fixing a ballast

[fhydro]

Hi,
my 600 w ballast is out of order. When cold, it works during approx 1 hour well then make a light "tic" noise and swithes off during 30 sec and on again during 30 sec and so on. I swapped with another bulb and it's the same. What can it be ? One component is dead but which one ? If anyone knows this part of elec, could he help me ?
Thanks
Fh

[locomark]

Well Fhydro,

Since nobody will comment I'll try to help. If I were you I would buy a new ballast kit then swap out the parts till the defect was found. What do I know?

Loco

[kindprincess]

sounds like the cap is bad... but idk for sure... sounds like something is shorting out...

[truthseeker]

is there a photocell somewere on it?was it working good before?cheak the bulb?wireing???sorry i know there simple but after that lets narrow it down do you have another light setup?if so swap parts till you find the bad one good luck

[fhydro]

No photocell, i checked the bulb and wireing, ok. I 've got a 250 w ballast which uses a big 80 µf cap and this 600 w ballast uses a small 0,33 µf. Usually a ballast uses a 3 parts circuit : transformer, capacity and solenoid. This one uses electronic circuit with a big transfo, resistors, thiristor, little caps, diodes, and so on. Yes it's shorter to buy a new one, but if i could fix mine i would save 50 bucks. No one here knows the theory of ballasts ? I don't !
Thanks

[kindprincess]

use this for refference...

http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/wiringlights.htm

love, kp:p

[fhydro]

Hi everybody,
my 600 W ballast needs to be fixed. When cold, it's OK. After a while, say 1 hour, it cuts the lighting during 30 sec, and light again during 30 sec, stops again, lights again, and stop and so on. SO i can't use it. It's an ETI ballast, it's got a security feature included that cut the power in case of over heat. I think that's this feature is the responsible of the trouble, it cuts the power even if there is no over heat. So :
Now, I've got a 600 w transformer and i could get a cap and an igniter to plug to the transformer and rebuild a new ballast. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ? BUT, i've don't know the values of cap and igniter to get, WHICH CAP AND WHICH IGNITER ?
If someone get the info, or get a 600 w ballast with big cap and igniter, could you read the values on the component and tell me ? PLEASE ?
Fhydro

[GaGrown]

I got a 600 and the ground on the mogul will make it do the same thing.Make sure the hood is grounded to the reflector! Not having a good ground will mke the digital ballast react that way,because of it's componets.That might help!

Ga Grown!

[fhydro]

Thanks for the help. I will try this very soon and keep you informed. I got other ballast, a 400 and 250 watts, that are not grounded, and they work OK, so it's weird.
Fhydro

[fhydro]

Yes, it works, well, it seems to work, but i think it's OK now. I won a 600 ballast and more security. Thank you again, i'm so pleasedi would like to kiss you:D !
Fhydro

[fhydro]

The fix is not good. I still have the same problem, less often, that's sure but the ballast is not sure. Could someone send me the good values for caps and ignitor for a 600 w ballast. I will keep the transformer and remove the electronic part that sucks.
Thanks
Fhydro