low priced HPS ballasts

[terrisah]

Hello, I just ordered the magnetic 400 watt s51 HPS ballast for $28.99 form the seller on E-bay, great deal. I was struggling to find an affordable metal halide lights source, Not too mention how big most are, this sounds like a good way to go. Although I am having a heck of a time finding the retrofit bulb for the HPS ballast.

Please Help me Scotty, I need that power now!!!! Before my dilithium crystals fade and burn out!!!!

[Mikey p]

You can get the S400DD bulb here.
https://secure.lumenlab.com/shop/group.php?id=4

[TheBigMastodon]

Or you can get it cheaper here: http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/eca...HI-S400DDUSHIO

[TheBigMastodon]

I think I got the wiring all figured out except for the ground wire coming from the outlet. There is nothing to connect the ground wire from the outlet to. Am I supposed to connect it to something or just put a wire nut over it? Thank you.

[Guy Grotke]

The whole point of a ground wire is to provide a path for the current if something shorts to the hot wire. For example, if you made your projector from metal and somehow your hot wire's wire nut popped off. The wire could contact the gounded metal enclosure, and the excessive current would pop a fuse or trip a breaker. If the same thing happened without the metal box being grounded, then you would have a "hot chassis". If you touched it with one hand, and touched something grounded with the other hand (ie. telephone, water faucet, or something that was properly grounded) then there could be enough current flowing through your chest to kill you.

If there is no exposed metal on the outside of your projector, then the ground wire is not quite so important. But of course, you would still have external signal wires going into the box, so you could still have some problems if you have a short.

If you want to be really safe, you make a metal cage around all of your 120 VAC components (switches, ballast, lamp socket, etc.) and then connect the line cord ground wire to that cage. Or you can just connect the ground wire to one of the bolts that mount the ballast, if you have high confidence in your own wiring. Then a ballast short will trip the breaker.

[v1d9uy]

i am really thinking about getting this ballast the only thing i worry about is the lamp is UHI-S400DD USHIO the only lamp that will work good for this project and with that ballast ? i saw some where that it is 33000 lumens is that right ? since im only useing a OHP with a 600 watt holagen i would assume that 33000 lumes would be much much brighter than i have now.

[Miedosoracing]

Yes to both questions It is the best and maybe only bulb and it is much much brighter, and cooler. The heat is my biggest problem with halogen lights. I bought this light, but haven't had the lcd to use it with yet. I have been told it is much cooler though, so I have big hopes. Your 600w halogen probably puts out around 4000 lumens. So you will have like 25,000 more lumens. But, the amount you can get to your lcd maybe dimished because of excaping light to different directions??? Still should be much brighter.

[tjh]

Originally posted by v1d9uy
i am really thinking about getting this ballast the only thing i worry about is the lamp is UHI-S400DD USHIO the only lamp that will work good for this project and with that ballast ? i saw some where that it is 33000 lumens is that right ? since im only useing a OHP with a 600 watt holagen i would assume that 33000 lumes would be much much brighter than i have now.

Originally posted by Miedosoracing
Your 600w halogen probably puts out around 4000 lumens. So you will have like 25,000 more lumens.

Assuming your using the standard DYS 600W halogen that is pretty common, in my Apollo AI-1000 etc. It puts out 17,000 lumens. 33,000 is the spec I found for the Ushio, so still your a little less than doubling your light output, which is significant.

[v1d9uy]

iv goten mixed opinions of the lumens rateing of my dys 600 watt bulb some say 4000 some say 17000 id have to say from what iv seen on here i dont think its 17000 i cant even come close to takeing a decent pic of my setup even in tottal darkness just not bright enough but iether way 33000 is way brighter

[tjh]

Well, is this your bulb?

http://www.topbulb.com/find/Product_...ductID_E_43769

http://www.bulbconnection.com/ViewIt...Lamp/item.html


As far as comparing to the pics goes... (I don't want to get in a flame war about this with anyone, but cameras will see things differently, and depending on the exposure etc. a person can make their picture look much better than things are in real life.) Also Halogen is very yellowish so it can appear darker to you.