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 yellownotepad
Pharmaceutical Agriculturalist
Registered: 06/22/08
Posts: 1,702
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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 light doesnt fire up first try 
#439000 - 06/28/10 07:00 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Flipped to 12/12 a week ago, come back today, plants are stretched like crazy. Turns out light isn't coming on all the time. Takes a few tries before it fires the bulb....so what's the issue? Bulb or ballast?
600w galaxy digital ballast, 600w eye hortilux bulb.
Works fine when on, just hard to get it to fire and when its on 12/12 unattended for days at a time this is a huuugeee problem
HELP PLZ!
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DieselB
High Watt Closet
Registered: 02/10/10
Posts: 1,156
Last seen: 9 years, 8 months
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Re: light doesnt fire up first try [Re: yellownotepad]
#439300 - 06/29/10 01:46 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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I had a similar problem a short while ago, it was the bulb.
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If you ain't smokin' dro, you're smokin' reggie. 
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tictacs
Stranger
Registered: 06/29/10
Posts: 12
Last seen: 14 years, 4 months
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Re: light doesnt fire up first try [Re: DieselB]
#439307 - 06/29/10 02:26 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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are'nt they supposed to stretch when flowering starts?
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DieselB
High Watt Closet
Registered: 02/10/10
Posts: 1,156
Last seen: 9 years, 8 months
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Re: light doesnt fire up first try [Re: tictacs]
#439316 - 06/29/10 02:38 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Yes, they stretch during flower, but when they go extended periods without light it can get excessive.
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If you ain't smokin' dro, you're smokin' reggie.
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 coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: light doesnt fire up first try [Re: DieselB]
#439392 - 06/29/10 05:53 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Check the bulb first. I am unsure if the new digital ballasts use capacitor's or not, but that was a common solution to lights not firing right.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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DieselB
High Watt Closet
Registered: 02/10/10
Posts: 1,156
Last seen: 9 years, 8 months
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Re: light doesnt fire up first try [Re: coda]
#439537 - 06/29/10 08:55 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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The bottom line is, EYE bulbs were designed for magnetic 'core and coil' style ballasts. Yes, some people can run them on their digi ballast and have long trouble free life, if you look around though, there are a shit ton of complaints about these bulbs failing in digital ballasts.
The EYE bulb is setup for like 1500-3000 volt ignition pulse and to run at 60hz, this is what you are going to get out of a magnetic 'core and coil' ballast.
I've yet to see a digital ballast that runs that low of an ignition pulse, most are up around 4-6k volts. Although with time, the ignition pulse degrades, and that may be why some poeple get by with that kind of setup. The digital ballasts also run at 20k+ Hz, which if you can't tell, is way the hell out of phase for what the EYE bulb requires.
Hortilux has just been the top standard in growing for so many years, way before digital ballasts were on the scene, people just thought the new style was "better" technology and was more efficient, nobody ever took the time to consider compatibility.. Everyone just assumed that if Hortilux was the best light for the old style ballast and nothing new came out with the digis, they must be the best for those too.
My advice would be to go buy an Ultra Sun bulb, cheap, bright, and reliable. If you are a big name brand type of guy, go with the new Lumatek bulb, they are specifically designed for digital ballsts.
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If you ain't smokin' dro, you're smokin' reggie.
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coda
Registered: 04/20/08
Posts: 4,736
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Re: light doesnt fire up first try [Re: DieselB]
#440049 - 06/30/10 05:12 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
My advice would be to go buy an Ultra Sun bulb, cheap, bright, and reliable.
I second this, and while I'm about to replace it, I'm starting my third grpw with mine and absolutely love it.
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MFDoom666: sobriety kills my buzz every time.
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fungi
.
Registered: 05/03/10
Posts: 168
Loc: Silicon Sizzle, CA USA 
Last seen: 14 years, 2 months
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Re: light doesnt fire up first try [Re: coda]
#443190 - 07/07/10 07:49 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Nice tip. Learn somethin new everyday. thanks
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iDl
undecided
Registered: 03/13/10
Posts: 35
Last seen: 12 years, 1 month
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Re: light doesnt fire up first try [Re: DieselB]
#443300 - 07/08/10 04:33 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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DieselB(or anybody), do you know if cord length between the ballast and the light would have any effect in this situation?
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DieselB
High Watt Closet
Registered: 02/10/10
Posts: 1,156
Last seen: 9 years, 8 months
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Re: light doesnt fire up first try [Re: iDl]
#443337 - 07/08/10 08:56 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Probably not, did you use a cord longer than what was supplied with the light? Unless it was like 100ft or more I wouldn't expect it to cause a problem.
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If you ain't smokin' dro, you're smokin' reggie.
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