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View Full Version : Anyone interested in 400w Ushio/BLV 14ks?

moonpod
11/20/2005, 10:41 PM
I am thinking about getting a case of 'em from viclite. They are supposedly comning to the US "some time soon" but that's been Ushio North America's story for the last several months....I only need 3 so....
Wilafur
11/20/2005, 11:48 PM
hmmmm. sounds tempting... ;)

so you know what ballast is best for the bulbs?
moonpod
11/20/2005, 11:54 PM
nope. But I'll prolly use icecaps or helios.
Wilafur
11/21/2005, 12:05 AM
i really like them icecaps.
moonpod
11/21/2005, 12:08 AM
they keep making my GFIs pop. If I can't figure it out, I'll have to go another route on the ballasts.
Crusty Old Shellback
11/21/2005, 10:10 AM
Are these SE or DE? If there DE, I may be interested in 4 of them.
moonpod
11/21/2005, 10:16 AM
SE
Crusty Old Shellback
11/21/2005, 10:19 AM
Never mind then :(

As for your GFI, check to make sure everything is wired right. You might have a bad GFI too that is causing the problem. Maybe try and plug the fixture into another circuit to see if it does the same thing. Good luck.
moonpod
11/21/2005, 10:24 AM
it does it in every GFI I have in the house....all 3 of 'em. In on GFIs it's fine.
Crusty Old Shellback
11/21/2005, 10:51 AM
Interesting.

Either you have a bunch of bad GFI's or just one is bad and that's the one that dosen't blow.

I'd try checking for stray voltage to the ground wire. Also maybe check resistance between the ground wire and the other two wires on the ballast with it unpluged and the bulb removed. It should read max resistance.
moonpod
11/21/2005, 10:59 AM
correction of above posts: All 3 IC 400w ballasts do it on all of my GFI outlets. They work fine on the nonGFI/regular outlets. Of course what do I have for my tank....GFI outlets....
Crusty Old Shellback
11/21/2005, 11:09 AM
HMMM!

That's even more interesting. Sounds like something is wrong with the ballast. Has Icecap answered you back yet?

The GFI is tripping because it's sensing voltage on the ground line, but not enough to trip the circuit breaker on the non GFI circuits.
gtrestoration
11/21/2005, 01:36 PM
Originally posted by moonpod
All 3 IC 400w ballasts do it on all of my GFI outlets.

Interesting Chuck... sounds as though IC has a problem... still.

SteveU
Wilafur
11/21/2005, 01:51 PM
chuck, bring them over to my pad and we can plug them into my gfi's.

did i mention that i get to keep a ballast as a "testing" fee? :lol: j/k
moonpod
11/21/2005, 03:31 PM
Yeah, ICs answer when I called 'em was less than illuminating. They told me either my GFIs are too sensitve or I must not have 'em grounded right....I'm pretty darn sure about the grounding so....I'm gonna try rewiring the grounds and if that doesn't work...I guess hope that nothing much is on the living room circuits...