MH conversion bulb + Digital Greenhouse ballast = tripped GFCI outlet?

[Guest 18340]

After testing every combination possible (different timers, different outlets, different ballast, etc) the only thing I can come up with is that it has something to do with the way the digital ballast is firing the MH conversion bulb.
The digi ballast fires up an HPS no problem. The magnetic ballasts I have will fire the MH conversion no problem. Fires an HPS no problem.
But my digital with the conversion will cause the GFCI to trip.
It could still very well be a bad ballast...

 

[Hammerhead]

Have you tried a normal MH bulb yet?? None of my Digi Ballast work with conversion bulbs. They will fire normal MH and HPS. Just plug in the right wattage MH bulb let us know..

 

[Guest 18340]

Have you tried a normal MH bulb yet?? None of my Digi Ballast work with conversion bulbs. They will fire normal MH and HPS. Just plug in the right wattage MH bulb let us know..

Nah brother, not yet. Next time I go to Htg I'm gonna take the ballast with me and ask them to trying firing a regular MH.
So your digi's don't play with conversions either huh? Now I'm almost positive it's the digi/conversion bulb combo.

 

[Hammerhead]

there's no need to have the extra stuff that the conversion bulb has. It interferes with the normal operation...

 

[cravin morehead]

still waiting.... anything??

 

[cravin morehead]

bumpity-bump

 

[Nader]

quantum ballast and ushio mh conversion always worked well for me and my friends

 

[Hammerhead]

The ballast I use will fire both HPS and MH does not need a conversion bulb.. I thought Quantum's also fired both HPS and MH??? Conversion bulbs are only needed in ballast that dont fire HPS or MH bulbs or am I wrong on this??

 

[cravin morehead]

Conversion bulbs are only needed in ballast that dont fire HPS or MH bulbs or am I wrong on this??

thats how i understand it. i found this early on in this thread, i think it applies here
'High intensity discharge conversion bulbs are system specific. Sodium conversion bulbs are designed to be used in metal halide or mercury vapour fixtures only. Halide conversion bulbs are designed to be used in high pressure sodium fixtures only. '

 

[Guest 18340]

Fwiw, my 600 watt Galaxy ballast fires up MH conversions without tripping the GFCI...
Barring the purchase of a MH bulb I pretty much hit a wall. I don't want to spend the $$$ on a 1000w MH bulb and the HTG shop doesn't have GFCI outlets so I can't test bulbs there.
I have two switchable (MH/HPS) 1000w magnetic ballasts and they will fire the MH conversion, without tripping the gfci, but will only fire the bulb if it's switched to the hps setting. As it should.