Newbie Q: What is Ballast?

chrisWELD · Jan 10, 2005

Sorry if this' a bit obvious to you all but what is ballast for an HID light - types / pros and cons etc.?

I've got a mini-HID coming and I keep reading mentions of ballast but I don't know what it does / consists of.

Thanks all,

Chris

xpitxbullx · Jan 10, 2005

A ballast is an electrical component used with a fluorescent bulb, mercury vapor lamp, or arc lamp) to conduct electricity at each end of the tube. It supplies the initial electricity to the bulb that creates light, and then it regulates the amount of electricity flowing through the bulb so that it emits the right amount of light.

IsaacHayes · Jan 10, 2005

Since those bulbs aren't just a wire that glows red/white hot, the ballast functions also as a step-up transformer. Those kinds of bulbs require high voltage to excite the gases in them to make them glow. Kind of like a neon-sign transformer. We're talking thousands of volts at a very low current.

chrisWELD · Jan 11, 2005

Thanks xpitsbullx and Isaac /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Sounds like a lot of technology, but I guess in fluorescent form it's all around us everyday now...

Cheers,

Chris

Newbie Q: What is Ballast?

chrisWELD

Newly Enlightened

xpitxbullx

Flashlight Enthusiast

IsaacHayes

Flashlight Enthusiast

chrisWELD

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