Digital Ballast Problems

I need help!!!!! i bought a 1000w mh/hps set up with a digital ballast from htg supply. now im on my second ballast and going to be on my 4th bulb.. what gives?? it works for a few days and burns out the bulbs. Now the first bulb didnt even fully light before it burned out and i found out it was a conversion bulb so they swapped it for a non conversion type. that lasted a few days then went. Now the second one went when the power went out for 3 mins and when it came back on the ballast tried to refire and it started arching all over inside the bulb until it started melting.. the first two bulbs were Grow Bright the most recent one to burn out was an Agromax, it too melted down internally but this time there was no power outtage. i do have surge protectors in place and between the bulbs that have went bad i've used different power sources. i dont have access to 220 in my grow room but i do have a deticated 20amp circuit for the system. i will post pictures tonight. But i thought that the digital ballast has saftey features to prevent a hot start i'm not sure as the people at htg didnt seem to know much they just keep wanting to replace rather then solve my problem. i love the setup i just want to know if i'm using the wrong bulbs with this or what.. Is there a bulb i should be using with a digital ballast???

i think running conversion bulb in that ballast will screw the ballest up. thats what they told me at the hydro shop

southern homegrower said:

i think running conversion bulb in that ballast will screw the ballest up. thats what they told me at the hydro shop

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Well since then i argued i thought it could be the ballast and they replaced it. So this is a new ballast, new bulb. But does a digital ballast prefer a ceratin kinda bulb?

Im haveing the same problem with my 600 lumitecks,Im getting the oshio opti red bulb wendsday.Its on order from my hrdro store.This new bulb is supposed to be the answer.Theres not nothing worse than lights fucking up,thats why I have 4 ballest ad only run two at a time

Mr.Therapy Man said:

Im haveing the same problem with my 600 lumitecks,Im getting the oshio opti red bulb wendsday.Its on order from my hrdro store.This new bulb is supposed to be the answer.Theres not nothing worse than lights fucking up,thats why I have 4 ballest ad only run two at a time

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What are your lights doing exactly? Were did you get your system from?

Here are some pictures of the Grow Brite (Blub #2) And the Agromax (#3)


Below is the Agromax (The Most Recent Victim)


Below is the Grow Brite

Dnizzle said:

Here are some pictures of the Grow Brite (Blub #2) And the Agromax (#3)


Below is the Agromax (The Most Recent Victim)

Below is the Grow Brite

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Jesus, that shit looks dangerous. What have you found out on the Net? Please don't tell me this is the only place you've checked.

Well so far this is the only forum i'm apart of but i've been doing some intense research and it seems that digital ballasts are too powerful for the classic style bulbs and havent been redesigned for the higher voltage output of the ballast. I'm taking this bulb and ballast back tomorrow and going with a different setup, either lumatek or some other main stream brand.

here is the deal... you can only run sunpulse bulbs in a true digital ballast. check out sunpulse website. there was an article all about it in high times magazine a couple months ago

can you get a link to the article?