Arrrrgh, my MH light has died
 

It's getting power and the transformer is vibrating a bit, but there
is nothing coming from the bulb. I suspect it's likely the bulb but
don't have a spare to try. Any ideas on how to diagnose where it's
actually the bulb or possibly the transformer? Guess I could take a
meter to the socket and look for power there, but I don't know what
voltage to look for and really wouldn't want to accidentally short it
out.

deg

Dewitt wrote:
It's getting power and the transformer is vibrating a bit, but there
is nothing coming from the bulb. I suspect it's likely the bulb but
don't have a spare to try. Any ideas on how to diagnose where it's
actually the bulb or possibly the transformer? Guess I could take a
meter to the socket and look for power there, but I don't know what
voltage to look for and really wouldn't want to accidentally short it
out.

deg

Well, you know, in a way this is a no brainer. Buy a bulb! That's, by
far, the most likely problem and what's the worst that can happen? The
worst that can happen is that it's the transformer and then you will
have the spare bulb you really need anyway when you fix or replace the
transformer.

Steve

Dewitt wrote:
It's getting power and the transformer is vibrating a bit, but there
is nothing coming from the bulb. I suspect it's likely the bulb but
don't have a spare to try. Any ideas on how to diagnose where it's
actually the bulb or possibly the transformer? Guess I could take a
meter to the socket and look for power there, but I don't know what
voltage to look for and really wouldn't want to accidentally short it
out.


I agree with the other poster; buy a new bulb and see if it works.
When you take out the old bulb, look for any obvious signs of a
problem, such as loose bits, broken connections in the bulb, etc.

If you really want to troubleshoot it with a multimeter, the unit or
the transformer itself should have its output voltage marked on it
somewhere. Did it come with a schematic and a rundown of its
electrical requirements and outputs? If so, check that.

J. Del Col

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 10:56:59 -0400, Steve wrote:


Well, you know, in a way this is a no brainer. Buy a bulb! That's, by
far, the most likely problem and what's the worst that can happen? The
worst that can happen is that it's the transformer and then you will
have the spare bulb you really need anyway when you fix or replace the
transformer.

Yeah, but I've never seen a MH bulb just up and die before. I've been
using the AgroSun Gold bulbs which cost about $75+ locally and $45
mail order, so I'd rather mail order but don't want to wait a week to
10 days to get it and discover it is the transformer. I'll probably
just bite the bullet and buy one locally. And next time, I'll save an
old, but working bulb to use for testing should this situation arise
again.

deg

deg

This may help in troubleshooting if you have an electrical engineering
background:

http://members.misty.com/don/hidexp.html

The voltages and currents involved are easily lethal, so I recommend you
simply try a new lamp unless you really know what you are doing.

Have you ever been in the vicinity of a MH lamp that exploded? Wow,
they really go BANG!

John

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 21:59:02 -0400, John DeGood wrote:

This may help in troubleshooting if you have an electrical engineering
background:

http://members.misty.com/don/hidexp.html

The voltages and currents involved are easily lethal, so I recommend you
simply try a new lamp unless you really know what you are doing.

Have you ever been in the vicinity of a MH lamp that exploded? Wow,
they really go BANG!

John

No, and I really prefer to avoid things that go boom. I really didn't
think I wanted to stick probes in the socket to measure voltage, and
the page you noted confirmed that (portioned copied below); 500 volts
is not something I'd care to mess with. I was impressed with the
voltage needed to start automotive xenon metal halide bulbs - up to 20
kilovolts.

"PEAK VOLTAGE NECESSARY FOR STARTING:
Metal halide 175-400 watts: 500 volts, 450 usually works.

Automotive 35W xenon metal halide: 7-10 kilovolts, 12-15 kilovolts for
hot restrike, 18 to maybe even 20 kilovolts for truly reliable in all
cases hot restrike."

I did find info for a local hydroponics store that should have the
bulb I want and I'll wander over their way tomorrow.

deg

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 04:13:28 GMT, Dewitt
wrote:

I did find info for a local hydroponics store that should have the
bulb I want and I'll wander over their way tomorrow.

Well, it was the bulb. It cost more than I could have purchased it
for on the internet, but it was quick and it's good to know that they
carry things like net pots I use and can work on my light ballast if
that's ever necessary. The store is right next to a tattoo parlor and
my guess is that most of their customers aren't growing orchids. Got
me to thinking. Anybody growing under lights received a visit from
law enforcement based on their lighting purchases?

deg

Dewitt wrote:
On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 04:13:28 GMT, Dewitt
wrote:


I did find info for a local hydroponics store that should have the
bulb I want and I'll wander over their way tomorrow.


