What would keep a new MH bulb from firing up?

[spike]

Weird situation. I just received two new radiums earlier this week. Installed them an everything worked great. Yesterday morning I went down to my tank and two of my lights were out. They are on different ballasts, so it was just weird. Well I messed around and unscrewed bulbs changed wiring configuration. They began working again, never figured out what exactly I did. Figured it was one of those things. Well today the same thing, 2 bulbs out. Nothing I did fired them up. I finally unscrewed the bulbs and put back an old ones, wallah, it works. Anybody have any ideas, or have this happen to them? Especially since they seemed to work at the beginning.

 

[jp30338]

ramone;484665 wrote: Weird situation. I just received two new radiums earlier this week. Installed them an everything worked great. Yesterday morning I went down to my tank and two of my lights were out. They are on different ballasts, so it was just weird. Well I messed around and unscrewed bulbs changed wiring configuration. They began working again, never figured out what exactly I did. Figured it was one of those things. Well today the same thing, 2 bulbs out. Nothing I did fired them up. I finally unscrewed the bulbs and put back an old ones, wallah, it works. Anybody have any ideas, or have this happen to them? Especially since they seemed to work at the beginning.

I had the same problem b/c of the "button" on the end wasnt making enough contact when I screwed them in, so I had to go with evc, as their "button" sticks farther out.

 

[johnr2604]

Are the ballast your running probe or pulse start? Some bulbs don't fire correctly on certain ballast. Radiums being one of them.

 

[Jaycen B.]

I had a similar issue with 2 new Hamilton 400w DE bulbs. I have 2 reefstar pendents one new and one I bought used the used one needed a new bulb. I got the new bulbs and the old unit would not fire them but would fire the old bulb fine. I changed the bulb frome the new unit to the old and it fired right up. I called hamilton and they told me that the starter and/or capacitor was weak and it required more power to fire a new bulb than an old one.

400w pulse start ballast.

Anyone know how to change them out?

 

[grouper therapy]

Jaycen B.;484867 wrote: I had a similar issue with 2 new Hamilton 400w DE bulbs. I have 2 reefstar pendents one new and one I bought used the used one needed a new bulb. I got the new bulbs and the old unit would not fire them but would fire the old bulb fine. I changed the bulb frome the new unit to the old and it fired right up. I called hamilton and they told me that the starter and/or capacitor was weak and it required more power to fire a new bulb than an old one.

400w pulse start ballast.

Anyone know how to change them out?

yea no problems