Ballast wiring and lamp setup, HELP!

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Tardigrade 00

Member
rkymtnman said:
think of it this way: looking at your 1st picture.

somehow ( a jumper wire) you need the brown wire to occupy terminal 1 and 2 at the same time.
same with the blue. you need the blue on terminal 3 and 4 at the same time.

don't kill yourself plz.
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Hey is this what you meant? Im still alive but the lights are not working even with the jumper cables.
 

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1212ham

Well-Known Member
Tardigrade 00 said:
should I put a jumper cable between 5 and 6 even tho nothing else is going there? This is what i did trying to follow the advice in this thread, what do you think?
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I have no experience with those, but I would follow the diagram and put a jumper between 5 and 6.
 
MICHI-CAN

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
Tardigrade 00 said:
Hello, I recently bought a 600W grow-kit from hempatia.si. The ballast came with no wires but I found the exact model and how to do wire it properly ( https://www.alchimiaweb.com/blogen/install-eti-ballast/ ) and it's pretty simple and straightforward so I do not know why my lamp isnt working. The ballast is making the usual buzzing sound when I plug it in but the lamp isnt working at all.
I triple checked all the wire colors, i tried different brown and blue slots on the ballast, changed all cables including the one from the wall socket.
I'm really out of my element here and have no idea what to do next and time is of the essence as my outdoor plants are starting to enter flower stage due to shorter days but they are still babies.
Any assistance and advice will be greatly appreciated,

thank you !
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You are not grounding either ground for power supply or fixture. Lucky no shorts. LOL.

Try that. Screws on sides of ballast.

1664057168360.png
 
MICHI-CAN

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
Tardigrade 00 said:
My ballast doesnt have any screws i can use like that. I thought its enough to just cover it with electrical tape but then again I dont know much about electricity lol
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You will need a drill and bit or a self tapping screw. One screw will ground both power cord and fixture lead. Looks like yours was a result of a worn punch die. Or just cost reductions.

Here is quote from wiring instructions.
Now we only have to connect the brown wire to the first strip (marked as F) on the left side of the ballast. On the other hand, the blue cable is connected to the strip marked as N, and the ground connection cable (yellow/green) must be connected to one side of the ballast to be properly grounded.
 
MICHI-CAN

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
1212ham said:
The ground is a safety feature in case the ballast fails or has an internal short, but it shouldn't affect the operation.
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Modern circuitry requires a ground to be detected before energizing. The power cord is that link for ballast. Miss wiring two pole single throw stuff. LOL.
 
MICHI-CAN

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
Tardigrade 00 said:
Again, i managed to power up a small ventilator with this ballast so it wouldnt seem its due to grounding, at least form i can tell
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I tried. Here is a clip from AC electronics as I move on.

Does the Ballast Always Need to be Grounded?
Yes, the ballast case and fixture must always be grounded. This helps assure safety, proper lamp starting, and acceptable performance.
 
T

Tardigrade 00

Member
Not arguing that grounding isnt important, I just dont know how to ground it right now as my ballast has no screws. Also it doesnt seem that the reason for the lamp fixture not working. Thanks for trying to help tho, im getting pretty desperate here, any input is most welcome
 
MICHI-CAN

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
Tardigrade 00 said:
Not arguing that grounding isnt important, I just dont know how to ground it right now as my ballast has no screws. Also it doesnt seem that the reason for the lamp fixture not working. Thanks for trying to help tho, im getting pretty desperate here, any input is most welcome
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I'll try this. Your ballast is providing running voltage for your lamp. It will not provide the initial high voltage needed to start your lamp without the ground. Pull all the jumper wires. Wire the 2 grounds together and paper clip them to the case of the ballast with paint removed for contact. Thank me later. LOL. You've done everything but in defense of your wiring. Don't burn your electronics or house.

Desperation is leading to delusion.
 
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1212ham

Well-Known Member
Tardigrade 00 said:
Not arguing that grounding isnt important, I just dont know how to ground it right now as my ballast has no screws. Also it doesnt seem that the reason for the lamp fixture not working. Thanks for trying to help tho, im getting pretty desperate here, any input is most welcome
Click to expand...
Do not connect a ventilator to test! It might damage the ballast or ventilator.
Add the jumper between 5 and 6, as indicated in the diagram.
Connect the grounds as @MICHI-CAN suggests.
 
T

Tardigrade 00

Member
1212ham said:
Do not connect a ventilator to test! It might damage the ballast or ventilator.
Add the jumper between 5 and 6, as indicated in the diagram.
Connect the grounds as @MICHI-CAN suggests.
Click to expand...
I already did because its hard to separate good from bad advice when you know nothing on the matter haha. The ventilator burned but the ballast seems intact. I will try as you and @MICHI-CAN suggested next. Thanks for being patient with a noob like myself.
 
rkymtnman

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
things i'd check:

voltage at terminal 1
voltage at terminal 7 or 8

are you sure you have a HPS and not MH bulb?

have you wired up this ballast without a load i.e. bulb attached to 7 & 8?
 
T

Tardigrade 00

Member
rkymtnman said:
things i'd check:

voltage at terminal 1
voltage at terminal 7 or 8

are you sure you have a HPS and not MH bulb?

have you wired up this ballast without a load i.e. bulb attached to 7 & 8?
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Hi, the bulb is for sure HPS and I also tried an older HPS bulb that I know is working.

I havent wired the bulb to 7 and 8 yet. Where would I wire the outlet cable in that case?
 
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