Issues with MH on digital power bar?

[reefdude135]

I am wondering if anyone has experienced strange problems with their MH ballasts on the digital power bar.

I had a single MH on the bar (175W Hamilton-ARO electronic ballast) and it worked fine for about 3 months. Suddenly it went bad; I sent the ballast to Hamilton for repair, and purchased a brand new 175w PFO Pulse Start Magnetic ballast -- complete with new cord and mogul) -- to replace it.

All was fine with the PFO for 30 days until it suddenly would not light. After some fussing with no success, I plugged it into the wall and it worked fine.

The Hamilton came back -- the connector block went bad, as if something has shorted it. The ballast itself was fine.

Am I overlooking something in my setup? Or just having some bad luck?

 

[AQD_ottawa]

The power bar can not damage a ballast, the other way round is very likely.

The power bar is doing nothing more than switching off 110V on demand.

If the power bar is working fine and a connector block on a ballast has gone bad then its the ballast gone bad.

 

[Harry_Fish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14385982#post14385982 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AQD_ottawa
The power bar can not damage a ballast, the other way round is very likely.........

Actually if it is a chattering relay it could very well damage the ballast.


If when the ballast is pluged into the wall it works fine.
I would then try a different outlet on the strip; it it works
fine then it is pretty easy to see where the fault may be.

Good Luck!

 

[AQD_ottawa]

The relays are double poll single action, these are fitted for this reason to stop this from happening.

 

[Harry_Fish]

And do please explain that?

By the way I have 30+ years in Electronics, Networking, etc.

So I'm sure this will be quite interesting.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

contact matthias he will happily help you

 

[reefdude135]

Well, the ballast works fine plugged into the wall. It won't work on the power bar any more.

One ballast.... Ok. But two ballasts, different brands and different internals (magnetic and electronic).... something seems odd. Just not sure what it may be.

 

[Matthias Gross]

please contact us via email directly - we will find the reason

 

[Harry_Fish]

Are you using the new or old strip?

Also what is the load on the strips?

What is the load on the branch circuit on that
outlet where the strip is plugged into?


The Inrush on startup of a device can be quite high and
while it may not trip a breaker, it can still cause issues
(chattering relays etc).

In a relay chatter the device has such a high pull that it
momentarily pulls the power into a browout letting the relay
release a little then as the relay opens the device goes off and
then the load is gone the strip now has enough power and tries
to close the relay again and the cycle repeats.

Many times what happens it the relays just weld shut
and the device is left in a stuck on position.

The dirty fix to a stuck relay that sometimes works it to smack the relay.

Another fix is to put bigger caps in the power supply of
the plug strip to hold the relays closed during brownout

but.....

The best fix it to use a high amp socket on a
different socket AND on a different branch circuit.

Good Luck

Hope this helps.

 

[reefdude135]

I am pretty sure it's the new design. I purchased it in summer 2008.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Drop me an email to sales@aqua-digital.com for further support

 

[reefdude135]

New strip. Load is a power head, a small Iwaki pump, a small Tunze skimmer, a 2x65 PC ballast, and either a small heater or fan. Outlet load is pretty low.

Oh well.

 

[AQD_ottawa]

Drop me an email to sales@aqua-digital.com for further support