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Sylvania H36-15GW/W - Back to life!!
This is one of the two 1000W /Ws I got last summer, the other is almost unused, although this one wouldn't light, even on a HPS ballast with ignitor. I forced things a little and ran the lamp on a power-limited MOT with likely over 7kV open circuit. Running it a minute on the MOT allowed the gases in the arctube to heat up. I immediately switched the lamp to the HPS ballast. Upon applying power, a shaky, flashing arc appeared in the arctube, and stabilized within 5 seconds into a soft, steady blue discharge!

This experiment was kinda successful. After 5 minutes running at full power, it went out for some reason. The lamp would still start after cooling down, so I guess it was caused by a poor connection somewhere in the circuitry. The lamp of course will not start without the ignitor since this S50 ballast alone only gives around 200V open circuit, while the lamp needs over 400V. I can't wait to get a H36 ballast!
Keywords: Lit_Lighting

Sylvania H36-15GW/W - Back to life!!

This is one of the two 1000W /Ws I got last summer, the other is almost unused, although this one wouldn't light, even on a HPS ballast with ignitor. I forced things a little and ran the lamp on a power-limited MOT with likely over 7kV open circuit. Running it a minute on the MOT allowed the gases in the arctube to heat up. I immediately switched the lamp to the HPS ballast. Upon applying power, a shaky, flashing arc appeared in the arctube, and stabilized within 5 seconds into a soft, steady blue discharge!

This experiment was kinda successful. After 5 minutes running at full power, it went out for some reason. The lamp would still start after cooling down, so I guess it was caused by a poor connection somewhere in the circuitry. The lamp of course will not start without the ignitor since this S50 ballast alone only gives around 200V open circuit, while the lamp needs over 400V. I can't wait to get a H36 ballast!

Advance_H38_FCan_ballast.JPG HPIM0537.JPG HPIM0536.JPG 100_1034.JPG SYL_CAN_H36-15GW-W-RS.JPG
File information
Filename:HPIM0536.JPG
Album name:Vince / HID lamps and ballasts
Keywords:Lit_Lighting
Filesize:710 KiB
Date added:Nov 10, 2011
Dimensions:2592 x 1944 pixels
Displayed:185 times
Color Space:sRGB
Contrast:0
DateTime Original:2011:11:09 21:41:26
Exposure Bias:2 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Program:Program
Exposure Time:1/60 sec
FNumber:f/3.6
Flash:No Flash
Focal length:7.5 mm
ISO:160
Light Source:Unknown: 0
Make:Hewlett-packard
Max Aperture:f/3
Model:HP DVC V5061u
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=9413
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 5 to 24 of 24
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joe_347V   [Nov 10, 2011 at 03:11 AM]
I wonder if a NST can help to revive dead MV lamps.
TiCoune66   [Nov 10, 2011 at 03:13 AM]
Yeah, I meant to say ballast, heh Razz

But your Bonusline was far more dead than my Sylvania merc. Mine would still give a very dark purple glow on the HPS BALLAST! XD I still wonder what you did to your Bonusline merc though!
GullWhiz   [Nov 10, 2011 at 03:18 AM]
Yeah my Bonusline merc had between 175,000 to 197,000 hours!!!! It dates to 1962...was found in an old Line Materials Unistyle 400 watt in a private property parking lot, and yes the fixture still works with a new lamp. This lamp got removed around 2010-2011!!!! So that is A LONG TIME! Shocked
joe_347V   [Nov 10, 2011 at 04:08 AM]
Shocked 175,000 to 197,000 hours I wonder if mine will last that that long. Very Happy
Silverliner14B   [Nov 10, 2011 at 02:28 PM]
I am impressed you got it working! That's cool, man!
GullWhiz   [Nov 10, 2011 at 05:15 PM]
Yeah 175,000 to 197,000 hours
TiCoune66   [Nov 10, 2011 at 05:34 PM]
Considering a lamp runs 10hrs/day on average, that makes 48 to 54 years!! I'd say it's around 175 000 hrs. With such a lifespan I get 17 500 days or 47,95 years. The lamp's probably been installed around 1963!
Silverliner14B   [Nov 10, 2011 at 05:35 PM]
Wow close to 200,000 hours eh? Not even LEDs and inductions are rated to last that long!
GullWhiz   [Nov 10, 2011 at 05:47 PM]
Well Vince, I did 12 hours a night....I calculated for 12 hours.....half a day.....Although I wonder how long it was dimmed out for...
A_lights   [Nov 10, 2011 at 06:14 PM]
I've seen some MV lamps running 24/7 for over 40 years that'd be 300,000 hours! Shocked
GullWhiz   [Nov 10, 2011 at 08:06 PM]
How do you know they ran 24/7 for over 40 years? How do you even know they are 40 years old?
A_lights   [Nov 10, 2011 at 08:15 PM]
I have some pics on LG and Dave confirmed it
Plus there are a few lights that are at exits and no way they would be still working if they were started everyday since when the mall was built
GullWhiz   [Nov 10, 2011 at 08:19 PM]
Post those pics here so I can see them......and which Dave??? They may have been switched off and on for the first 20 years then left on after that??? If they are 175 watt or 100 watt there's a good chance they will survive being switched on and off for 40 years.....cuz I have like 4 or 5 of them that had 35 to 40 years of service!
Form109   [Nov 10, 2011 at 10:29 PM]
how did estimate the OCV of the MOT would be over 7 KV?..don't MOT's output between 1900 and 3000 Volts.
TiCoune66   [Nov 11, 2011 at 01:28 AM]
First thing to keep in mind is that a given power source always gives a somewhat higher voltage when no charge is connected to it. As soon as you connect a charge, the voltage drops more or less. That's why I mentioned 7kV open circuit. With the lamp connected it probably dropped a few thousand volts.
Form109   [Nov 11, 2011 at 01:55 AM]
also what about current?....the output of a HPS Ignitor pales in comparison to that of an unballasted MOT....the lamp said nooooo and the current said YESSSSSSS. Laughing
TiCoune66   [Nov 11, 2011 at 02:10 AM]
My MOT WAS ballasted by a cooking range element LOL. I wanted to power up a lamp, not igniting a bomb Laughing
Form109   [Nov 11, 2011 at 06:02 AM]
was that heating element glowing? Laughing

i found an effective method for ballasting a MOT is to feed 120 V into the 240 Side of a 240/120 Transformer and connect the MOT to the 120 side...i didn't measure current but it was a big enough reduction to keep me from popping the breakers...it was probably still a signifigant current as the Step up transformer got pretty warm after about 15 Minutes and it was a 1 KW one.

also looks pretty bright...or is the camera fooling me? Razz
Silverliner14B   [Nov 11, 2011 at 06:25 AM]
@Jace and Aaron, HID lamps get the most hours when they are lit continuously, rather than switched on and off everyday, due to less electrode wear which occurs during firing up.
MercuryVapor175   [Apr 16, 2012 at 09:34 PM]
The microwave's magnetron takes about ~4-5 kv, and the MOT has ~2.5 kv, then a single diode-capacitor doubler multiplies the potential by 1.5.

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