newbie hps/mh wiring help

[cepov]

hello

I've bought spotlight designed for pertol stations and it is with MH bulb (in my country is still difficult to buy something you want). I opened it and I saw that there is ignitor with sing on it: "Sodium - Metal Ignitor".

The question is .. will it work with both bulbs HPS/MH or I need to rewire something? If the ballast is designed only for MH bulbs can I damage something if I try to change the bulb with HPS or it just will not ignite?

 

[Guest]

I'm really guessing here but a MH ballast doesnt contain an ignitor so yes I would say you're safe putting an HPS in it.

 

[cepov]

thanks i will try
later i will post picture here of this ignitor

 

[Infiniti]

I'm really guessing here but a MH ballast doesnt contain an ignitor so yes I would say you're safe putting an HPS in it.

it really depends on the design there are some MH that use an ignitor whereas HPS always has an ignitor

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Infiniti - Got a link to one of those MH ballasts with an ignitor? I've never seen one in my life since the bulbs don't require them due to how they are manufactured...Are you in some 3rd world country or something?

Having an ignitor while running an MH will just cause an unneeded voltage surge to go through the bulb...which will shorten it's life over time.

 

[cepov]

here are pictures of ballast





so .. can i use both MH and HPS or it need to be rewired?!

 

[Guest]

Wow is that a metal halide ballast that ignitor is connected to?

 

[cepov]

Infiniti - Got a link to one of those MH ballasts with an ignitor? I've never seen one in my life since the bulbs don't require them due to how they are manufactured...Are you in some 3rd world country or something?

Having an ignitor while running an MH will just cause an unneeded voltage surge to go through the bulb...which will shorten it's life over time.

I've posted the pictures. All things are made in Turkey as it is show on sticker.

 

[Guest]

cepov I dont want to say for sure but in the US if something is rated its on the appliance and can be used for whatever rating.That is rated for HPS and MH so from what I see I wouldnt hesitate to use it for MH if its necessary.I've just never seen a MH fixture with an ignitor,they are quite common though a 30 second google search will show you that.Thanks for the info

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Wow...I see something new every day.

Yup, that's definitely a MH ballast with an ignitor...wonder if that means there's something fundamentally different inside the ballast from the "normal" ones that are used for indoor agriculture?

 

[stonewall]

The lower wattage (150 and lower) metal halide bulbs require an ignitor to start the arc and are actually pulse start bulbs and have always been. The higher wattage, old school standard probe start bulbs have an extra electrode in the arc tube for easy arc ignition thus no ignitor in the ballast circuit. Of course the newer pulse start bulbs all require an ignitor and I believe all the ceramic metal halides require an ignitor as well.

I believe the pulse start bulbs are the common bulb over seas. your ignitor is rated for both mh and hps but your ballast is probably specific to one or the other. Each of the different bulb types have different operating voltages and currents and to operate as engineered you should not interchange them. However it will probably light.

 

[cepov]

thanks
I will try and see what will happen

 

[cepov]

by the way here is the exact thing that I've bought .. it was the only option - http://www.pelsan.com.tr/eng/urndty.asp?urnid=175&KID=22