Well, it was the bulb. It cost more than I could have purchased it
for on the internet, but it was quick and it's good to know that they
carry things like net pots I use and can work on my light ballast if
that's ever necessary. The store is right next to a tattoo parlor and
my guess is that most of their customers aren't growing orchids. Got
me to thinking. Anybody growing under lights received a visit from
law enforcement based on their lighting purchases?

deg

Many many years ago, when I still lived in Chicago, one of the
hydroponics stores in the suburbs (Barrington, I think) raised a big
stink about a camera that was erected to point at their parking lot. If
I recall the story correctly (HAH!), it was being used by law
enforcement to look for suspicious persons. I think it was taken down
after sufficient complaint.

I never had a 'visit' while growing under lights, but I did routinely
have Chicage police stop in the alley beyond my house and peer up to my
third floor blazing window. I'd wave. They must have thought I was too
friendly to be a dope-head. I'm pretty sure some folks looked through
my basement windows when I was growing in Lansing. But I didn't have
anything to hide, except orchid addiction, (which is probably more
expensive than pot, and possibly less socially acceptable).

Around here they catch the big light farms by analyzing power usage (if
your power use goes up 200%, you are probably getting a visit). And I
know a pilot who has been hired to go on overflights with IR cameras.
HID lights put out a lot of heat, houses will glow like little nukes.
You can even catch underground ('cave') growers that way.

Besides, nobody grows loco-weed around here anymore, I'd guess. All I
see in the papers is IQ-challenged yahoos getting busted for cooking
methamphetamine. That is freaking dangerous... I'd rather have a pot
farm than a meth lab as a neighbor, any day.

--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a) See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:40:08 GMT in Dewitt wrote:
On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 04:13:28 GMT, Dewitt
wrote:

I did find info for a local hydroponics store that should have the
bulb I want and I'll wander over their way tomorrow.

Well, it was the bulb. It cost more than I could have purchased it
for on the internet, but it was quick and it's good to know that they
carry things like net pots I use and can work on my light ballast if
that's ever necessary. The store is right next to a tattoo parlor and
my guess is that most of their customers aren't growing orchids. Got
me to thinking. Anybody growing under lights received a visit from
law enforcement based on their lighting purchases?

Not yet, despite having the grow lights visible from the street
and the neighbors across the street having two kids and a son in law
that are sheriff's deputies.
Then again, I'm also still doing flourescents

--
Chris Dukes
Suspicion breeds confidence -- Brazil

Many many years ago when I grew um... vegetable matter I never had any
visits to our wherehouse or our apartment. We ran thousands of watts
(I also ran a small still on the gas stove cause our gas was included
in the rent!) You could smell the corn squezins out in the parking
lot. Oh.. the good ol days!
When I moved into this house I installed 400 watts worth of flour.
fixtures in the sun room for all the house plants and you can see it
glow very brightly from the street. I live right on the county/city
line and one house away from a church where both city and county cops
idle there cars in the parking lot so they were used to seeing my
porch glow right from the beginning.
5 years ago when I started the propagation room downstairs my mother
said "not if but when the cops come to your door DO NOT MOVE"
I put my electric bill on the average out over a year plan so it never
spiked. The locals came out during the day when I wasn't home and had
a dog walk the land. The dog gave a responce so that night they sent a
friendly agent.
Since that visit there have been two others. All very polite and
informal. They have been from all diff depts. I was told that I could
call the city and have them come out, fill out a report and put me in
the system, but I was also told this will be more likely to have them
come out on a random basis and check you out.
The guy that ran the Hydro store here (atl GA) years ago did ten
years for selling hydro equipment!!! Now we have a fine upstanding
hydro store that I have given lots o cash to. I have used a credit
card there as well.This is probablly why I have gotten visits from so
many diff. departments.
Come on in, look around, buy an orchid while your here!



On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:40:08 GMT, Dewitt
wrote:

On Mon, 29 Aug 2005 04:13:28 GMT, Dewitt
wrote:

I did find info for a local hydroponics store that should have the
bulb I want and I'll wander over their way tomorrow.

Well, it was the bulb. It cost more than I could have purchased it
for on the internet, but it was quick and it's good to know that they
carry things like net pots I use and can work on my light ballast if
that's ever necessary. The store is right next to a tattoo parlor and
my guess is that most of their customers aren't growing orchids. Got
me to thinking. Anybody growing under lights received a visit from
law enforcement based on their lighting purchases?

deg


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