HPS problems! help!

Hey,

So i started my first grow experiment with cfls. decided i wanted to move to a HPS for veg stage so bought me one of these:
Hydroponics Shop – Easy Kit 400W HPS + Sonlight HPS-TS 400W

Wired it all up. No luck.

Bought a new bulb, no luck..

Re-wired it. No luck..

Does this kit looks like it has all I need? Also - what is the diff between a 400W sodium HPS-TS and a 400W Sodium HPS SHP-T? The original bulb was hps-ts but it arrived broken an i just noticed my new bulb is hps shp-t. should the new bulb work with this kit?

thanks

hps-ts are suited for flowering. sounds like the ballast is crap. what did u have to wire up? most kits have everything connected already. if the bulb arrived broken... and it seems the ballast doesn't work... call the seller and tell 'em you're very displeased, want a new bulb and a damn ballast that works. most shops will be happy to refund you or replace the product.

allgreen said:

Hey,

So i started my first grow experiment with cfls. decided i wanted to move to a HPS for veg stage so bought me one of these:
Hydroponics Shop – Easy Kit 400W HPS + Sonlight HPS-TS 400W

Wired it all up. No luck.

Bought a new bulb, no luck..

Re-wired it. No luck..

Does this kit looks like it has all I need? Also - what is the diff between a 400W sodium HPS-TS and a 400W Sodium HPS SHP-T? The original bulb was hps-ts but it arrived broken an i just noticed my new bulb is hps shp-t. should the new bulb work with this kit?

thanks

Click to expand...

thanks tdubya -

so by rights the shp-t should work with this ballast? for the wiring, i had to wire the plug to the ballast and ballast to the lamp - it didnt come pre-assembled.

it does sound like the thing is crap alright. Though i have a phase tester and checked at every point - I'm getting some charge at least right up to the light fitting - that's why I was wondering if maybe the bulb wasn't suited. I can also hear a very quiet hum from the ballast - leadin me to believe that it is doing something.

Got pics of your wiring, maybe you wired it wrong. You may have to get a new bulb from the dealer.

Yea, show us a pic of the whole thing, or a few pics. Maybe you didn't get a HPS kit but accidentally got a MH kit with a HPS bulb.

HPS units need an ignitor, and MH kits use a capacitor. Lets see what you really got. The hum means the transformer might be working, or at least it is getting power. Did you give the light long enough to warm up and fire or just plug it in for a second and give up quick?

Thanx to Khujo for letting us in on this:

Check the "button" inside of the mogul socket. It's either gonna be a pulse rated button, or a copper "strip", that the base must contact to light. Older/cheaper mogul bases will have the copper strip. you can bend it upwards to make sure the base of the bulb is in contact.
Also, check the wire conections at the back of the socket.
Are you sure you wired the correct wires? Did this unit come "some assembly required?" The ballast itself should have 4 wires for different current values. 120/208/240/277. Be certain you have it wired to the wire that says 120v on the wire. (or 240v if thats what you're using.

Thanks for all the replies guys. Sorry I'm so slow getting back.

Have got pics here of the set up:
Marijuana Growing - allgreen's Album: HPS problems

chumlie - the wiring seems to be 100pc - have spent a bit of time on it now
oregonmeds - I left plenty of time plugged in, so it def should have lit by now.
thelastpirate - yeah - i did mess with the copper strip and i made sure that it definitely touches the bulb when it is screwed in. and the wiring seems to be going to the right places.

Have photos of the new bulb up there - shp-t? what does that mean? are my bulbs the same? also - it seems that my ballast should run an mh or a hps bulb (bottom right of the label)

Getting close to flowering time! thanks for the help!

I wish I could help you but those wires are way different than American color code

allgreen you are in the uk yeah ?? just makin sure cuz that ballast is a 230 volt 50hz which is UK power not US.
its a long shot but i figure i better check

PS its wired correctly from the pics i saw for 230 volt 50 hz

Yeah - in the UK alright. And wiring seems intact - damn this sucks!

So im getting power all the way to my light fitting - right wiring - seems like the right bulb. Ahh i dunno. Maybe I'll try another bulb just to be sure.

Other than that its off to get some red spectrum cfls instead... boo...

Anyone know what shp-t on the green bulb packaging means?