Lumatek Users - Question Please!!

I just received my Lumatek 600w ballast, along with a bulb and a sun systems "econowing" reflector all as part of a package (so I assume the bulb is meant to be compatible). When i plug it all in, nothing happens. No sound, no light, no nothing.

Question: Ignoring the bulb and reflector for now, should the ballast be doing something when I plug it in? Do they normally make a sound (even a small one)?

I am trying to rule out which of the three parts isn't working and I have nothing to go on. The store I bought it from is doing "research" and they are going to call me back. They are saying it may be a bad batch of 600w ballasts....

Meanwhile, I have a garden coming up on 3 weeks now and I will be looking to flower soon. I really need this stuff working by then, fluorescents aren't gonna cut it much longer...

I need some help with this. It's really frustrating trying to figure out which part isn't working. I just need to know if the bulb or socket was bad, would the ballast still make a humming sound or get hot or something to indicate that it is working, or can I assume the ballast is dead? How can I isolate the problem when I don't have any extra bulbs or sockets?

could be just the bulb.... or it could be the ballast.

one wouldnt know unless he looked at it!

if no extra bulbs or sockets, you really cant tell

You could get a cheap voltmeter from a hardware/home improvement store. These devices are cheap and will give you accurate info. Just follow the directions on the package.

Good Luck!

~Rock~

the 1st time I plugged mine inn it took like 5 minutes to come on.but only the 1st time.now it works fine.

Hmm, 5 minutes? And there was no sign of anything happening until 5 minutes?

well not exactly five minutes I wasnt using a stop watch.

Plug it in and leave it on...then see what happens. I have a 600w too and at first it would very slowly heat up the bulb and then it would go full brightness for about a minute. After the minute it would shut off and do nothing for about five minutes...and then it turns on and stays on! I know they say they are RF protected, but I noticed some noise on the TV when it was too close to the coaxial cables hidden in the wall.

Thanks for the help guys, still not working though. It seems they may have accidentally shipped me a second one because i am tracking a 16lb package from them due tomorrow that i did not expect. Hopefully it works and I can send back this POS. The odd thing is, this package was sent to me before the first one even arrived, like they either accidentally shipped an extra one or they knew they had ****ed up and sent me a bad one, and immediately sent a good one.

Maybe I am getting ahead of myself, let's make sure it's actually a ballast tomorrow Otherwise, I might take it all to my local hydro store and see if they can determine the problem.

I have a 600w lumatek ballast as well. Had no problems like your mentioned. But is there a chance the socket system is not right? And is the bulb brand new? Lumateks are very quiet but if you are right there next to it, it should warm up and give a very quiet hum.

Well I was curious whether that hum would happen if nothing was plugged into the ballast's output, or the socket was bad, etc. Would it hum just as long as it was plugged into the wall? It may not matter after tomorrow, but I am curious.

make sure u have a compatable socket lumateks are picky (hydrofarms works for sure) and sorry to tell you no way to test the ballist minus a volt meter, digis wont fire up if they sense somthings wrong (least lumateks wont) such as a bad bulb,no bulb, break in the connection, or in compatable socket. great protection but i had never thought about it in reverse very hard to diagnose the problemb with out a volt meter (got one though i do remodeling)

GL hope this helps

i saw a link earlier about lumateks where someone ran some tests to see wether or not lumateks really produce more lumens...can anyone find that thread for me? thanks