Ballast nuts?? or just damaged/broken?? It starts old lamps but not new lamps

[Pablito123]

About 2 weeks ago i noticed my 250hps cycling (turning off and then after cooling down turning on again). I just seem that hapen once so i tought it may had been a power surge or something that made the lamp turn off.
So, last week and also yesterday the same thing hapened, she started to cycle another 2 times(that i've seen, could have been more..).
So today i went to the hydro store so i could buy a brand new 250hps and i did. i bought a lamp equal to the one i had before, the Agrolite HPS 250wFlo&Gro that i use for veging.
So i arrived home and changed the lamp, out with the old one and enter the new one.. And.. to my surprise she doesn't work!
The ballast just tries to fire it up but nothing happens on the lamp, no glow at all, not even a small one. It acts like the ballast isn't even connected to a lamp, it just makes that vibration/noise that ballasts do when they startup but it stays allways that way without nothing hapening on the lamp.

So i went to the hydro store again (another 120kms.. ) and to my surprise the lamp works there!!!!
The guy in there tried to connect the lamp to a ballast also equal to mine (but a newer model almost equal) and the lamp fires up quickly without any problem at all.

So then i went home again with the "new" lamp to try to change the reflector or review the wirings/fixing.. and that i did.. i tried with another reflector making sure the wiring is done ok and nothing!!!
Nothing at all, the situation remains the same, the ballast tries to fire up the new lamp but nothing happen!

So i tried to plug the old hps that i was using until yesterday(the one that started to cycle) and she works!!!
The ballast fires up the old one but doesn't fire up the new one.
What's happening here?
I've read that the older the lamp the less power it needs to fire it up, but after a while old lamps draw more power..
Why does my ballast only works with the old lamp?
Do i need a new ballast? I'm really short of cash, like i never been as bad before and i've had so many missfortunes that it seems some greater entity is working against me
I just want to grow bud and i am tired of having to resolve problems almost everyday..

Please help

 

[Pablito123]

No one?
thats just my luck nowadays...

I need to make a decision if i keep the new lamp and buy a new ballast or whatever.. Its got to be a well made decision because money is the shortest its ever been

 

[sm0k4]

Sounds like the ignitor or capacitor. This is magnetic ballast? The ignitor may be weak now and not providing the correct start up voltage anymore. See if your shop carries spare caps and ignitors.

If its a digital ballast who knows, those are all electronic controlled.

 

[jm420]

I'm thinking the same,also if theres an electical supply company around they would also have Ignitors and cap for cheaper$,a whole rebuild kit will cost about 50$new cap ignitor and coil

 

[Pablito123]

unfortanely my shop doesn't sell individual parts, just the all thing i really need the lamp/ballast functioning so i went out again and bought another 250w ballast.

My "old" ballast was a magnetic one and my new one is also magnetic. The new one is from Agrolite, model Gear Box 250w. The old one was an ETI. The new one looks better and it even has a fuse that i think is a good thing.

I also am thinking its the ignitor/starter, i will try some time ahead to buy a new ignitor for it if the cost is right/small! That way i got a spare 250w ballast that i can put to use in the future. I will look for ignitors in an electric shop then.


But for now looks like i am ok. I am planing on changing the 400w flowering lamp to a new one and i'm really hoping the i won't have to change the 400w ballast as well. I really hope not.

Thanks you all.