Yeah i wouldn't use this until you get a new cap only because if it's damaged it most likely isn't regulating the current correctly so it could damage the lamp or further damge itself. You don't need to worry about PCBs though since PSMH gear wasn't around back in the 70s and before when PCBs were used.

Nice grab, LampLover84

Thanks all!

Too bad I got the one with a bum capacitor as there were over 300 of these being changed to Light Emitting Corn Cob but I had to get the broken one
but at least I got Something which is way better then nothing
Also this place is now way under lit as those new LED do absolutely nothing
as for one they kept the glass shield and those stupid LEDS are sitting way too high in the fixture that was Not designed for the LED lamps

I am going to go to the Habitat for Humanity restore (Stratford CT, If anyone knows that area) on Saturday and see if I can get a cheap flood light or wall pack type of fixture for the ballast and lamp as I don't want to risk an exploding lamp inside the house

By the way my name is Peter
and my name on that other lighting site is LampLover (With out the 84 on the end which is my birth year)

Was this the only one left? If not they probably gave you this one because they're going to resell the other ones and figured they might as well give you this one since it's not worth anything moneywise. But if you can get a new cap it'll work like a gem again!

Yeah I wouldn't ever run a MH lamp out in the open either. I even get concerned running a Mh lamp enclosed in a fixture if the arc tube is blackened.

My name is Mike and the 98 in my username is my birthyear as well.

No this was not the only one left as their truck was full of them but this one was still on the ground and not the truck
I have priced these type of ballasts and they go from $70 and up
also the guy said they probably won't notice one missing as they overbought the LED lamps
(Which was a good thing as some of them were dead right out of the package)
So yes they probably wanted them for scrap Which is where the LEDS belong not these an 95% of them were working the night before

Edit
When is a MH lamp most likely to explode?
I am thinking at the startup pulse
But I don't exactly know the correct answer

no a MH lamp will explode after it has ran for a while. If you don't run it for long persiod of time you lower the risk of explosion. You can get a 100W PSMH ballast for around 30 dollars. Whoever was charging you 70 bucks was ripping you off big time.

Yeah, I believe a MH lamp near explosion will just refuse to strike instead of exploding. That's why the warnings on lamp boxes suggest to switch off MH lamps for an hour or so every two weeks if they are on 24/7 to reduce the risk of explosion.

Ballast kits here are around 50-70 but I usually prowl Restore for HID ballasts which sells them for around 15-20 a ballast (new/NOS).

I went to restore yesterday and there were Zero HID fixtures, So I guess it varies greatly what each restore carries

Yeah Restores vary a lot because what they have depends on what people in the area donate. As far as I know, they don't trade products with each other. I've never gotten anything HID from my local restore but one ReStore in Putnam, CT had some really old NOS MV lamps i bought and it had some interesting fixtures that I passed up on.

Hm..This is a perfect match if you want to install this advance ballast in my black tall fixture. Not only that, but I have 2 paired up ignitor plus 12mfd capacitors available for your 71A5380 (not tested yet)..both ballasts & sockets had completely rusted out (in other completely water/snow damaged fixtures).

If this is HX you can run it fine without the cap..

Correct. It'll just draw more amps. Only with constant wattage ballasts you gotta be very careful when replacing the cap, since it contributes to the lamp's regulation. Your ballast indeed looks like a HX, whose capacitor only corrects the power factor. In residential applications PF is of little importance, because only active power is billed, unlike larger commercial buildings and industries.

ahh so with HPF reactor and reactance ballasts the capacitor isn't necessary? Do you know if it would be necessary here?

@ TiCoune66 "In residential applications PF is of little importance". On a 15amp breaker I got 400w, 250w, and a 70w lamps running at once (~820 circuit watts). If they're all HPF, what do you think my current draw is at peak? About 8 amps. And if they were NPF? Wouldn't wanna try it.

Yeah but with NPF you don't go by the amp rating do you? I thought the amps consumed by NPF and LPF didn't actually "exist", as you don't get billed for them.

With NPF ballasts the amps still matter as 15A worth of NPF ballasts will still be a 15A load at the breaker, but they don't bill you for those amps since their meters can't detect the reactive power from a NPF load. A NPF load will still have "real" power and the meter can detect that.

I'm not sure but I think the newer electronic meters can detect the reactive power from a NPF load so I have a feeling they might start billing for NPF loads in the future.

Of course, that's why I said "little", and not NO importance xD If you run a bunch of NPF ballasts at once it sure is better to add caps to draw less amps LOL.

Ahh so maybe i don't need a new capacitor in my OV-15TD then. Since the cap has rusted out terminals and I don't think the rating is legible.

Yeah, with reactor ballasts, the cap is optional so you don't really need to use it. If you wanted to get a replacement cap, the ballast label also might list the cap volt and MFD ratings.

2 things

About the new LED lamps
The management in the complex admits that they screwed up the lighting refit and that the company took advantage of the complex
They are now going to put the "Proper" LED type fixtures in
The only things I like LEDS for are an indicator (EX: Power/Hard Disk LED on a computer) and Low power flashlights
for real illumination I hate them

Two
if I do get rid of the capacitor how do I modify the circuit?
Just cut the cap out and insulate the leads or short the two wires together
Yes I am idiot with ballasts so I thought I'd ask before I trip a breaker or ruin the ballast or ruin myself

Thanks

@ Vince about the cap failing open I guess this one really failed Open