Lanterns/Fixtures > Modern

HID Ballast Questions regarding my "new" Ballast

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LampLover84:
As some you know I was recently given an Advance 71A5380 100Watt M90/140 Metal Halide ballast
This is my first HID ballast and lamp ever so it is new to me, If you don't count the '12' S62 ballasts that I scrapped about 6 years ago In my defense I did not even know what it was :-[  but with stupid act behind me I can say I was not into lighting like I am now all I knew is that if I was to buy or be given a S62 lamp it would be the infamous orange glow that I ever so hate :hps:

OK with that terrible act behind me and my "Introduction" I now have some questions to show how little I know about HID Ballasts

Ignitor
How does the Ignitor work? I know that it gives the lamp a starting pulse of 4000 Volts. Is it's only job to start the lamp? and why does it have 3 wires?

Lamp

What is an M140 Lamp as I can't seem to find any information about them
I do know that is a 100 Watt Metal Halide lamp but that is about it

The lamp I was given is a Castor  :-[  ??? M90/U/E/Med
Tell me if I am decoding this right or wrong
M90 = 100 Watt Metal Halide
U = Universal Burning Position
E = Enclosed Fixtures Only
Med = Medium Base


There was about 300 of these turned into LED >:( :o and I got the Castor and a bum capacitor  But hey at least I got Something

Misc ramblings about lamp destruction

I saw a nice GE lamp but it was destroyed as the electrician dropped it from about 15 FT to the ground into the grass :(
The lamp did not break but the arc tube was displaced as the support was no longer wrapped around the ED dimple so I left it   
I also saw a BT lamp get destroyed (I think it might of been EOL) as it did not work at night but the arc tube was totally clear but the LED also does not work at night so I think that pole just no power. The guy who dropped it said it was the wrong type of lamp for the fixture and something about a Life Guard type of lamp                   

                                                           

Mike:
The igniter does just what the name suggests; it gives it a high voltage pulse to start the lamp and remains idle during normal operation. There are 2-wire HPS igniters but most HPS and PSMH igniters are 3-wire in North America.

M140 is another name for 100W PSMH though M90 is the current term (M90 is the ANSI code for 100W PSMH)

Yep, M90 is 100W PSMH, U is the burn position (universal), e means it is unprotected (if it was an O it would be safe to use out in the open since "O" Open-Rated lamps have a shround around the arc tube that prevents and arc tube explosion from shattering the outer glass.

Life Guard was Westinghouse's trade mark for their mercury vapor lamps! Those are highly sought-after lamps! :o too bad it was destroyed. >:( :( they're not really rare (the clear ones are less common than the coated ones) but they're the best MV lamps ever made, easy lasting 50+ years without dimming too much (Mv lamps dim out as they age but the LifeGuard lamps had a coated that retarded blackening so that the lamp didn't dim as fast or as much which is why the lamps are so great).

If you have any more questions other members and I are happy to help. :)

LampLover84:
OK so it was a mercury vapor lamp and yes it was a clear lamp  >:( that was mangled and it looked practically brand new as I just found out that that pole does indeed have no power. As long as I have lived here that pole was always dark so that could have been why
Also what would have happen if the pole did have power and the ignitor struck
 

Mike:
was the lamp medium base or mogul base? and was the outer glass oval shaped or boxy looking?

if the PSMH igniter struck on a MV lamp it would still work (as long as the wattage is the same) but the lamp might not work on a proper MV ballast since the igniter could damage the internal starting probe. Also using the wrong lamp could damage the ballast (namely the capacitor) and the lamp likely wouldn't last as long.

Now if it was a standard MH ballast (no igniter) you can run MV lamps on them with no problem since 175, 250, 400, and 1000W MV will work om standard MH ballasts with no modifications and they'll runn properly too. MH will not run on MV ballasts though because MH lamps require a higher operating voltage than MV. MV uses a lower operating voltage than MH but the higher OCV (operating voltage --> "open-circuit voltage" is the proper name) doesn't harm the MV lamp, infact it makes starting easier as the lamp ages.

LampLover84:
It was a medium base and I am not sure I understand oval Vs. boxy outer glass. Also I did not get to see the lamp up close I just saw a BT shape thing in the distance it was gone by the time I talked to the guy about it

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