Qbert marquee light blowing...

Could be the ballast...also wiring. I'd check and make sure you don't have anything loose, esp. around the sockets. They often just have shabby push-in connections from the ballasts.

I picked up a bunch of new 18" fixtures with electronic ballasts (no starters yay!) to replace these old tar ballast lights when they go...not worth keeping "original" IMO.
 
Yep, bad ballast. If you're going to go out and get parts, you might as well go to Walmart and buy an 18" fluro fixture. You'll get more parts than just the ballast - you get a ballast, bulb, and starter for $7. Less than what the replacement ballast will cost you.
 
Pic of the wiring, ballast & starter would help.

Since you replaced the ballast, was the new one an electronic ballast that didn't need a starter perhaps? Something isn't wired right, I'm gonna guess.
 
It's hard to tell from the pic, but it looks like you have line tied to one of the sockets? Depending on the type of ballast that could be the issue....some have both line and nutral go to the ballast, others have one to the ballast, one to a socket, still others to the starter...there should be a wiring diagram with the ballast.

Also, is that the right bulb for that ballast? Looks like a T8 from the pic....if that ballast is for T12s, that's not gonna work.

In any case, you would save yourself some headache by switching over to an electronic ballast and be done with the starter BS. Electronic ballast + T8 bulb = fast start, no hum, less heat, less power consumption, longer life...
 
How ironic...I just went down and pulled my QBert marquee off to look at the wiring, and it just stopped working, lol. Pulled that junk out and installed a new electronic ballast fixture.
 
Your picture of the wiring is not very good. Can't see how it is wired.

By chance did you buy the correct ballast? Correct starter?
 
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