Need some help from you more experienced guys

Beau is hosting the January Meeting this coming Saturday the 14th at 6PM.  It will be BYOB as well as a snack to share and raffle items are always welcome.  It has been requested that there be “NO SHOES” on the carpet due to it being a whitish color.

He doesn’t have a tank to view but we will have plenty to discuss in hopes that it will get the NEW YEAR off to a good start.  The annual membership fees are due, so now would be a good time to get them in to our Treasurer Stacey Hahn.   Fees are $20 per individual or $25 per family

Attendance was low at the election meeting in November and no votes were taken at December’s meeting so we have decided to take votes for anyone that didn’t get the opportunity in November and will be attending this meeting.  
We will add the votes to November’s ballots and the announcement will be made during the meeting so we can go forward.
NOMINATIONS:
President:  Jim & Nacho
V. President: Ed, Bo & Daniel Leigey
Treasurer: Stacey
Secretary: Carmen & Angie

Let’s hope the New Year brings new members, returning members and new ideas.  The club is always willing to take suggestions to get the most out of the hobby we all enjoy.

Please PM Nate C. by clicking here for directions if you are not a club member.  

Club members can click here to go to the club member only forum to get directions.

Hope to see you all there!

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[Nate C.]

OK, another light issue, the one that I did get to work last night, today, it took me plugging and unplugging the ballast about 15 times to get it to fire off, what's that mean?  Is the ballast bad?

[psa]

I've seen firing problems with bad connections, trying to fire them warm with no rest after shutting down, and mixing probe start and pulse start bulbs.  I've also had bulbs in the past which took a minute or two to start after the ballast turned on.  I've never experienced a ballast problem, but perhaps I've been lucky.

[tyler5g]

Might be a bad capacitor.  If they seem to start to fire and them go out, its a cap.

[Nate C.]

Might be a bad capacitor.  If they seem to start to fire and them go out, its a cap.

Sounds like what it is, can it be fixed easily?  I see a very brief flash from the bulb, then it goes out.  If I keep trying, eventually it lights and runs no problem.

HOWEVER....other than lighting and microbubbles, I appear to have a running tank!     The Chiller leak was a missing o-ring in the supply line union (knocked it out when I plumbed it in I guess.  I caught the missing one on the return from the sump, but missed this one.  I have started the chiller and it's already pulled the tank down about a degree (going to have to shut it down, as I'm cooling it to 75 to test it), and everything seems to be running.  Now, if I could just get the lights working, and the bubbles to go away...

Here's some pictures:

1st - 5 new footings to support the weight as per the Structural Engineer I talked with, and the chiller nestled between two of them

2nd - Colleen putting rocks into place

3rd - Fill'er up!

4th - Checking level across, off a little, but not enough to worry about.

[Nate C.]

More pics:

1st pic...hey...isn't this supposted to be fun?!?  Why am I not having fun?

2nd pic...OK, this is more like it.  Not so bad now that things are more-or-less working!

3rd pic...Sitting back, looking at the handywork

[Les]

Looking good Nate, I for one am glad to see you guys getting this thing in the house.

[dakota's dad]

wow

thats looking great keep it up

paul

[tyler5g]

Nice shot of you paying homage to the tank gods.  I t can't hurt.  As far as changing the cap, piece of cake. In the ballast housing you will see the power transformer and a usually round or oval looking silver thing.  Unplug the two leads, take to your local electrical supply store and buy a replacement.  I would reccomend Grainger. Should run about 6-8 dollars. 

[Nate C.]

Thanks guys!  We are excited to have it going.  So far so good...hope it stays that way, and really really hope these stupid bubbles go away!  They are everywhere!   

Thanks for the info on the cap John, I know what they are, just didn't know if they were anything special for these applications.  I'll try replacing it tomorrow, when things are open again.  I may try swapping it with the one in the other blueline ballast if they are the same.  Will see if that makes any difference.

[angelscrx]

Maybe no lights!