May be the wiring is messed up. Please do us a favor, draw a schematic in a normal way. It is super simple here, but we can't decide it from single photo shot from a single angle, where black wires are going into darkness...

 

I have  a GE MSCL & M2RC for sale
The MSCL is 250W HPS 120X240 with Lamp and PE missing door $50
The M2RC is 200W HPS Multi Volt with lamp and PE $50
Message me if you are interested local pickup onlyd

My ReStore has clothes, books (formerly, but "too many thieves" they claim), tools, electronics, CDs (formerly also), light bulbs, appliances, renovation materials, etc.

In regards to pricing, the store is definitely hit or miss. It all depends on the person stamping the price stickers and their current mood. I've seen cases of fluorescent lamps (6pk) at $6, or $1/each lamp, but I've also seen cases split up and lamps (attempted to be sold at) $5 each. THEY'RE F32T8s FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. Additionally, my store has ZERO issue with mercury or any of the Hg stuff. Anything that comes in is sold. Just got some metal halide lamps from there last weekend.

Though most fixtures they sell are resi-grade stuff, I've caught older shoplights and whatnot before, and usually for not too much.

Don't even get me started on the prices of LEDs.............. you can get a pack of four incandescent lamps for $1 or a pack of three LEDs for $8. And they're not even name-brand; only Up and Up garbage.

Though I guess luckily for me the employees tend to give me discounts on unpriced or even overpriced items. There's definitely an occasional 25 or 50c buying spree to be had......


Though honestly in regards to lighting, one of my other local ReStore has A TON of it! Fixtures everywhere. Industrial shoplights (NOS and used, mainly Simkar), Cree LED HID retrofits, instant fit T8s, bulk packs of GE LED PARs for like $2 each, etc. It's just that it's never stuff that I want or need.....

Disassembled the luminaire (removed the ballast for easier access.) I find it pretty interesting how this ballast only has two connection points, those being for the photocontrol socket. The white wire off of the photocontrol plugs onto the ignitor board, as do the line-in leads (both Com and Hot) as well as the wires from the socket. So, how do I know which plug into the in-built capacitor, and which plug into the ignitor? I have provided a photo for reference.

Thanks.


EDIT: so I'm thinking the leads coming from the lamp sockets are in the ignitor circuit (for ignition pulses) whilst the hot/neutral wires coming from mains run through the capacitor for power factor correction. Though I'm lost as to why a third cable is needed for the photocontrol socket, and why it is plugged into the ignitor/capacitor board in the first place.

Maybe someday I'll find that case of caution yellow Lifeguards !!  (HIGHLY DOUBT IT !!) 

Yeah, I have that fantasy too!

Yeah, I've been buying more lamps I plan to use than lamps I plan to collect at the Restores now. Some of the Restores here have branched out into selling other goods too. One now has a clothing section and almost all of them have furniture too. Another tried making a separate section of more collectible stuff such as antiques.

Restores here are exempt from collecting sales taxes here and typically price things to around 50-75% of retail so if you have a use for it, the ones here are still a good deal.

Independent thrift stores are pretty nice too, they tend to price things cheaper than SA, GW, or VV and sometime have neat stuff there. 

 All I'll say regarding ReStore is that like any other store , they are there to make money , not cater to collectors . Plus , you also need to factor what they pay to rent the space they're in . The building we moved into in 2005 cost us $3.76 per square foot per month back then !!  Then add in insurance , employee saleries and it adds up quickly . They need to stock popular stuff that'll sell quickly , not niche stuff that'll sit for awhile and take up valuable floor space . Also , if they accept cases of fluorescent tubes for example (hazardous waste) the cost to disposes of them if no one buys them just destroys any profit margins !

 All in all , I don't go into ReStore expecting to find rare items but it DOES occasionally happen and I do occasionally find some really good deals and cool items !

 Maybe someday I'll find that case of caution yellow Lifeguards !!  (HIGHLY DOUBT IT !!) 

Medved tend to demonize the ignitor circuit it certainly will not strike an uncontrollable arc through a fuse, energy/voltage is too low. BUT it can flash over some poorly made input circuits and kill the multimeter. That's real, fuse won't help.

Anyway, if the ignitor is open circuit board, it is rather trivial to verify the components. If it is potted type, the easiest way is to check it is by replacement.

You  may try to start the lamp the old school way, by connecting a low voltage (single tube) fluorescent starter in series with say, 100W incandescent bulb, parallel to HPS lamp. Incandescent lamp works for current limiting, so a short circuit current of the choke (about 2A) won't stuck the starter.
 

Thank you for the responses! But the video seems to be now deleted...

Well, here in Romania if you don't like anything other than cars, sports and other ,,normal'' hobbyes you are called crazy.
I once told a friend that i like lights and he started hysterically laughing and told the whole class and they laughed at me
My dad and my grandparents think that my hobby is stupid but my mom is very supportive of me and lets me bring home any fixture or lamp.