Troubleshooting light going out 400 watt hps

10w30 · Mar 14, 2020

Futurebrite digital ballast. 3 grows on it. i noticed the 400 watt lamp went out, no noise difference from the ballast. i watched it and it lit back on again and didnt do a warm up, slow glow, just blinked on. is that the bulb or ballast?

the 2 time i noticed it, i like a meathead banged on the socket/cable and the light did come on, though, i didnt think it matched the hitting/ timing.

anyway, so i'm on amazon trying to figure out the best solution. i'd like to buy a 600watt HPS kit for 190$, or i can replace the bulb for 20$ plus shipping.

anybody been through that or advice?

thanks

Dbear180 · Mar 14, 2020

Your bulb is prob done. If you have a local hydro store you normally use they can test your bulb & ballast for free with another setup. Dont cheap out on your next setup, my phantoms tell me everything that's going on so it's not a guessing game when something doesnt work whether it be bulb, ballast, or something else. I run exclusively Ushio bulbs. Cheap shit will almost always bite you in the ass.

Dbear180 · Mar 14, 2020

Def get them both tested I forgot about a set of ballasts I had before called panthers they were some cheap knock offs just to get me started. Slowly & separately they all failed within two years. High quality ballasts will be sealed, I've had my phantoms for over 6 years with no issues those with the little cooling fans just get full of crap

10w30 · Mar 14, 2020

i spent 120 on the bulb if thats the faulty part, burns abit lol. i might put the metal halide bulb back in for the next 20 days to finish. instead of spending anything. im having a hard time between the grow shops and the online shopping. i started out going to brick and mortar, thats were the 120 hortalux bulb came from, i can return it. probably get a HPS bulb, just the cheap bulb this time and not the expensive hortolux that we agree seems to be failing. your right and thinking is good advice. the phantom ballasts look wicked.

the more i think about it, it might be the ballast, how many hortalux bulbs fail in general like that, probably not many. tomorrows sunday. i'll try to swap the flicking HPS for the MH until tuesday when i can return the HPS to the brick and mortar hydro shop and see. thanks again for food for thought. i like grow shop ballasts better than what i see online at amazon.ca. this ballast (futurebrite) was bought in person from a grow shop, though they closed down some time ago.

a quantum board style on amazon.ca for 240 watts 301b for $289 is staring at me, though were does it $end$

Dbear180 · Mar 14, 2020

10w30 said:
i spent 120 on the bulb if thats the faulty part, burns abit lol. i might put the metal halide bulb back in for the next 20 days to finish. instead of spending anything. im having a hard time between the grow shops and the online shopping. i started out going to brick and mortar, thats were the 120 hortalux bulb came from, i can return it. probably get a HPS bulb, just the cheap bulb this time and not the expensive hortolux that we agree seems to be failing. your right and thinking is good advice. the phantom ballasts look wicked.

the more i think about it, it might be the ballast, how many hortalux bulbs fail in general like that, probably not many. tomorrows sunday. i'll try to swap the flicking HPS for the MH until tuesday when i can return the HPS to the brick and mortar hydro shop and see. thanks again for food for thought. i like grow shop ballasts better than what i see online at amazon.ca. this ballast (futurebrite) was bought in person from a grow shop, though they closed down some time ago.

a quantum board style on amazon.ca for 240 watts 301b for $289 is staring at me, though were does it $end$

Bulbs do eventually burn out. Only my mh get used to that point tho. If you keep track of your grams per watt on multiple runs of a bulb you will see a difference. My last run with new bulbs was like 1.15 gpw where the old bulbs on their 3rd run only gave me like .85 gpw. It starts to add up real quick using old bulbs that are losing their efficiency . Save a few bucks next time & try the Ushio hps bulbs, I highly doubt you will be disappointed. I used to run just hortis & I like the Ushio just as much if not more because it costs less for the same performance.

Dbear180 · Mar 14, 2020

This is just some of my old stock, they all fire right up but it cost me the same amount of juice to get less flower from them so I replace them every couple runs.

