low priced HPS ballasts

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#42
electrical supplies store

Home Depot probably does not carry them. Look in the phone book for an electrical contractor supplies store in your city. Call them and say you need an E39 mogul base socket. (This is the most common socket for a HPS parking lot lamp.) Should be in stock and less than $10.

Most such stores will have several different styles of E39 socket. You can just buy the cheapest ceramic one and figure out a way to mount it in your projector.
 
#43
Bulb showed up today.

I got my bulb today, and there are a couple packages waiting for me at our apartment's office, might be the ballast etc. This bulb is frickin HUGE!!! Are you guys serious with this one? I was expecting it to be about half this size....
 
#44
MH lamp size

The good news is that the actual MH arc is just in the inner chamber (a bit over 1 inch long). The bad news is that it is surrounded by an outer glass envelope that is 15/8" in diameter. The outer chamber is for safety when the inner chamber ruptures. It also keeps a blast of cold air from fracturing the hot quartz glass inner chamber, when the fan comes on.

If you think the Ushio lamp is big, look at the cheap 4200 K lamps: They are like half of your forearm holding a big texas grapefruit in your hand. The only way to go smaller, is to use a double-ended lamp (which all require a >$100 electronic ballast), or a real projector small-arc lamp (that costs >$250 and runs <2000 hours).

At $38 for 20000 hours, the 400 Watt Ushio retrofit lamps are the cheapest lamp you can get that has a good color temperature, long life, and low cost.
 
#45
I know all the benefits of using it, that's why I got it. I was just really surprised at its actual size. My ballast kit showed up from the ebay vendor today. Between it's size and WEIGHT and the bulb, I know feel like I'm building a tank!

I think I'd feel more motivated for this project if I hadn't just spent three days pulling the head off my car and fixing a blow head gasket...
 
#46
orderd my balest today thanks for posting this thread i been going crazy trying to find a good light setup sence i dont know much about mh i kept geting lost. anyone have any pic of reflectors there useing with this light or even pic of there setup so i can get some ideas how to mount it and what to use for a reflector and how your useing it. thanks everyone

oh and shiping to tucson arizona was $9.68 great deal
 
#48
that's funny cause i just ordered mine today (same exact day you recieved yours)

i was debating on whether i should have ordered before christmas and try to time it to come when i came back.

i should have, cause it seems the guy is on vacation now cause i emailed him asking for the shipping total so i could pay pal him and get it shipped soon.

i want to build my projector before spring semester starts when i shall have no freaking time between a heavy load including a senior seminar class, working 20 hours a week or more, and i've been working a korean girl over which will hopefully remain low maintenance... LOL
 
#49
I'm in the same boat as you, took me a while to order. Took a few days to get an invoice from him. And since I paid I haven't heard back. Just sent him an email earlier today asking for an update. Hopefully it has already shipped, but we'll see.
 
#50
yeah? this is what i did.

I just went to UPS and calculated the shipping since he says in the auction we pay actual shipping cost.. (he doesn't have to box them, they are already boxed)

16 lbs from Fairview TN 37062 to my address was 10.84 but i added 12.00 dollars and pay pal-ed him the total and hopefully get it soon.


Hopefully, he will ship before new years.............

let me know when he emaild you a tracking number.... i asked him to do the same for me.

later...
 
#52
but his auction clearly states........... buyer pays actual shipping cost for UPS ground unless it's large quantities then it's freight.

do you think he meant to write "USPS"?

as long as i gave him enough money for shipping i don't mind which way he sends it.
 
#54
Well, I *think* I got an email back from them saying they just shipped it off today, even though my payment went through on the 20th. I almost thought the email was spam because all it says is "Your order should ship out today. Have a great day." With no reference to my prior emails or what it is in reference to. So we'll see.
 
#57
snortonnorton said:
did you try cross checking the email address you just recieved with the email address on file from ebay or pay pal for him?


damn, i hope that means he just got back and is now shipping and not that it always takes 10 days to process an order...........
Click to expand...


Well that was another reason I thought it was spam at first. Payment went to a Walter, this was from a Hollie. But they both are from "franceformer.com" so it has to be the ballast.

The long delay was probably just because of the holiday, and if yours wasn't shipped out today it shouldn't take as long.

I wanted to ask everyone too: where are you getting the bulbs? Atlanta light bulbs for $38? (I know that is recommended and was the cheapest I could find, but if I recall correctly they were only $28 last year when I looked into this and I don't really like the idea of paying an extra $10 to a company who price gouges, even in our capitalist society.)
 
#59
I was under the impression that 37 was already half or so than most dealers, maybe they were wrong.

are you sure it was the same bulb for only 27 dollars?

that does make sense since it's really just a sodium ballast lamp which should be cheap to me.


but i'm pretty certain alot of guys on here already searched for a better deal.

i just bought mine 5 minutes ago from atlanta company so i hope that's the best deal!!!

how are you guys gonna reflect the thing? i'm totally lost on what to do to reflect it.

you guys gonna use a condensor, or a spherical thingy?
 
#60
so far what iv researched is you dont need a condencer for a 400w. besidees checking around your town you got the cheapest bulb that iv seen online. and im going out today to see what i can find for a reflector i might just go with a metal bowl but im going to check ace,michales craft store first ill let you know what i find. im also going to get my soocket if ace has one.

heres the bulb im getting
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7574426195&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT
 
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