I swear *edit edit*, always *edit* something

[MrPuffAlot]

Heres the deal,

My *edit* digital 600W ballast, i think, just took a dump.
After 3.5 weeks of 24/0, with no problem and seemingly
smooth sailing. I finally decided to finally, after almost
5 weeks of patience, to start the flowering.

I switch off my surge protector, unpluged the ballast,
pointed my fan at the bulb to cool it, waited a couple of minutes,
screwed out the MH bulb, replaced it with the HPS.
Pluged everything back in, ballast fans start running, but
NOTHING. *edit edit edit edit*.

So I think, maybe it needs to reset and ballast need to warm back up
I waited almost a *edit* hour, nothing. Tinkered with the socket,
did my jedi mind trick on the ballast. NOTHING..ERRRRR *edit*

I looked at my plants and thought.. Man what the *EDIT* am I going to do.
I got to go to work, I need the lights to come back on in at least 12 hrs
or i can jeapardize my whole grow.

I decided I have to put it outside, until I call HTGsupply, to get this
thing fixed/replaced asap. but with shipping it can take a couple of days.
I can't let my grow get all *edit* up or turn hermie. I had to take them
outside.

I live in a townhouse, my back yard is fenced in, but its a shadow box
fence. So people can see if they wanted. So i got neighbors all around
me around back. I placed about 16 plants around the back yard
tring to be discrete and using existing shrubbry and etc. Nevertheless
easy to spot.
(Praying HTGsupply do me right about this situation) 9am EST
cant' come soon enough.

So got couple of questions:

1. The plants will only be getting couple of hours of direct sunlight.
Will it be enough??

2. Is there any precautions i should take, moving indoor to outdoor then moving back outdoors to indoors?

3. Should I try to make/use something to repel insects?

Any other advice or tips will be greatly appreciated..

I swear its always *edit*ing something.

Pardon the Edits.. just replace with any explirative(sp)

 

[jamstein]

did you try the MH bulb again?

might not be so good for flowering, but better than your neighbours seeing everything

 

[MrPuffAlot]

did you try the MH bulb again?

might not be so good for flowering, but better than your neighbours seeing everything

YEA.. I probably screwed in the MH and HPS bulbs in 3 times each,
after tapping on the socket/ballast and cords.


Anyone know if maybe the SOCKET failed?? or is probably unlikely..

 

[booradley]

I would recommend geting a crap load of CFLs and get those girls back inside! And perhaps you might want to edit out the name of the place you got it. It's probably a small store and might read sites like these... Just saying, every precaution!

Risk your grow, not your life!

 

[MrPuffAlot]

Just got off the phone with HTG.
They were very cordial and their warranty seems to be top notch,
going to replace my ballast.

BUT

They are out of stock of my ballast, they say it will be a couple of days
for them to get them in, and said they will send ASAP.

Until then..

I have to figure away to conceal my babies some how..

Any suggestions??

 

[SmokinMom]

Oh goodness how frusterating. I have no advice but just wanted to say I hope everything gets sorted out ASAP for you.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

You cannot take plants directly from artificial light (even HIDs) to sunlight without acclimating them. Take your girls inside right now to keep them from getting "sunburned" and very possibly dying.

Get a couple of fluorescents for now. You can usually find them at thrift stores. Put decent tubes in them. Use them later for side lighting. Bite the bullet and pay the extra for overnight shipping for that ballast.

 

[bono]

Well this confirms my suspession...htg ballasts are crap. Mine lasted nearly an entire grow and then gave out. I was really bummed out. I was like you, thought it was the blub. I tried both the HPS and MH but neither would work. HTG was good with the warranty and thankfully mine died with only a few days of flowing left (and I had a backup 400watt mh). Hopefull it lasts this grow and then I can upgrade to a digital ballast. Good luck man, I feel you pain.

 

[MrPuffAlot]

update:

HTGsupply is doing me right.

Well, the digital 600w ballast were not delivered to them today.
Which put me in a bind. Because they dont get anoter delivery
until next week, with shipping and etc.. It could be another week
or two. Who knows??

So i asked the guy at HTG supply what he had in stock.
He had all the 250's 400's and 1000's in stock. (justmy luck no 600s).
So i asked if I could buy the 1000W kit and pay the differnce from my 600w
that im getting replaced under warranty. He said I could..
THUMBS UP.. to HTG..

BUT.. their policy is, in situations like this, they require that i send my
broken light kit back then they'll ship out my replacemenet.

I cordially explained to him how, my "garden" is sitting outside and its
of VITAL IMPORTANCE, that I bring them back in. Not for the garden sake
but for my "legal" sake.. He got my drift.

So he is going to ship out my 1000w, and allow me to return the 600W kit
after I receive my 1000w kit on monday.

THUMBS UP to HTGsupply.. I would recommend them to anyone.
They were understanding , responsive and very easy to work with.
( after spending 1k with them in a month, they better of been)

the 1000w kit im getting is the COOLstar 1000w system with Sunmaster
HPS 1000W, and Agrostar 1000w MH bulb.

*** in all fairness to HTGsupply, the ballast that took a fart on me was
Digital greenhouse ballast/light kit. Which means it wasn't HTGballast
per se ***

Hopefully my guerella grow with camoflauge can hold out for couple of more
days.. (see my covert ops thread) haha