@homebrewlamps, I am unsure of why your setup didnt work, I cant imagine the 2v difference between your mains and mine would really have that large an impact

I even tried downing the wattage of the lamps several times... all the way down to 310W... Not sure if i want to risk lowering it more... perhaps i will anyway...

I tried ballasting a MV lamp.... I had to tap the lamp to get it to ignite... and when it did it was only a wispy arc that lasted only a second ... was using a clear regent 175W lamp and used a 150W and 300W lamp as you had suggested, I've measured my mains voltage and it is 120.5W rather than 123V.. perhaps that is the issue?

The 120V is just too low. Some MVs may still work (lower arc voltage, probes on both ends make it a bit more likely), but by far not all of them. And even if it happens to work, it will be highly unreliable. The arc voltage is just too high for just a 120V mains and resistive ballast.