hope hes right

**cocoa_pleco** · 11-20-2008, 12:10 AM

my halides fired up fine early this morning, but i came back 2 hours later around 11am, and something smelt a bit bad in the basement. i looked at my 125g, and my 150w metal halide pendent was not giving any light and was making a clicking noise

i figured the ballast was done for or something, but i ran it to the reef store i go to. the guy checked my fuse which was fine, and when he plugged everything in, the bulb fired for 2 seconds, then it died and a poof of smoke came from the pendent

he said its probably the bulb, and took a new bulb out of the package to try it, but they lost the phillips screwdrivers to remove the cover to change the bulb. i ordered a new bulb today, but does this sound like the bulb? the fixture is 6 months old, but the bulb is probably crappy (got it with the fixture)

**gm72** · 11-20-2008, 12:18 AM

Bulbs are sealed, so the smoke wouldn't have come from there. Sounds like the ballast to me, but I don't have personal experience with those lights so am just giving you an educated idea.

**cocoa_pleco** · 11-20-2008, 12:25 AM

hmmm, weird

the ballast is external (therse a 6 foot power cord from the ballast to the pendent) so i might need a new pendent

EDIT- just took apart the pendent, and i think it is the bulb. the inside of the bulb has loose flakes allover and smells funky

**Wild Turkey** · 11-20-2008, 12:56 AM

I dunno cocoa, sounds to me like the ballast blew the bulb...wanna bet 500 pts when u pop in the new bulb something bad happens? lol j/k i hope not, but really i think it is the ballast. Ive never had a bulb go out like that

**The Wedge** · 11-20-2008, 01:09 AM

That's cold Turkey

**cocoa_pleco** · 11-20-2008, 03:21 AM

Originally Posted by The Wedge

That's cold Turkey

LOL

but with if the ballast caused it, wouldnt the fuse on the ballast have blown? i asked a guy on another forum (halide pro) and he thinks its the bulb. i'll know when i get a new bulb in a few days

**cocoa_pleco** · 11-20-2008, 03:37 AM

just took the light apart, and found out what it was. some wires are black and would have caught fire, i need a new pendent :(

**Sounguru** · 11-20-2008, 03:45 AM

Well I guess me telling you to look for a short is a little late you found it. I had the same thing happen on my shop lights and it was a short in the wires inside the pendents.

**cocoa_pleco** · 11-20-2008, 03:51 AM

think its fixable? i might call a electronic repair place, the wires just a bit charred about 3" inside the pendent

**Wild Turkey** · 11-20-2008, 04:16 AM

Originally Posted by cocoa_pleco

think its fixable? i might call a electronic repair place, the wires just a bit charred about 3" inside the pendent

Doesnt sound unrepairable to me, is it worth the money is the question, or can you get someone to walk you through it?

I should have bet the 500 huh lol sorry about ur bad luck bud