N30 HID lamp/ballast problem

[Mr. Tone]

Hey guys, last night I went to take my N30 out and when I flipped the HID switch it flashed really quick (less than 1 sec.) and then nothing. The LED works fine and the battery is very new. The battery is fully charged and I also hooked up a power supply to the probes in the light to make sure it wasn't the battery.

So how do I figure out what is wrong? Is there a way to test the ballast? Or the lamp? I rarely use this light so it gets pampered and the battery is properly maintained with my Triton charger/discharger. Any ideas?

 

[Mr. Tone]

The good news is the HID lamp works now.:D I tried it yesterday and now it works.:thinking: Nothing has changed so it makes me wonder if the off/on switch is intermittent. Is there a way to get to the switch to make sure it is connected well and clean?

 

[Mr. Tone]

I went to use the N30 last night and, doh, no HID again. :shrug: I am really baffled at this point. I tried everything I could do without taking the light apart to see if I could get it to work. The led was fine, but the HID would not even fire. Doh! The battery meter had 4 bars and an O.C. voltage of 14.7.

Suggestions? Anyone? Anyone?

 

[LiteShow]

My N30 behaved similar to yours. It did look like a bad switch just before it really died. Confirm I have bad batteries because it works fine with a 12 volt SLA battery. Looks like the original battery (tested good with a multi-meter) did not have enough current to strike up the HID.

Currently looking at battery replacement options - started a new tread here recently: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?320946-N30-Battery-replacement-options

 

[Mr. Tone]

I hear you. The difference with mine is that I have a 12 volt 10 amp DC power supply which is able to supply far more current than the N30 needs. The HID will not fire up even with that hooked up to the probes instead of the battery. That leaves me thinking it must be the ballast or bulb. BatteryJunction sent me an RMA so I will hopefully get it sent out to them soon and find out what is wrong. I will be ready to get the N30 back into action!