that's a pity, because where i live, magnetic ballasts have an insane cost (40€ 21%vat excluded for 150W and much more for 400W)

You mean complete ballast boxes or ballast components (choke, ignitor, capacitor,...)?
40Euro is the usual cost of the complete ballast box here, but that won't be really suitable for you, because these tend to use only short range ignitors (so they should be placed close to lamp). The chokes alone are at ~20Euro for 400W choke and about 6Euro for the superimposed ignitor.

I guess the cheapest solution would be to buy separate chokes, put these into a box in the mast base, but put the superimposed ignitors into the fixtures. The cheapest superimposed ignitors have limited range between the ignitor and lamp, but they are very small, so fit nearly everywhere. The wiring from the ignitor to the ballast box is virtually unlimited, so the heavy ballast chokes could be in the mast base or even somewhere else. When you do not mind good phase angle compensation, you may put the lamp control switches even between the ballast and ignitor (but each lamp would need separate contact), making the arrangement way more flexible.

What you can make yourself is a semiparallel ignitor for the chokes with tap in 20% from the mains input (an equivalent of SN57), but the required chokes are usually a bit more expensive, so it won't be cheaper than the local ignitor/remote ballast. The advantage would be, than with tight fixtures you won't need to bother with finding the place for the ignitor.


Designing and building the electronic ballast would cost around the 30Euro on material as well, but with a lot of effort to build it and very questionable result... I could call myself an expert in the electronic, but even with such task (installing few lights on a tower) I would go for sure for the magnetic.
Well, unless you want to use the "light tower" project as an opportunity (or an excuse :-D) to have fun with the electronic ballast design, that is, of course, another story... But then count on very long delivery time...

You mean complete ballast boxes or ballast components (choke, ignitor, capacitor,...)?
40Euro is the usual cost of the complete ballast box here, but that won't be really suitable for you, because these tend to use only short range ignitors (so they should be placed close to lamp). The chokes alone are at ~20Euro for 400W choke and about 6Euro for the superimposed ignitor.

I guess the cheapest solution would be to buy separate chokes, put these into a box in the mast base, but put the superimposed ignitors into the fixtures. The cheapest superimposed ignitors have limited range between the ignitor and lamp, but they are very small, so fit nearly everywhere. The wiring from the ignitor to the ballast box is virtually unlimited, so the heavy ballast chokes could be in the mast base or even somewhere else. When you do not mind good phase angle compensation, you may put the lamp control switches even between the ballast and ignitor (but each lamp would need separate contact), making the arrangement way more flexible.

What you can make yourself is a semiparallel ignitor for the chokes with tap in 20% from the mains input (an equivalent of SN57), but the required chokes are usually a bit more expensive, so it won't be cheaper than the local ignitor/remote ballast. The advantage would be, than with tight fixtures you won't need to bother with finding the place for the ignitor.


Designing and building the electronic ballast would cost around the 30Euro on material as well, but with a lot of effort to build it and very questionable result... I could call myself an expert in the electronic, but even with such task (installing few lights on a tower) I would go for sure for the magnetic.
Well, unless you want to use the "light tower" project as an opportunity (or an excuse :-D) to have fun with the electronic ballast design, that is, of course, another story... But then count on very long delivery time...

unfortunately, 40€ is for 150W ballast.
ignitor is 12€, all 21%vat excluded 

where did you found 20€ ballasts?

i thought also using ballasts as base weight (the tower is 4m height and must not collapse under winds), but my president is doubious about this

sorry, no tap in local 230v ballasts...

It is the cost in our local shops (150..200CCZK for 70W, about 400..700CZK for 400W; the more expensive are the heavier low loss types), but to sen them to Italy from here, it would cost way more on postage...

What about some "second hand" ballasts - from decommissioned fixtures...

It is the cost in our local shops (150..200CCZK for 70W, about 400..700CZK for 400W; the more expensive are the heavier low loss types), but to sen them to Italy from here, it would cost way more on postage...

What about some "second hand" ballasts - from decommissioned fixtures...

i saw shipping costs in ups website: they are fool! (i can do 860km from Praga to my house with much lower cost and much more enjoiment in case of vacation)

anyway, i'm searching on ebay, there are a thiny of shop with low cost complete fixtures

Are 250W HID electronic ballasts, really have low losses than 250W HID magnetic ballasts?

i saw shipping costs in ups website: they are fool! (i can do 860km from Praga to my house with much lower cost and much more enjoiment in case of vacation)

You would have to visit Brno... :-D

Are 250W HID electronic ballasts, really have low losses than 250W HID magnetic ballasts?

They would have similar losses as the low loss ("heavy duty") magnetic ballasts, but would be way lighter.

Quote from: marcopete87 on October 26, 2012, 02:14:20 AM

i saw shipping costs in ups website: they are fool! (i can do 860km from Praga to my house with much lower cost and much more enjoiment in case of vacation)

You would have to visit Brno... :-D

according to streetview, nàm. Svobody looks beautiful, as Gratz when i vacationated to Vienna

You are welcome here, just let me know, so we may visit some pub... :-D

when i'll can find a work  

however, if you want to visit Italy, i'm from Vicenza.