Metal Halide ballast info
 

Hi All,

I just bought a used MH/NO fixture and I have a few questions. I'd like to buy new MH bulbs and it looks like the ballast is a probe start but I can't tell. Can anyone identify this unit? The previous owner thought this may be a Hamilton fixture but if anyone recognizes it that would be great. The unit seems to work fine.

Also, can anyone suggest a good place to get a better reflector for it?

Stickers on bottom of ballast boxes:

Metal Halide ballast box:
Model: AF175WD MH A
Serial: 3541
175w 120v 3.7 amps
Energy Savers Unlimited
Carson California 90746

NO Ballast Box:
Model: AF3040W2
Serial: 9967
40W 120V .75AMP
Energy Savers Unlimited
Carson California 90746

Hood:
http://www.geocities.com/kalkake/hood.jpg

Ballast box:
http://www.geocities.com/kalkake/Ballast.jpg

Hood Bottom:
http://www.geocities.com/kalkake/HoodBottom.jpg

Lights on:
http://www.geocities.com/kalkake/LightsOn.jpg

As far as I know Energy Savers is Coralife.:mrgreen:

that sir is most certainly a hamilton hood. xm, hamilton, iwaskai and venture bulbs will all fire in that hood, ushio's will not. your best bang is going to be with the xm's, very bright and pretty cheap, also j&l has bulbs on sale this month, i just got some 15k xm's for 62 bucks each. you will have to retro in a better reflector, i have to same issue and need to make something as well.

you'll need the best reflector you can get for the xm15k ;)

I'm also looking at XM bulbs. Why do you say that?

xm10k
ballast used: M58
input watts: 315
input volts: 123.5
input amps: 2.8
ppfd(or par): 137
cct(color temp): 12083

xm15k
ballast:M58
input watts:295
input volts: 122.8
input amps:2.82
ppfd: 55.7
cct: n/a

sources:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005.../document_view
http://advancedaquarist.com/issues/aug2004/review.htm

need I say more.

Odds are it's a probe start ballast for the MH. Without an ANSI # the easiest way to tell is count the # of parts. A probe start ballast is transformer and capacitor ("cap-n-coil"), a pulse start ballast is transformer, capacitor and ignitor (looks a little like a capacitor, but likely smaller and slightly different).

you need a decent reflector in there because the par on the 15k bulbs is so low you need ever bit of light you can get into the tank.

Ushios are supposed to have a pulse start ballast (except for the 250's) but FWIW they will still fire on probe starts. I bought my ballasts several eons ago (175's) well before anyone knew the difference between probe & pulse starts and I've been using Ushios for years. They do have a little trouble firing at first but after a little while (a week or so) they seem to start fine anyhow. The only thing is it sounds like a Harley getting started. A pulse start is a much nicer start for sure, and I'm sure, much better for the lamp overall, of course.

ushio has changed the specs on the bulbs a year or so ago and will no longer support probe style ballasts. they will infact fire sometimes but the colour can be quite yellow.