thanks! I haven't tested it yet. I wonder if at first when it's new if it struggles to decide which one to start until one of the arc tubes is "broken in" a bit... I haven't tested the standby lamp since i don't have a working 400W HPS ballast ATm.
okay, i got the 400W westie ballast working and the dual arc tube lamp works fine. i tested both arc tubes (start it up and let it run for a few minutes then shut it off and immediately back on and the second arc tube starts warming up since the first is too hot). Apparently it's random which arc tube strikes though most of the time the same one strikes on a cold start. not 100% of the time though. and on a hot restrike the idle arc tube strikes so restrike is instant but there's still warm up time.
Yeah, you'll probably get the same effect if you wire two HPS lamps in parallel on the same ballast. If you guys have a S56 or maybe a 150w PSMH ballast I think you could light two 70w HPS lamps in series, similar to how I lit two 35w HPS on a 70w MH ballast. O_o
Cool that you finally got a cap for the ballast and got it working again Mike!
yeah my parents bought me the cap for christmas. I can't have it until christmas but i convinced them to let me test the cap when it came so I took the time to light all my 400W HPS lamps to make sure they work lol. Can I just throw out the old cap? It's a NON-PCB cap so it's safe, right?
I should think if you were really crazy you could double-bag it, then just place it in the regular curbside trash. I think I read somewhere that even PCB ballasts can be disposed of in limited quantities in a regular landfill (so curbside trash)
I don't have the luxury of that here though so I have all sorts of "Hazmat" saved up...aerosol cans, batteries, fluorescent lamps, etc.
ahh that's the same place that i'd need to to take Mv lamps and stuff anyways (the landfill is also the eco-depot, recycling center, etc). It's only a ten minute drive from my house but you can only drop stuff off by appointment so you end up waiting like two months and then you end up waiting in line for 2 hours.
I'm sorry to say that i just throw out CFLs. It's not worth it IMO to go through all the hassle of finding out where i can take them to "properly" get rid of them. I don't know of anyone who actually takes them to the eco depot. People stick linear fluorescents at the curb all the time and the garbage trucks take them. HID lamps I'd take to the Eco-Depot though since they have more mercury.
Ahh, the recycling centre here only opens around 3-4 days a week but it's drop in so you don't have to make an appointment. They accept stuff like fluorescent tubes, CFLs and HID lamps along with the regular recyclable stuff.
Stuff like motor oil and used paint goes to a haz-mat disposal centre which is also drop in.
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Cool that you finally got a cap for the ballast and got it working again Mike!
I don't have the luxury of that here though so I have all sorts of "Hazmat" saved up...aerosol cans, batteries, fluorescent lamps, etc.
I'm sorry to say that i just throw out CFLs. It's not worth it IMO to go through all the hassle of finding out where i can take them to "properly" get rid of them. I don't know of anyone who actually takes them to the eco depot. People stick linear fluorescents at the curb all the time and the garbage trucks take them. HID lamps I'd take to the Eco-Depot though since they have more mercury.
Stuff like motor oil and used paint goes to a haz-mat disposal centre which is also drop in.