Build your own HID-Ballast

[mathias]

Like everybody else I started my projectordesign with a halogen bulb, but found out that it was too hot and didn´t give the light output I wanted. So I started looking for HID-bulbs. I found a lot of them in disco-equipmentshops, but to find a ballast, was much harder. So I figured out that a fluorescent-ballast works in the same way a hid-ballast works, you just need more powerful ones. I did a electronic simulation in the computer with parallel 36W ballasts and it gave right voltage and current for the lamp I was going to buy. So I bought a Philips cdm-t 150W bulb and tested my design and it works very well. The best part is that it´s very cheap only $25. I have used this ballastdesign now for 2 months and it still works very good.

[mathias]

Picture of the ballast.

[ace3000_1]

huh i like this idea and yess the ballasts suck for trying to find one in europe, the trusty old fluro ballasts rock for reliability too and are small, how hot do they run in your setup? and what voltage is the output at the lamp socket? i must say a smart idea u got going there but time will tell if its corect, i supose in this way that u have it we could distripbute the ballasts around in an enclosure to make it smaller too.

Trev

[18wheeler]

very interesting idea and great work!

do you have any design for 250W bulb or 110V power source? would be interested build a DIY ballast in USA

by the way, where did you get CDM-T for $25? the cheapest price I found in US is $44.

[zx3chris]

very good idea. just a few days ago i was toying with the idea of putting home made HID lights in my car, only the ballast is too expensive. I have a friend at a ford dealer who can get the HID car bulbs for only $7, but the ballast (per side) is $150 his cost very high -- perhaps some of those ballasts you have, running off of a cheapo inverter may do the trick -- even found this ballast for 12v applications, however i think id need 5 or more paralleled for the power/voltage for 2 head lamps. thanks for the info

-chris

[ace3000_1]

heya bud i think he meant $25 for making the ballast, although i got my bulb cheap somthing like $30 and sockets i can get for like $5 thats a g12 socket, the ballast about the same as the bulb.

Trev

[18wheeler]

oops. Then where did you get yours? bulb, socket and ballast? I am think of making a rear projector, which will have a smaller screen (60"), better light controll, so a 150W CDM-T sounds like a good choice.

[ace3000_1]

yeah to me the 150w cdm-t is the perfect choice for the rear projection we are looking into, not much heat either and that bulb is a kick *** bulb for colour stability and lm per watt, this is the link i got my gear from , i rang them for prices they are a distributer but sell to the public, u may need to find a ballast in the usa though for your voltage but realy i think this idea of mathis is great so id give that a go. If u ring these guys get a pre paid phone card its cheaper.

http://www.internationallamps.co.uk/..._subindex.html

Trev

[mathias]

The ballast get´s pretty hot but thats normal. I haven´t measured the temp but I think my gets 60 + 20 (temp in the room) = 80 degrees, according to the ballast manufacturer.By the way, tw130 means that the winding in the ballast can run 130 degrees hot for 10 years.

[mathias]

If you want to be sure the ballast works and gives the right voltage and current, you can test it with 3 200W normal bulbs for 230 Volt, that is equal to a 96V 150W bulb. You can use this design for 250W hid bulbs, but you need other values on the ballasts and the voltage and current will be diffrent.