MH ballast question

[stoney1118]

ok i have PFO magnetic mh ballast, each ballast drives two 400w bulbs. at the moment they are driving single ended bulbs. my question is, can i buy reflectors that accept de bulbs and use my ballast to drive them? and is a de bulb the same as an HQI bulb?

 

[grouper therapy]

<span style="color: Red">..Lets settle this HQI thing once and for all. HQI, in the lighting industry, refers to High Quartz Iodide,metal halide bulbs. whether they be double ended(most common), fibre optic reflector, or single ended halides. People have thought differently on the topic, and there has been a widespread confusion (which I myself have been guilty of assisting). All HID lamps have an inner arc tube contained within an outer galss sleeve, borosilicate in mogul lamps (most at least) and quartz in the double ended lamps. The mogul/medium lamps offer better (although in many cases still not enough as per some of the experts opinions) UV protection. (that can be debated)

The arc tube consists of a starting electrode, a main electrode, a starting gas, and arc metal. Mercury vapor HID lamps contain an all quartz arc tube filled with mercury arc metal and argon as a starting gas. Newer metal halide lamps lamps contain less mercury and are even more efficient than mercury vapor lamps. Halogen quartz, or Quartz Iodide bulbs have a tungsten filament in a nitrogen-argon gaseous medium to which bromine has been added (halogenated!), enclosed in an envelope generally made from quartz. This doesn't mean they are HQI halide bulbs. Typical halide salts are sodium iodide, scandium iodide, thallium iodide, and indium iodide. When the iodides vaporize in the arc they form different colored layers around the mercury arc.

So, HQI is NOT limited to just DE lamps. What does the socket have to do with the gaseous composition of the lamp? Nothing really. Its becoming more common knowledge but it needs to be recognized by all, especially those looking to DIY. The subject is even more touch and vague when speaking of 400w, as there is no ANSI make for that wattage HQI. There are ballasts that will operate the lamp, but some will run better than others. In any case, an ignitor (typical of pulse start ballasts) is required.
</span>
The above was copied from the internet
Which magnetic pfo ballast do you have? probe or pulse start

 

[stoney1118]

grouper therapy;564836 wrote: <span style="color: red">..Lets settle this HQI thing once and for all. HQI, in the lighting industry, refers to High Quartz Iodide,metal halide bulbs. whether they be double ended(most common), fibre optic reflector, or single ended halides. People have thought differently on the topic, and there has been a widespread confusion (which I myself have been guilty of assisting). All HID lamps have an inner arc tube contained within an outer galss sleeve, borosilicate in mogul lamps (most at least) and quartz in the double ended lamps. The mogul/medium lamps offer better (although in many cases still not enough as per some of the experts opinions) UV protection. (that can be debated)</span>

<span style="color: red">The arc tube consists of a starting electrode, a main electrode, a starting gas, and arc metal. Mercury vapor HID lamps contain an all quartz arc tube filled with mercury arc metal and argon as a starting gas. Newer metal halide lamps lamps contain less mercury and are even more efficient than mercury vapor lamps. Halogen quartz, or Quartz Iodide bulbs have a tungsten filament in a nitrogen-argon gaseous medium to which bromine has been added (halogenated!), enclosed in an envelope generally made from quartz. This doesn't mean they are HQI halide bulbs. Typical halide salts are sodium iodide, scandium iodide, thallium iodide, and indium iodide. When the iodides vaporize in the arc they form different colored layers around the mercury arc.</span>

<span style="color: red">So, HQI is NOT limited to just DE lamps. What does the socket have to do with the gaseous composition of the lamp? Nothing really. Its becoming more common knowledge but it needs to be recognized by all, especially those looking to DIY. The subject is even more touch and vague when speaking of 400w, as there is no ANSI make for that wattage HQI. There are ballasts that will operate the lamp, but some will run better than others. In any case, an ignitor (typical of pulse start ballasts) is required.</span>

The above was copied from the internet
Which magnetic pfo ballast do you have? probe or pulse start

awesome info man, thanks alot for the clarification, im just gonna stick with the se bulbs since i already have the sockets, and soon ill have three new reflectors! hint hint!

 

[johnr2604]

grouper therapy;564836 wrote: <span style="color: Red">..Lets settle this HQI thing once and for all. HQI, in the lighting industry, refers to High Quartz Iodide,metal halide bulbs. whether they be double ended(most common), fibre optic reflector, or single ended halides. People have thought differently on the topic, and there has been a widespread confusion (which I myself have been guilty of assisting). All HID lamps have an inner arc tube contained within an outer galss sleeve, borosilicate in mogul lamps (most at least) and quartz in the double ended lamps. The mogul/medium lamps offer better (although in many cases still not enough as per some of the experts opinions) UV protection. (that can be debated)

The arc tube consists of a starting electrode, a main electrode, a starting gas, and arc metal. Mercury vapor HID lamps contain an all quartz arc tube filled with mercury arc metal and argon as a starting gas. Newer metal halide lamps lamps contain less mercury and are even more efficient than mercury vapor lamps. Halogen quartz, or Quartz Iodide bulbs have a tungsten filament in a nitrogen-argon gaseous medium to which bromine has been added (halogenated!), enclosed in an envelope generally made from quartz. This doesn't mean they are HQI halide bulbs. Typical halide salts are sodium iodide, scandium iodide, thallium iodide, and indium iodide. When the iodides vaporize in the arc they form different colored layers around the mercury arc.

So, HQI is NOT limited to just DE lamps. What does the socket have to do with the gaseous composition of the lamp? Nothing really. Its becoming more common knowledge but it needs to be recognized by all, especially those looking to DIY. The subject is even more touch and vague when speaking of 400w, as there is no ANSI make for that wattage HQI. There are ballasts that will operate the lamp, but some will run better than others. In any case, an ignitor (typical of pulse start ballasts) is required.
</span>
The above was copied from the internet
Which magnetic pfo ballast do you have? probe or pulse start

Also to add on to that. There seams to be a myth floating around that Magnetic or electronic ballast differentiate between HQI and not. Fact is you can have HQI or not in electronic and magnetic ballast.

 

[stoney1118]

all great info, thanks alot guys!