60Hz ballast/bulb in an Aussie 50Hz socket. Does it sound like a bad idea? 🙂
There are lots of cheap ballast/bulb kits for mail order in the U.S, so I was wondering what would happen to them running at 240V 50Hz. These are ones marked 120/220/240/270, so the voltage is fine, but the A.C. frequency worries me.
Here's an example:
http://lightingcloseout.com/product_detail.cfm?ProductID=383&CategoryID=3
I don't know what the color temperature of that bulb is, but otherwise the specs look good.
Any electrical engineers around to give me some insight?
There are lots of cheap ballast/bulb kits for mail order in the U.S, so I was wondering what would happen to them running at 240V 50Hz. These are ones marked 120/220/240/270, so the voltage is fine, but the A.C. frequency worries me.
Here's an example:
http://lightingcloseout.com/product_detail.cfm?ProductID=383&CategoryID=3
I don't know what the color temperature of that bulb is, but otherwise the specs look good.
Any electrical engineers around to give me some insight?
cheap ballasts from USA
Their mail order price may be cheap, but the shipping will be unbelievably expensive! I have a 250 Watt HPS ballast for a Ushio retrofit MH bulb, and it weighs 11 pounds.
So there's two questions you need to ask the manufacturer:
Will it work okay at 50 Hz?
How much does it weigh?
Maybe you should find one locally! It will already be on your side of the world, and will be designed to run at 50 Hz. These are the most efficient bulbs for industrial and commercial lighting, ie. factories and store windows. I'm sure there are some of both in Australia. Another tactic: FInd a ballast in your area, that you can go pickup. Then buy a bulb shipped in from anywhere, since they are so light. If you can't find a MH ballast, you can run a Ushio retrofit MH bulb with an HPS ballast.
Their mail order price may be cheap, but the shipping will be unbelievably expensive! I have a 250 Watt HPS ballast for a Ushio retrofit MH bulb, and it weighs 11 pounds.
So there's two questions you need to ask the manufacturer:
Will it work okay at 50 Hz?
How much does it weigh?
Maybe you should find one locally! It will already be on your side of the world, and will be designed to run at 50 Hz. These are the most efficient bulbs for industrial and commercial lighting, ie. factories and store windows. I'm sure there are some of both in Australia. Another tactic: FInd a ballast in your area, that you can go pickup. Then buy a bulb shipped in from anywhere, since they are so light. If you can't find a MH ballast, you can run a Ushio retrofit MH bulb with an HPS ballast.
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