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  #1  
Old 12-19-2012, 01:30 AM
Reef_Geek Reef_Geek is offline
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it's a jbj viper k2 250watt
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Old 12-19-2012, 01:40 AM
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I'm not familiar specifically with that model but after googling it I found a page that claims it is a cap and coil style ballast and not electronic. In which case you should be able to open it up and replace components if need be, but you'd have to look up the part #'s and order from a place like Litemore, BriteLite, Calgary Lighting Products, or Westburne, or some place like that.

For a double-ended 250w halide it will be an ANSI M80 ballast and the bad news is that I think these are not made anymore. However I'll explain what I know anyhow. There are three components: the transformer (the "coil"), the capacitor (the "cap", looks like a tin can) and then pulse-start ballasts (of which M80 would be) have a 3rd component, the ignitor, which looks like a smaller cap usually. Sometimes, it is the capacitor and sometimes it is the ignitor when they go, but unfortunately unless you are an electrician, diagnosing the errant component involves trial-and-error replacing until it starts working.

Having said all that, however .....

Double-ended halide lamps are notoriously finicky. Have you confirmed that it isn't the lamp? Because dollars to donuts, I bet it is the lamp. If you try another it might just fire up. When I ran these lamps myself I had some fail as early as 6 months in and they wouldn't even turn on.
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Old 12-19-2012, 03:00 AM
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In my experience time to replace the ballast assembly.
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Old 12-19-2012, 04:01 AM
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I do have another lamp I can check yes, once the daystar shined again ...

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Old 12-20-2012, 04:05 AM
SoloSK71 SoloSK71 is offline
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Yep, it is karked, tried two different bulbs and no luck ... any one recommend Radion Gen2 or AI Vega for my tank?

Charles
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Old 12-30-2012, 06:03 AM
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Did you get it fixed? When my JBJ ballast quit it was just the switch. Easy fix, I bypassed the switch.
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Old 12-30-2012, 07:03 AM
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I don't know enough about electronics, tried to get an electrical guy to look at it but no joy, I ended up buying an LED, guess I should have tried a little harder ... thanks for the suggestion ...

Charles
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