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Metal Halide Issue (1 Viewer)

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SCUBAFreaky

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I've been running a pair of 150 watt HQI double ended bulbs on new electronic ballasts for about 10 months. One of the bulbs stopped working a few days ago. Today, I swapped the bulbs to see if it is a burned out bulb or a prematurely failed ballast. When the fixture turned on with the previously not working bulb installed in the previously working ballast it started flickering and crackling. I turned it off immediately. I then replaced the previously working bulb back into the previously working ballast...and nothin. Dang it. Did I just fail both ballasts with a bad bulb?? I've been using metal halides off and on for over 20 years and never have had an issue such as this? Curious if anyone has experienced a bulb failing an electronic ballast such as this. It may just be time to switch over LEDs. Debating between AI Hydras or some Radions.
 
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RR-MAN

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You are like me could not let the metal halide go, lol. My solution was to give it away for free plus getting the right bulb was getting harder and harder. LED or T5 is the way to go now a days.

To answer your question - yes the ballast needs to be replaced.
 
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SCUBAFreaky

SCUBAFreaky

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Yeah, I'm already running a fixture with halides, 2 T5s with Blue Plus and a single Reef Brite XHO. Two questions I have now are one, Hydra 32s vs. XR15s? Second is to just retrofit the IceCap Reef Illumination fixture by replacing the halide reflectors with new LEDs or build a new a fixture that can support T5s and a Reef Brite (and of course the Hydra/XR15s)?
 

steveb

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I've been running a pair of 150 watt HQI double ended bulbs on new electronic ballasts for about 10 months. One of the bulbs stopped working a few days ago. Today, I swapped the bulbs to see if it is a burned out bulb or a prematurely failed ballast. When the fixture turned on with the previously not working bulb installed in the previously working ballast it started flickering and crackling. I turned it off immediately. I then replaced the previously working bulb back into the previously working ballast...and nothin. Dang it. Did I just fail both ballasts with a bad bulb?? I've been using metal halides off and on for over 20 years and never have had an issue such as this? Curious if anyone has experienced a bulb failing an electronic ballast such as this. It may just be time to switch over LEDs. Debating between AI Hydras or some Radions.

Did you check fuse/breaker on the ballast?
 

decimal

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I was just going to give respect for the MH. Led's are "better" because versatility and they are so much more energy efficient but a sad replacement if consider the esthetic trade off. I still have a coralife fixture with moonlights T5 and 250w MH sitting around somewhere.
 
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SCUBAFreaky

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Did you check fuse/breaker on the ballast?
I have not unfortunately. The ballasts are incredibly difficult to get to. Quite a bit of the fixture has to be taken apart to get to them. I'm still using the T5's and the Reef Brite in the fixture so I'm not anxious to take it down and apart just yet. One of the ballast still hums when it first comes on but it doesn't fire off of the bulb so it's at least getting power...or so it seems.
 
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