ballast repair?

[spinoleo]

if I was not moving today I have an extra ballast I could give you.If you can wait till monday and come to buffalo I can give you 1 they are 250w ballast

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

thanks for the offers of help- this has been a good learning experience for me.
Now I just need to learn who (if anybody) stocks these pulse type ballasts locally. If I can't find it locally I'll have to order it and do the repair.
FWIW:
many years ago I used electronic ballasts. It seems the old cap/coil ballasts are getting phased out in favor of eballasts in the aquarium trade nowadays.

I'm still trying to figure out why my ballast fried the way that it did.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

update

update

FAIL!

I tried, Steve. She lights up but keeps going out.

For the price of the pulse start components I'm ordering a backup ballast and THEN I'll go about repairing my PFO unit... I need light ASAP.
It's a terrible day for this project... I need to drink some beers next to the pool. Thanks for all the offers of help!

 

[acdraindrps]

The transformer you pictured looks fried. What is making you think the capacitor is the problem? Forgive me if you already explained, but I didn't have a chance to look through the entire thread. If you can get some numbers or a label from the transformer I might be able to find you one cheap.

Is it a 250w or 175w ballast? I know someone who has a ballast graveyard and might be able to pull out some parts. PM me if you'd like.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I need to locate someone that sells those types of transformers

PFO installed this transformer in my 400watt ballast:
M0400-71c-611 by Howard Industries

this kit by Advance contains the proper ballast/transformer but (as you can see in my picture) the only component that fried is the transformer. If you can hook me up that'd be great.

Now I'm trying to figure out why the transformer would fry like that- could it possibly have something to do with my ACjr's DC8? (that circuit would get stuck open occasionally).

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

bingo!

bingo!

Howard Industries M0400-71C-611

acdraindrps- please LMK if you can locate a 400 watt transformer in the graveyard

 

[Steve Canyon]

FAIL!

I tried, Steve. She lights up but keeps going out.

For the price of the pulse start components I'm ordering a backup ballast and THEN I'll go about repairing my PFO unit... I need light ASAP.
It's a terrible day for this project... I need to drink some beers next to the pool. Thanks for all the offers of help!

Bummin' Gary.
I can't begin to guess why. I'll ask our electrical guy if he can offer a suggestion. Lights but won't stay on..... hmmmm.. did you try more than two sets of the ballasts?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I'm going to play around with it more later on today. In the meantime, here's the label on the burnt-out transformer

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

to someone that might be interested:

to someone that might be interested:

I no longer have any need for any part of this burnt out 400w MH ballast.
It can be fully repaired by installing Advance Transformer mfg. part # 09803.
This item will cost you around $70 and can be found in the Voss Lighting catalog online as well as elsewhere. The heat sink/ballast housing is in perfect shape and simply requires new "guts". Free or BO.

PM me if you want the ballast.

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Free or BO.

:lol: