Ballast died, need some DIY info

[myngos211]

Hello,

Came home today to find that my lights weren't all shiny and bright. I have come to the conclusion that my ballast has gone to a better place. I tried a different bulb with no go.

I am no electrician, not even close, but I know there is a capacitor inside the box which makes me wary of trying to troubleshoot. I took off one end of the ballast and noticed that both sets of wires are soldered to the board. BTW, it is a 400W MH/HPS digital converter ballast...a no name brand apparently as I couldn't find one on the aluminum shell. The closest I could find to a match was a made in China brand.

Anyways, my question is, if I buy a replacement ballast, similar such as it being 400W and a MH/HPS converter (maybe magnetic this time), can I just cut the cord going to the lamp and splice it to the new ballast lamp wiring? Or would it be better to solder the wires back together? Or neither? Basically, what is my easiest option in this case? Dead ballast, working lamp, how to connect a new ballast into existing lamp...

Your probably asking, why doesn't this guy know is own setup? Well, I bought a "kit" and the only thing I've had to do in the past 2 years was to replace a bulb but now I'm up against something a little more involved.

Please help, my 10" babies are sitting in the dark on day 5 of flower for sex. I need to get a replacement put in tomorrow evening:icon_confused:

Thanks for any help you guys/gals can provide!:icon_bounce:

[nuggnester]

I basically told someone else the same thing i am about to tell you. I bought a sun system 400 W HPS with a super sun reflector ( i think) off ebay for like 175 bucks. It is a 400-500 $ piece of equipment. I have never regretted it since. It was in near perfect condition, and I am still using the original bulb ( it has yet to blacken)

My point is, you can probably spend another 50 bucks on a P.O.S. ballast, or you can fork up 250 bucks and get a dank setup (possibly 1000 W sun system if you spend 250-300). Then, you would have a dank light system, and a shittier backup to put your mind at ease. You still have to get a ballast for it.

To try and answer your question more directly, I am not qualified enough to know if a pick-a-ballast would work with your light. I wouldn't try it. Buy the sun system with a good reflector!! Mine literally is cool on the top of it when I use this shitty little fan on one of the ducts. I have two ladies flowering 5 inches from the tempered glass. Do you have any idea how much light they are getting!!! I love it.

[GberT]

if you buy a new one you can splice the wires at the socket because most prob it will come with cords. if not you can spice em from within the ballast itself which will require you to read a diagram which is difficult, but you can google a simpler format to understand how it works.

[ElektroBuds]

check out stuff at 1000bulbs.com
i got my ballast from there so cheap

[headintheclouds]

look for your local eletrical supply store like those professional type ones and see what kind of deal you can get from them. also, if you are in the states google something along the lines of "400watt ballast kits" or something. they sell kits out here by me for like 100 bills for a ballast and socket if you want to go that way..idk...good luck

-edit- this may not be the best thing to say nor do I really condone it but you could always "borrow" your local HID light if things are tight