Author Topic: Electronic Starter for Metal Halide Lamp 250W with DC?  (Read 2095 times)

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Offline rentnerTopic starter

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Electronic Starter for Metal Halide Lamp 250W with DC?
« on: June 07, 2014, 11:25:59 pm »
Can you actually run a Starter on DC, or will it destroy something? Also, would it work with a higher voltage? I mean, the average voltage in Germany is 230V RMS. Rectified it gives you 325V. Would that work or overpower the lamp and starter? It has a container with some Transistors and 1 big Inductor with iron core.

Do they run with DC? And do they even accept the peak voltage permanent?


I just don't like the flickering of it. It makes it almost impossible to use it succesfully as a big room lighting.
 

Offline Legit-Design

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Re: Electronic Starter for Metal Halide Lamp 250W with DC?
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2014, 12:00:29 am »
rectified it will still be 230V average? It will still flicker at same rate if you don't add big amount of capacitance or cut the tops off and turn them into heat. Or did I miss something? The lamp itself will probably work off DC once it's started, the starter will probably need to be replaced to one that works off DC stated so by manufacturer.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2014, 12:03:16 am by Legit-Design »
 

Offline rentnerTopic starter

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Re: Electronic Starter for Metal Halide Lamp 250W with DC?
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2014, 02:06:23 am »
Of course filtered with Caps. So this electronic Starters/Balasts will not work with DC. That answers the question...

It must be electronic at least. There is a tiny Box with Input and Output. On the backside just 2 Wires go to the big Box which propably is a huge inductor. How do this Starters/Balasts work?
 

Offline SeanB

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Re: Electronic Starter for Metal Halide Lamp 250W with DC?
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2014, 10:32:36 am »
The general purpose MH lamps will not run well on DC, as the one electrode along with the glass seals will be destroyed by electrolysis from it. You will need a HF ballast to get flicker free operation ,which replaces the magnetic ballast and the starter. The ballasts are available from most large electrical wholesalers or from Osram or Phillips directly, you just have to ask for a ballast for the particular model of lamp. Will give a flicker free output, but must be mounted quite close to the lamp and with adequate cooling to give best reliability. As a bonus it can generally restrike a hot lamp in a shorter time.
 


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