Author Topic: Probe start MH ballasts that have been damaged by penning start HPS lamps?  (Read 832 times)
WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
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Probe start MH ballasts that have been damaged by penning start HPS lamps? « on: December 04, 2024, 02:33:09 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
After knowing that a vast majority of probe start metal halide. ballasts in North America are CWA ballasts and knowing that penning start high pressure sodium retrofit lamps intended for use on mercury vapor ballasts are incompatible with CWA ballasts, I am wondering if anybody has ever seen any specific probe start metal halide fixtures that had their ballasts being destroyed after a penning start high pressure sodium retrofit lamp intended for mercury vapor ballasts such as a Sylvania Unalux lamp was installed in the fixture.
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RRK
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Re: Probe start MH ballasts that have been damaged by penning start HPS lamps? « Reply #1 on: December 04, 2024, 03:18:04 AM » Author: RRK
The problem here is sure with the lamp, not the ballast. As HPS typically have their arc voltage increasing with the age, combining this to constant current behavior of CWA's is causing arc power runaway and early lamp cycling.

The power at ballast primary winding increases a bit, for sure, because of energy conservation law, but not likely to the level that will kill it before the lamp will be going to extinguish. Magnetics are made to be rather robust.


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WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
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Re: Probe start MH ballasts that have been damaged by penning start HPS lamps? « Reply #2 on: December 04, 2024, 03:28:46 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
I recall seeing that some members have seen examples of penning start high pressure sodium retrofit lamps being responsible for causing ballast failures in mercury vapor CWA ballasts:

“My neighbor tried one in a nice CWA 175 merc I installed for him. Lasted maybe three months and burned up the ballast. Started fine every night, and looked normal though.”

Here is a post that covers this information extensively:

https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=5&pid=132077
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

RRK
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Re: Probe start MH ballasts that have been damaged by penning start HPS lamps? « Reply #3 on: December 04, 2024, 04:18:55 AM » Author: RRK
“My neighbor tried one" well that sounds like the start of myriad of greasy jokes haha!


Still NO concrete example of any ballast burned.
What was discussed in the thread is in fact early lamp cycling for that exact well-known reason. I am skeptical about ballast failures, sorry.
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