WYF my bulb is flashing on and off????

mrduke

mrduke

Well-Known Member
its a quantum digital ballast with a hortilux bulb 600w every thing ran fine for a while now the bulb flashes on and off like 5 times a minute.
Its not the ballast going off cause the bulb starts right back up at ful power doesnt warm back up. i switched bulbs and it still does it, is my ballast shoot? any idea's what to do
 
massah

massah

Well-Known Member
mrduke said:
its a quantum digital ballast with a hortilux bulb 600w every thing ran fine for a while now the bulb flashes on and off like 5 times a minute.
Its not the ballast going off cause the bulb starts right back up at ful power doesnt warm back up. i switched bulbs and it still does it, is my ballast shoot? any idea's what to do
Click to expand...
Have you ever seen a streetlight flicker and go off and on? That's a ballast issue...it could be getting weak...it could be something with the electronics going wonky making it misfire...it "comes right back on" because the lamp is already heated up, but it is NOT good for it to be ran that way...

The other issue here is standard bulbs on digital ballasts...I've read lots of info on this issue over the years where using standard cheap HPS bulbs conform to ANSI standards that magnetic ballasts output properly, but digital ballasts at times do not output the correct frequency and are not required to conform to the standards. That might be your issue here...
 
spitsbuds

spitsbuds

Well-Known Member
massah do you think you could help me please. i have a light issue. i run to 600 watt duel spec sumaster hps bulbs through a stranded ballast. im growing in a secret jardian grow tent. 2m/1.5/3m. have 4 white widow under each light. i in week 2 of flowering. things are looking amazing. but i got 2 phoenotypes the tall slighly stretchy satvia. lazy to and the small white widow indica bushes. the 2 tall more satvia dom ones are about 4 to 5 feet. there starting to show sings of light deficiency one or 2 top leafs round the flower are showing signs. is it theses 2 tall plants competing for light. if so what should i do. i maybe could get a clf light in there or might they be a problem with my bulbs. there have both done one grow. well the light the tall ones are under as done one veg stage before. i can post up pics of the tent/lights /plants if needed
 
massah

massah

Well-Known Member
spitsbuds said:
massah do you think you could help me please. i have a light issue. i run to 600 watt duel spec sumaster hps bulbs through a stranded ballast. im growing in a secret jardian grow tent. 2m/1.5/3m. have 4 white widow under each light. i in week 2 of flowering. things are looking amazing. but i got 2 phoenotypes the tall slighly stretchy satvia. lazy to and the small white widow indica bushes. the 2 tall more satvia dom ones are about 4 to 5 feet. there starting to show sings of light deficiency one or 2 top leafs round the flower are showing signs. is it theses 2 tall plants competing for light. if so what should i do. i maybe could get a clf light in there or might they be a problem with my bulbs. there have both done one grow. well the light the tall ones are under as done one veg stage before. i can post up pics of the tent/lights /plants if needed
Click to expand...
You should have PLENTY of light for those plants running 600's...no way in hell they are light starved...and light starvation shows towards the bottom of the plants not the top. The only thing you can do to reduce their height is get some string and start to tie it down. Just be careful to not break the stem as you are pulling it down. You'll probably need to tie off the main trunk in the opposite direction you are tieing the top down to keep it from just wanting to topple over at the base.

I'd start a new thread with pictures of whats going on...make sure you detail out your grow completely including pics of the problem areas and the entire plant including container :)
 
K

kermit2692

Well-Known Member
when a bulb is at the end of life it can turn off and restart..I read that from an hid street light repair manual..I would try a new bulb before i worry about it being the ballast
 
spitsbuds

spitsbuds

Well-Known Member
ok i did restart it self the other day. i cought the wire that attaches to the ballast with my foot. that knocked it of. then it did just turn of the other day. i fiddled with the wire and it came back on. im uplaoding pics now. 2 mis
 
massah

massah

Well-Known Member
Hard to really see whats going on there because of the HPS...take some pictures right after your lights go out with some other light and a flash...they don't look all that bad from the pictures so far though...maybe some possible overnuting(I see yellowing leaf tips)?
 
cues

cues

Well-Known Member
Probably stating the obvious here but have you made sure the bulb is FULLY screwed in. i.e. Screwed in by hand and then held with a cloth etc and screwed in another quarter turn.
The heating up of th bulb can change clearances if this is not done causing a break in circuit which then 're-connects' as it cools down.
 
spitsbuds

spitsbuds

Well-Known Member
i can go do that now as there due a feed and i can take them from the tent for a few minutes. my ppms are e.c 1.9 . 0.5 is my water 0.5 is cal/mag then0.9 is AnB with zym and boost and a small amount if rizhp still just to keep the bad pathogens away
 
spitsbuds

spitsbuds

Well-Known Member
as mad as it sounds i better go check ive not checked that for a few week and i will get some clear pics 2 mins
 
spitsbuds

spitsbuds

Well-Known Member
why i thought it might be a lighting problem was it started lower down as was on the side of the plant that facing the tent away from the light and they are 2 very tall plants compared to the rest and the bulbs when ive checked have done 2 gorws and the other as done one and 2 veg stages and the 2 that are shwoing these leafs are both under the same light the one thats done 2 grows
 
massah

massah

Well-Known Member
They look okish...looks a bit like nitrogen claw...I assume your A+B is grow+bloom? If so I'd back off on whatever nutrient has the most nitrogen in it(probably the A)...if anything eliminate it completely(unless that is what contains your micronutrients), but you probably have plenty of nutrients built up in the soil already to just give it nothing but water for the next couple weeks then give it a dose of B. And you can tie that top down :)
 
spitsbuds

spitsbuds

Well-Known Member
im growing in coco and using canna AnB with zym. boost and still a small amount of rizho helps keep the bad pathegens away. should i drop my ppm a little.
 
spitsbuds

spitsbuds

Well-Known Member
ive just reliased something. my feed is. 0.5 ec for my water. 0.5 ec(250ppm) of sensi cal/mag. 0.9 to 1.0 AnB then my additives boost and zym comes at 1.9 to 2.0 ec. but the cal/mag is slighly high as i had signs of mag diif in week 4 so i uped them to 250ppm to stop it. if i take this down take away the extra nitrogen and drop my ec sai 100 ppms and take it from there
 
massah

massah

Well-Known Member
*shrug*, I don't buy expensive nutes...I use cheap shit from home depot/walmart...shultz cactus food + micronutrients is some good shit for flowering :D
 
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