Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Fluorescent Light Box

I am building a light box for a graphic artist friend. I am trying to use four 36" strip lights (Lithonia brand). After wiring the lights together I plug them in and nothing. After wiggling the bulbs, I can get all the lights to come on but if I unplug them and try again I still get nothing. What am I missing?

P.S. I originally tried with 4 Cooper fixtures, so I really don't think it is a problem with the fixtures.

Thanks

Do you have good solid grounding? Many fluorescents don't light well without good grounding.

Are you sure you have the correct bulbs for the fixture?

The bulbs are correct.

I Have the strip lights wire into 14-2 with ground into a three prong plug. All the gounds are connected.

Is the receptacle that you're plugging it into grounded?

Check to see that the wattage of the lamps you are using matches the wattage listed on the ballast. Make sure you haven't reversed the hot and the neutral in the cord or at the wall socket - fluorescent fixtures behave very strangely when you do that. Make sure the fixture is grounded for the same reason.

Also, "HomeLight", "Shoplite" or "Resilight" (etc.) lamps will sometimes exhibit the syptoms you describe. Try some regular commercial lamps and see how it goes. (like Econo-watts, etc.)