I put it into gear and it dies.

is this while cranking?
I just went out and tried it with the key in run and there is no voltage going in or out of the ballast. both test light and meter verified.
Ok good....well bad. lol Now you need to find out WHERE it's losing that signal. I would probe the connection at the firewall where the ignition run wire is and see if it has power "there". Is there any way you can wedge a test light on that circuit going into the ballast so you can see it through the windshield? Then you could go in and put the key in run and wiggle it around some and see if the test light comes on or flashes. That would verify a bad ignition switch.