bypassed the flip box. And nothing. The ballasts are in a cooled room, the only thing i can think of is because the ballasts are always on, and for a 12hr period there is no light plugged into the flip box. It is causing the ballast to stop working. I even had an electrician open the ballast up and he can't find a smoking gun, everything looks like it should it just won't power up any light, not even a MH bulb. Any input or experience simalar would be a great help. Mean while I have 60 plants 18 days in to flower with less then 1/3 the light they should have. Now that is what I call controlled stress growing into uncontrollable stress.
 
Bud Bros

Bud Bros

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No I have not. I'm in the process of seeing if the manufacturer we'll send me a new igniter and capacitor. Even though the components test out good. The last thing is maybe the magnetic core is dead, but there is no burnt smell. I am really at a loss plus a loss of 6 ballasts.
 
madgrower

madgrower

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No I have not. I'm in the process of seeing if the manufacturer we'll send me a new igniter and capacitor. Even though the components test out good. The last thing is maybe the magnetic core is dead, but there is no burnt smell. I am really at a loss plus a loss of 6 ballasts.
How long is the cord from balast to lights
 
Olyver

Olyver

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Are you keeping the ballasts on when they are trying to ignite the 8 empty mogul sockets, that will cause the ignitor circuit in the ballasts to fail, can't keep sending the 5000V spike to ignite the bulbs. Ballasts should be connected to timerboard to power off and on every 12 hours.
 
Olyver

Olyver

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Ignitors are expensive, half the price of a new ballast, make sure you try and get long range ignitors, not the ones rated for 15 feet.
 
Bud Bros

Bud Bros

9
1
Are you keeping the ballasts on when they are trying to ignite the 8 empty mogul sockets, that will cause the ignitor circuit in the ballasts to fail, can't keep sending the 5000V spike to ignite the bulbs. Ballasts should be connected to timerboard to power off and on every 12 hours.
I now have it setup on a timer, no issues since. So if the igniter is burnt out, would the MH bulb not work, or does the burnt out igniter render the ballast dead?
 
madgrower

madgrower

472
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Thanks for info, I'll look into getting a new igniter, replace and post the results!!
I was told that they go when power flickers or when unplugged alot .That's how mine went during a freezing rain storm
 
SocalSalty

SocalSalty

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1
Why run the flip box if you don't have the other room firing? Just run it as u would normally. Integrate the flip box when u have the other room setup.
 
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