MH bulbs flickering...

I have a 600W Phantom ballast.. I've been using two different MH bulbs (Digilux and 6.4K Sunpulse).. after a few days both bulbs start to flickering, almost going from blue to red and back.. it's subtle but it's noticeable.. I dimmed the ballast to 75% and that seems to have stopped it. Has anyone else experienced this? I read another post that said the plants don't like this so I'm glad I got it to stop.. however I would like to run the bulb at full brightness if at all possible. Any help?

maybe a short in the wiring?

hppy2balive said:

maybe a short in the wiring?

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I've already run a full cycle with the ballast.. but I used a Hortilux Super HPS for the entire cycle and didn't notice any problems. I had tried MH before but the Hortilux Blue MH wouldn't fire reliably so I scrapped that plan. Then got the Digilux and Sunpulse for this round bc they are supposedly designed for digital ballasts. They have both been firing every time but the flicker starts after a few days. I've been doing some extensive searching and some people said those MH bulbs need about 100 hours to burn in.. but they also said the flicker hurts the plants. Someone else suggested trying to screw the bulbs in tighter. I'm gonna try that before the lights come on in the morning. If it doesn't work then I guess I'll just run it at 75% in veg and then hit her with the full 100% Digilux HPS in flower. I've heard the extra light is more important in 12/12 than 18/6 so we'll see

Bump.. any help?

Sorry man wished i could help how do u like MH compared to HPS? whats the temps like on MH? I have never grown with MH?

hppy2balive said:

Sorry man wished i could help how do u like MH compared to HPS? whats the temps like on MH? I have never grown with MH?

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This is my first time using MH. MH is supposed to run cooler but with my setup there isn't a lot of difference bc of how enclosed the area is.

How does the socket look? Sometimes the ground gets unsprung or dirty. It might be you just need to take a wire brush to the inside of the socket. Please unplug it first.

I have this problem as well. New 600 phantom ballast and MH Digilux bulb. After a couple weeks bulb started flickering faintly. I contacted greners and had to purchase a new bulb have it shipped and return the old bulb before I got reimbursed minus shipping. After a couple weeks the new bulb started doing the same flickering. This time I switched ballasts to another phantom ballast I have and the bulb still flickered. So I figured has to be bulb so again contacted greners bought a new bulb waited returned old bulb got refund minus shipping, ten bucks, and away I went third bulb. Guess why I'm here now. Yep. Third bulb flickering. I had an old ushio hps bulb laying around so I put that in there to see if it would flicker like the mh but it doesn't. I don't know if that means anything but perhaps someone has some suggestions.

BCHILIN said:

I have this problem as well. New 600 phantom ballast and MH Digilux bulb. After a couple weeks bulb started flickering faintly. I contacted greners and had to purchase a new bulb have it shipped and return the old bulb before I got reimbursed minus shipping. After a couple weeks the new bulb started doing the same flickering. This time I switched ballasts to another phantom ballast I have and the bulb still flickered. So I figured has to be bulb so again contacted greners bought a new bulb waited returned old bulb got refund minus shipping, ten bucks, and away I went third bulb. Guess why I'm here now. Yep. Third bulb flickering. I had an old ushio hps bulb laying around so I put that in there to see if it would flicker like the mh but it doesn't. I don't know if that means anything but perhaps someone has some suggestions.

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I contacted Hydrofarm directly (they make Phantom ballasts). The guy told me that the bulbs take 100 or so hours to burn in.. but I've just been running mine at 75% in veg, no flicker, and plant looks great.. I'm gonna crank it back up to 100% when I switch to the HPS. I've already done a cycle with the HPS and I didn't see any problems so if it starts doing it, it has to be my reflector.

I have seen this when a lower wattage bulb is inserted into a higher wattage Ballast,
the fact that you are dimming your ballast , and it's ok is also pointing towards the above,
Maybe a bulb fault,
I don't know if this helps but it's out there,
good luck.

BCHILIN said:

I have this problem as well. New 600 phantom ballast and MH Digilux bulb. After a couple weeks bulb started flickering faintly. I contacted greners and had to purchase a new bulb have it shipped and return the old bulb before I got reimbursed minus shipping. After a couple weeks the new bulb started doing the same flickering. This time I switched ballasts to another phantom ballast I have and the bulb still flickered. So I figured has to be bulb so again contacted greners bought a new bulb waited returned old bulb got refund minus shipping, ten bucks, and away I went third bulb. Guess why I'm here now. Yep. Third bulb flickering. I had an old ushio hps bulb laying around so I put that in there to see if it would flicker like the mh but it doesn't. I don't know if that means anything but perhaps someone has some suggestions.

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Phantom ballasts and Digilux bulbs are NOT compatible. Just email Hydrofarm and they will tell you the same.

meowth said:

Phantom ballasts and Digilux bulbs are NOT compatible. Just email Hydrofarm and they will tell you the same.

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are you sure about this? i have one phantom 1k ballast and it ran with digilux's just as good as the lumateks.. and im pretty sure CG runs all phantom ballasts with all digilux's

I'm seeing a pattern with Phantoms.... I have a 400w with a Horilux MH bulb

I'm convinced now that Phantoms are just CRAP!!! I've had one for about 9 months, could never use it in my house figured faulty wiring, so took it back to shop they hooked it up it worked right away, I moved and hooked it up at the new house, fired it up and it worked, ran it for about 72 hours, unplugged it earlier today and now it will not fire back up, the light just flickers shortly.

I notice the same thing with my MH. I never worried about it and my plants veg just fine. I just assumed it was normal being MH bulbs cover such a broad spectrum and thought I was just seeing the different colors of it. I wouldn't consider what I see as a flicker but maybe more like dancing colors. It's very subtle, like the red and blue just fade into each other.