Pulse start
metal halide lamps
skip the starting electrode and have a high voltage ignitor. The ignitor, alongside the ballast, uses pulses of electricity to start (i.e. “pulse start”) the lamp.
Are all metal halide bulbs pulse start?
Traditional metal halide (MH) lamps use probe-start technology. … Pulse-start MH lamps
do not have
the starting probe electrode (Figure 2). Instead they have a high-voltage ignitor that works with the ballast to start the lamp using a series of high-voltage pulses (typically 3 to 5 kilovolts).
What is a Pulse Start lamp?
Pulse-Start Metal Halide lamps are
designed to accept a high voltage starting pulse from a ballast
. This eliminates the need for unnecessary internal components allowing for better lumen maintenance and faster start up times.
What type of lamp is used in an HID luminaire?
According to these compounds, 3 of the most common HID light types are:
Mercury vapor lamps
; High pressure sodium vapor lamps; Metal halide lamps.
Will a Pulse Start lamp work with a probe start ballast?
Probe start lamps should only be used with magnetic ballasts, and pulse start lamps
should only be used with electronic ballasts
.
What is the difference between probe start and pulse start?
Pulse start and probe start lamps use different ballast systems. Traditional probe start metal halide lamps do not use igniters and require
three electrical
contacts to ignite the gas and remain lit. Newer pulse start metal halide lamps use only two contacts and use an igniter located inside the ballast pod.
How do you know if a metal halide bulb is bad?
Usually the lamps will gain a pinkish hue when compared to other lamps in the same system. This is caused when
metal vapors in the lamp are expired from heat or burning
, and the lack of a particular mixture in the arc tube renders a different color.
What is a Psmh light?
The difference between Probe Start Metal Halide (MH) and
Pulse Start Metal Halide
(PSMH) is the removal of the probe from the MH lamp and addi- tion of the ignitor to the PSMH system. This ignitor sends 3kV-4kV pulses to strike the lamp in place of the probe.
What is a switch start metal halide?
Traditional metal halide light bulbs use probe start technology, which uses three electrodes – a starter electrode and two operating electrodes – in the arc tube to start the light bulb. … Once the light bulb is started, a bi-metal switch
removes the starter probe electrode from the circuit
.
How long does it take for a metal halide to turn on?
Metal halide (MH) lamps do not achieve their full light output immediately after starting. Rather, they require a period of time-
1 to 15 minutes
-to reach 90% of their full light output.
Which type of HID lamp is the most efficacious?
The
metal halide lamp
is the next most efficacious lamp, and it is the most efficient of the HID lamp ‘white-light’ sources. Metal halide lamps offer initial efficacies of 110 lumens per watt for a 400 watt pulse start, but with a 65 CRI – a significantly improved color rendering ability compared to HPS and LPS.
What are the four types of HID lamps?
- Mercury-vapor lamps.
- Metal-halide (MH) lamps.
- Ceramic MH lamps.
- Sodium-vapor lamps.
- Xenon short-arc lamps.
What is the most common use for high intensity discharge HID lamps?
Generally speaking, HID lamps are used primarily in applications where the most critical factor is creating as much visible light per watt as possible. Major applications include
streetlights, gymnasiums, warehouses, large retail facilities
, and stadiums, and plant growing rooms.
What is a CWA ballast?
Constant-wattage autotransformer (CWA): Also known as lead style ballasts, CWA ballasts are
the most common ballasts used on 175 W or higher MH lamps
. … These ballasts have good lamp regulation and can handle voltage variations of up to 45%.
How do you troubleshoot a metal halide light fixture?
Check to see if the
lamp is loose in
the socket or if the base is distorted so that the lamp will not seat properly. Check socket for loose contacts, poor connections, or broken wiring. High pressure sodium and low-wattage metal halide lamps require a starter that provides a high-voltage pulse to start the lamp.
What is a metal halide ballast?
Metal halide (MH) ballasts are
required to start the lamp
, regulate the lamp starting and lamp operating currents, and provide appropriate sustaining supply voltage. … The ballast is set to deliver relatively stable power to the lamp while regulating the lamp current despite typical line voltage fluctuations.