MIMedGrower · Mar 14, 2020

Dbear180 said:
Def get them both tested I forgot about a set of ballasts I had before called panthers they were some cheap knock offs just to get me started. Slowly & separately they all failed within two years. High quality ballasts will be sealed, I've had my phantoms for over 6 years with no issues those with the little cooling fans just get full of crap

I ran my fan cooled galaxy ballasts for over 5 years every day. I replaced them with solis tech on a half price deal but the galaxies still work fine. I do run a clean room. Sure that helps.

MIMedGrower · Mar 14, 2020

10w30 said:
i spent 120 on the bulb if thats the faulty part, burns abit lol. i might put the metal halide bulb back in for the next 20 days to finish. instead of spending anything. im having a hard time between the grow shops and the online shopping. i started out going to brick and mortar, thats were the 120 hortalux bulb came from, i can return it. probably get a HPS bulb, just the cheap bulb this time and not the expensive hortolux that we agree seems to be failing. your right and thinking is good advice. the phantom ballasts look wicked.

the more i think about it, it might be the ballast, how many hortalux bulbs fail in general like that, probably not many. tomorrows sunday. i'll try to swap the flicking HPS for the MH until tuesday when i can return the HPS to the brick and mortar hydro shop and see. thanks again for food for thought. i like grow shop ballasts better than what i see online at amazon.ca. this ballast (futurebrite) was bought in person from a grow shop, though they closed down some time ago.

a quantum board style on amazon.ca for 240 watts 301b for $289 is staring at me, though were does it $end$

Dont you have a year warranty on the bulb? Is it older than that?

10w30 · Mar 14, 2020

ballast = 15 years old 3 grows (dirty atmosphere)
horatux bulb bought new 3 months ago, its got about 2 months on the 12/12 cycle.

the bulb, yes, should have a warranty, im skeptical envoking the warranty. im just polite and gripe about. i'd rather just be cool and try to get along with the store. they are needed.

i think a simple hps replacement bulb will be 35$ with tax, philips i think it is the brand they sell @ 400watts

MIMedGrower · Mar 14, 2020

Hortilux about $65 shipped from plantlightinghydroponics.

MIMedGrower · Mar 14, 2020

10w30 said:
ballast = 15 years old 3 grows (dirty atmosphere)
horatux bulb bought new 3 months ago, its got about 2 months on the 12/12 cycle.

the bulb, yes, should have a warranty, im skeptical envoking the warranty. im just polite and gripe about. i'd rather just be cool and try to get along with the store. they are needed.

i think a simple hps replacement bulb will be 35$ with tax, philips i think it is the brand they sell @ 400watts

The store gets credit and charged you twice what they cost. Claim the warranty. Thats what its there for. And buy a cheap backup bulb. I run mine 10 months max and keep them for emergency replacements.

Kraken.headz · Mar 14, 2020

You may own the last functional futurebrite in the world. They were going out when I first got into the hydro industry 13 years ago, and were jokingly christened FireBrite or FutureFire, depending. More or less amounts to the same thing.

10w30 · Mar 14, 2020

thanks dude. hard words to hear lol.

here are some pics of the offending situation

i will look for the receipt

Kraken.headz said:
You may own the last functional futurebrite in the world. They were going out when I first got into the hydro industry 13 years ago, and were jokingly christened FireBrite or FutureFire, depending. More or less amounts to the same thing.

MIMedGrower said:
The store gets credit and charged you twice what they cost. Claim the warranty. Thats what its there for. And buy a cheap backup bulb. I run mine 10 months max and keep them for emergency replacements.

Kraken.headz · Mar 14, 2020

The bulb is within warranty, it looks like it was manufactured on the 207th day of 2018. Look at the base of the bulb to see if the retailer scribed the date wheel. Worth getting both pieces tested, though.

Troubleshooting light going out 400 watt hps

Troubleshooting light going out 400 watt hps

10w30

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