Timer won't start 400W HPS

[Scientific]

couldn't resist. I mean no offense.

lol

 

[frankffs]

thanks so much!

 

[Bigjake8]

I use the ten dollar wally world on my lights that of them thing you just can't belive it's happening just get a mechanical one

 

[frankffs]

So I bought a digital timer.
set up the Light to turn off at 11h59pm : it went off
Set up the light to turn on at 6h00 am : timer went on but the light didnt go on.
Could it be the ballast?
I had to manually turn on the timer to make it work.
once I did that, I tested the ballast/timer
6:02 --> go off : went off
6:05 --> go on : went on
6:07--> go off : Went off
6:09--> go on : went on

so what the actual f is going on??! anyone ever had these issues?

I'm using a ACE digital dimmable ballast and i've done my research, the 60$ Intermatic DT620CL is brand new.
So im wondering, could it be the ballast that since he hasnt had 6 hours of power didnt started again???

 

[frankffs]

After 6 hours of darkness, the timer went on (light on) but the light didnt go on.

So I bought a digital timer. (Intermatic DT620CL) with an ACE 400w digital dimmable ballast (400 HPS)
set up the Light to turn off at 11h59pm : it went off
Set up the light to turn on at 6h00 am : timer went on but the light didnt go on.
Could it be the ballast?
I had to manually turn on the timer to make it work.
once I did that, I tested the ballast/timer
6:02 --> go off : went off
6:05 --> go on : went on
6:07--> go off : Went off
6:09--> go on : went on

so what the actual f is going on??! anyone ever had these issues?

I'm using a ACE digital dimmable ballast and i've done my research, the 60$ Intermatic DT620CL is brand new.
So im wondering, could it be the ballast that since he hasnt had 6 hours of power didnt started again???

 

[Scientific]

So I bought a digital timer.
set up the Light to turn off at 11h59pm : it went off
Set up the light to turn on at 6h00 am : timer went on but the light didnt go on.
Could it be the ballast?
I had to manually turn on the timer to make it work.
once I did that, I tested the ballast/timer
6:02 --> go off : went off
6:05 --> go on : went on
6:07--> go off : Went off
6:09--> go on : went on

so what the actual f is going on??! anyone ever had these issues?

I'm using a ACE digital dimmable ballast and i've done my research, the 60$ Intermatic DT620CL is brand new.
So im wondering, could it be the ballast that since he hasnt had 6 hours of power didnt started again???

I thought you were going to get an old-fashioned mechanical timer?

If the ballast comes on when you simply plug it into the wall and doesn't come on when you plug it into the timer, logically it has to be the timer's fault.

Are you sure you've got the turn-on command set correctly? If your digital time is anything like mine, it's easy to get it wrong! (Having to get the right day of the week set and all that fiddly detail.)

Did you ever do the test in which you just plug a simple desk lamp into the timer and see if that turns on and off correctly?

 

[Mike Wright]

Ditto on Bigjake8 - grab a cheapie until you can sort it out.

 

[Chris Scorpio]

Re: After 6 hours of darkness, the timer went on (light on) but the light didnt go on

Check to be sure the time dosent have a plug on/off switch
I prefer the manual ones, easy and less apt for errors

But test it a few times, best I can suggest

 

[frankffs]

it did the same problem with a cheapie

 

[Chris Scorpio]

It must be the timer not accepting the voltage startup of the ballast

I agree with Scientific, it could be a simple setup of the timer

 

[Chris Scorpio]

I'd also Google the ballast and issues, it may be a common problem....ya never know

 

[Mike Wright]

Check the rating on the timer. I use a fairly heavy-duty outdoor mechanical type. I saw the issue on my first HPS which drew more than the timer could handle on startup.

 

[Scientific]

it did the same problem with a cheapie

So it's the same behavior with two different timers. That's just weird. What happens when you plug a regular old unballasted table lamp into the timer? Does it work then?

 

[Chris Scorpio]

Be sure the timers are HD, three prong, or like just mentioned they may not handle the startup load

 

[Scientific]

Be sure the timers are HD, three prong, or like just mentioned they may not handle the startup load

Oh, I like the three-prong idea--like the ballast doesn't have the right ground conditions to fire through a two prong timer outlet, or even that the hot and neutral wires got flipped or something. We are definitely into the realm of some kind of funny, unanticipated behavior with a digital ballast here, I'm suspecting.

A digital circuit might even have the smarts to refuse to turn on if the correct safety ground is not present. But golly, we're getting into the Twilight Zone here. Usually it's "just copper from A to B" and the problem is with faulty troubleshooting...

I'm still wondering if the timer is able to turn a common desk lamp on and off properly.

I looked at the new timer he got and it looks pretty fancy, so I'm guessing that it should handle the load, but maybe the relay or SCR in the device can't handle a big current surge at startup? Again, that is definitely a weird "corner case" as the testers says...

In any case, I think Chris Scorpio may have come closest to the best explanation here...

 

[frankffs]

DT620 - Intermatic
its a heavy duty timer....

Specifications
Input: 102-132 VAC 60 Hz, 2.5W max.
Output: 15A output, 1800W resistive and 12A inductive, 8.3A, 1000W tungsten, 1/2 HP

 

[frankffs]

Be sure the timers are HD, three prong, or like just mentioned they may not handle the startup load

its a treeprong!

https://www.intermatic.com/Product/DT620

 

[Scientific]

Check the rating on the timer. I use a fairly heavy-duty outdoor mechanical type. I saw the issue on my first HPS which drew more than the timer could handle on startup.

So we've seen this problem before? I think Pantagruel has figured it out!

 

[Chris Scorpio]

What's the ballast, name and model #

 

[frankffs]

this is the 400w version of the ballast
LightEnerG - The Ace 400W, 600W, 1000W