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Flickering Halide bulb????

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Jtown, May 1, 2009.

  1. May 1, 2009 #1
    Jtown

    Jtown Inactive User

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    So my 175 bulb has started to flicker a little bit the last two days and its driving me crazy!!! What could cause this? Is it normal for a new bulb to "burn in" before this will stop??? I have a 175 ice cap electric balast pushing a ushio 175 10k bulb. Bulb was new as of Sunday and its been running 10 hours a day on a timer. The first day when it fired up for the first time it did this for an hour or so but thought nothing of it and then stopped for a few days untill tomorrow and is not doing it again... Is it possible the ballast is almost shot or the bulb was just a fluke dud? Please chime in with suggestions because this is bothering me BAD!!! Thanks guys....
     
  2. May 1, 2009 #2
    h2so4hurts

    h2so4hurts Inactive User

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    Sounds like a bad bulb to me. You didn't happen to buy 2 at the same time did you? Did you notice any flickering before you replaced the bulb?
     
  3. May 1, 2009 #3
    Jtown

    Jtown Inactive User

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    I have an old bulb that i just screwed in and it doesnt flicker at all... All signs point to bulb then huh??? Is this a common problem or part of a break in period? Halides are new to me so I know absolutely nothing about them.
     
  4. May 1, 2009 #4
    FishBrain New London

    FishBrain Expert Reefkeeper

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    The filament in the bulb is bad Is my guss.
     
  5. May 1, 2009 #5
    Jtown

    Jtown Inactive User

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    Yeah I just put the new bulb back in and after a few minutes it flickers again. If somebody were to try and fire this bulb with a ballast that wasn't meant for the bulb could that hurt it and be the reason it's damaged???
     
  6. May 1, 2009 #6
    snowman82

    snowman82 Experienced Reefkeeper

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    when i first got this bulb i put it on my setup 250w magnetic ballast thinking it was a 250w, but after trying it a few times i then took it out and did research and found it was a 175. it was still new never fired, but i bought it from another reefer of RC not the store, i sold it to jtown. if trying it on my ballast did something to it i will make it right. but that bulb needs an electric ballast, to fire it since it dont have a built in ignitor...i could of screwed it...
     
  7. May 1, 2009 #7
    Jtown

    Jtown Inactive User

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    Does anybody know if this could be the reason??? Anybody ever run into this problem before???
     
  8. May 1, 2009 #8
    h2so4hurts

    h2so4hurts Inactive User

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    I'd say that's probably the reason.
     
  9. May 2, 2009 #9
    Lee

    Lee Experienced Reefkeeper

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    well you know now that it's the bulb that's wrong, and I would bet trying to fire it on a 250watt ballast caused the problems with it too.
     

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