Ballast Wiring Questions

[Richer]

Let me start off by saying that I am a complete doofus at wiring stuff. So forgive me for any seemingly stupid questions.

I have a workhorse 7 ballast and want to hook it up to a 95watt VHO bulb with Icecap endcaps.

Does this diagram look ok?

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/metroopt/Aquarium/workhorse%20diagram.jpg

Also... there's only one black and one white wire on the opposite end of the ballast. I assume thats where I attach a power cord? Could I just use one of those two prong cords? (rather than 3 prong).

-Richer

[Richer]

Ok... after some thinking, my brain finally clicked (or dinked?).

For the ground, could I just simply attach a wire to the ballast (by curling it around a screw touching the ballast)?

Thanks!
-Richer

[StirCrazy]

yup you got it all right. Just put a wire cap on the red wire you don't use and tape it up.

Steve

[Richer]

Awesome, thanks Steve.

-Richer

[StirCrazy]

np

Steve

[Richer]

I thought I figured out why my MH ballasts won't fire up my bulbs... but thats not the case. About 90% of the time the bulbs will fire up for about 30 seconds, then turn off. The other 10% of the time, the bulbs will actually turn on and work just fine. I've tried turning on both of the bulbs on the same time, turning one on, then the other 5 minutes later, etc. I think its unlikely that I got two bad ballasts in a row. So I figure I must have wired the thing wrong... here's how I wired both of my ballasts up.

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/metroopt/Aquarium/MH%20Wiring.jpg

The red wire from the cap is connected to the black wire from the socket. From there, the white wire is connected to the white common wire on the ballast. The green wire from the socket is connected to the ground on the plug. The orange line (120v) is connected to the black line on the plug (hot?) and the remaining white common line is connected to the white line on the plug (neutral?). The black and tan lines from the ballast have been capped off.

I just plugged in one socket again... the bulb lights up. Just as it looks like the bulb is about to fire up to full power, it cuts out and turns off.
I'm going to try doing this on another outlet... maybe the outlet in this room is messed up or something.

Thanks for the help!
-Richer

-Richer

[muck]

Hey Richer,

I found this if it helps... :biggrin:

http://lib1.store.vip.sc5.yahoo.com/lib/lamps-now/m57.pdf

[Delphinus]

What bulb are you using? The phenomenom you're describing sounds like you're trying to start a pulse-start bulb on a probe-start ballast. Your diagram shows M57 which is probe-start. M137 would be the pulse-start equivalent.

That said, sometimes the bulbs, after burning in for a while, will have an easier time starting. But the first little while it's like you say, on and off, on and off for the first few minutes. After the bulb and ballast are warm it should settle in.

I run my Ushio's on M57's. They really should be run on M137's, and I just live with the hard start. Like I said after a while it seems to get better. But the better solution is to run the proper ballasts for the bulbs. I just haven't ponied up the pennies for them myself. I figure if I could buy new ballasts then I might as well buy some M80's instead ... but then I'd have to buy new bulbs and if I could afford new bulbs and ballasts then surely I could afford a new skimmer first, but if I could afford a new skimmer then surely I could afford a new tank .. and hey where did all my money suddenly go??

PS. sometimes switching the leads to the socket seems to help if it's really bad. Don't ask me why it would make a difference ... I bet theoretically it should not make a difference, but it's something I try if I have a new bulb and it just won't fire, and it seems to help.

[muck]

Richer,

You sure the 120V wire from the ballast shouldn't go to the white on your power cord (plug).
Maybe the black and white wires from the plug should be switched.
Check the pdf I posted. Seems that way to me... :smile:

Someone please correct me if im wrong!!