Maximum distance from ballast to bulb

[Xytrell]

I have a few spare HID bulbs and ballasts without enclosures and I just wanted to know if it was feasible to just throw the ballast in the box and plug a conventional floor lamp into the box with the bulb (either MH, MV, or HPS) screwed in to the base usually meant for incandescents. Is the voltage rating of a conventional socket too low for what is supplied for an HID bulb (specifically the starting pulse of an HPS)? Will 10 ft. of lamp cord have some detrimental effect on safety and/or performance with regards to extra capacitance and/or inductance? I have a 70W HPS set, and a 175W MH and MV set.

Thanks

[Doc]

The ignition voltage for MH lamps is usually several KV. Further; the fixture has to be able to withstand high temerature and have UV sheilding and be able to withstand an energetic bulb rupture. You may want to check local government regs too.

[mixedgas]

I have a few spare HID bulbs and ballasts without enclosures and I just wanted to know if it was feasible to just throw the ballast in the box and plug a conventional floor lamp into the box with the bulb (either MH, MV, or HPS) screwed in to the base usually meant for incandescents. Is the voltage rating of a conventional socket too low for what is supplied for an HID bulb (specifically the starting pulse of an HPS)? Will 10 ft. of lamp cord have some detrimental effect on safety and/or performance with regards to extra capacitance and/or inductance? I have a 70W HPS set, and a 175W MH and MV set.

Thanks

Since your in the states, I can assure you the $3.75 home depot ceramic socket does quite well with 70, 135, and 175 W MH and the 7ow HPS. The up armoured one with the screw on ceramic top and bottom does even better.

MH dumps out a lot of heat, so beware of fixtures that cannot shed it, which means most domestic fixtures.


Above those wattatges, get the HV pulse socket.

I used to use MH for basic lighting for high speed cameras at the university, and I bought the HD sockets for the purpose with both six KV pulse start and normal metallic ballested lamps.

keep the cords to less then 6 feet after the ballast and use 600V rated wire. Lamp cord often breaks down, but good quality rubberized SO-J did not. Surprisingly you often need a ground near the fixture to aid in starting on non pulse start lamps.

And If you ever want to do photography with a MH at 4000 frames per second, I love the IceCAp aquarium Metal Halide Ballasts, as well as the Mercron ballasts. Icecap runs at 22 khz, and mercron at 18 Khz.
Steve

[Xytrell]

Thanks for the tips. All three sets work even though I could only shorten the cord to 7 feet or so. The socket itself states it's rated for 250W/600V and the top of the lamp is open, so heat shouldn't be a problem. The plastic shade never gets above 110F.

[tocket]

According to the markings on my ballast (for a 400W MH lamp) you can place it up to 20 m from the lamp. It's nothing special, just your garden variety (as in, mostly used for growing cannabis) semi-electronic ballast.

[Doc]

According to the markings on my ballast (for a 400W MH lamp) you can place it up to 20 m from the lamp. It's nothing special, just your garden variety (as in, mostly used for growing cannabis) semi-electronic ballast.

I notice this ballast is made in Spain. Does it by any chance; refuse to start between noon and 4pm?

[mixedgas]

Equally true question, does it not work between 12 and 4 in Louisiana?

We have a TV commercial here in the states, (The Slowskis), two turtles, married with a nice home, complaining their cable TV based internet is too fast... :=)

Was doing a hardware install in Baton Rouge 8 years ago , Orange Gnome Depot did not have the nema plugs or 8/4 I needed. So I drove 20 miles out of town to the electrical place. Was told I could not buy parts in Louisiannne, I'm not a licensed electrician. yeash, I can even buy it in corrupt nanny state New Jersey without a license or a bribe. . A business card with a one zero zero serial number from the big indoor football team who bought the used lasers cured that.After all I was just making a pigtail pair. They then had the Gaul to tell me the next truck run into town was in a week, maybe two weeks, and that was when I could get my parts, which were on the shelf and visible ready to go. Some of us have planes to catch, soooo

They honestly didnt see what the hurry was. So to get the parts delivered, they were given tickets to the Game that night......

So just knowing things are closed from noon to four aint that bad.

As for 20 meters, yeah, maybe with really good HV wire.

Steve

[Doc]

Some cultures are in need of cattle prod treatment, or at least a good old John Cleese fish slapping. France is another place that closes down for a snooze in the afternoon.