HID Lighting Electrical Question

TRIBUNAL

TRIBUNAL

Well-Known Member
At the risk of sounding like an idiot..
So if I use 10 23 watt CFL's that's 230 watts total.
If I get a 400 watt HPS dimmable ballast and run it at 50% power, that's only using 200 watts, right?
I would also get more lumins from the HPS even at half power.

The reason I ask is some of these ballasts say more energy efficient which makes me wonder, isn't 400 watts, 400 watts, no matter the ballast?
Or is the ballast using more than 400 and just putting out 400 to the bulb.
I feel like I know the answer here but I want to make double sure before I order anything, that I know what I am doing.
thanks
 
topfuel29

topfuel29

Well-Known Member
Yes your right. 400watt 50% = 200watt.
ballast can fire up your bulb at the dimming percentage

electronic-rapid start or programmed-start ballasts. Linear lamps that use these ballasts have feature bi-pin bases, which rapid-start lamps usually have. Rapid start ballast reduces the voltage that is needed to start the lamp because they preheat the cathodes using a small voltage. Programmed-start ballasts are a kind of rapid-start ballast. They preheat the lamp’s electrodes more accurately than other kinds of rapid-start ballasts by preheating the electrodes more accurately. This reduces damage to the electrodes incurred when the lamp is turned on. This increased the lifespan of the lamp. The ballast also minimized lamp voltage while supplying the preheating power. Glow current is associated with degrading lamp life, and this reduces it. Programmed start ballasts can withstand up to 100,000 starts.
Click to expand...
 
socaljoe

socaljoe

Well-Known Member
TRIBUNAL said:
At the risk of sounding like an idiot..
So if I use 10 23 watt CFL's that's 230 watts total.
If I get a 400 watt HPS dimmable ballast and run it at 50% power, that's only using 200 watts, right?
I would also get more lumins from the HPS even at half power.

The reason I ask is some of these ballasts say more energy efficient which makes me wonder, isn't 400 watts, 400 watts, no matter the ballast?
Or is the ballast using more than 400 and just putting out 400 to the bulb.
I feel like I know the answer here but I want to make double sure before I order anything, that I know what I am doing.
thanks
Click to expand...
If the ballast is putting out 400w to the bulb, or 200 at 50% power, it will still consume more than that. More energy efficient does not mean perfectly efficient, and perfect efficiency is what you'd need to achieve 400 in/400 out. You're not talking a great deal more though.
 
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