I bought a cheap ($45) 150 watt HPS floodlight. I noticed the label has a "slash" rating for the amperage: 3.2/1.6 amps. The fixture is 120 volt only.

I'm assuming 3.2 amps is the starting current and 1.6 amps is the running current once the lamp has heated up. Correct?

I hope I get at least a year out of this light before the ballast craps out. We'll see...It's a Lumark (Cooper Lighting) BTW.

Peter

[This message has been edited by CTwireman (edited 04-19-2004).]

CT:
You may have a 'mis-label', or it may be start/run as you said.

1.8/1.6; 4.8/2.9; 4.5/3.2;

The above are a few from a catalog. As your #'s appear to be 'dead half' it may be a mis-applied label??

John

Read the ballast label the lower rating may be for a optional capactor.

ok for your 150 watts hps floodlight. most low priced floodlights useally have reactor ballast in there and the first figure is with out capaitor and second figure is for with capatior aka powerfactor corretion there. but a quick warning about current drawage when the hid bulb go out or empty socket the current drawage will be higher than 1.6 amps but look at the nameplate or label inside the fixure it will listit somewere in the lumaiaire .

merci , marc

Three things can be considered from your listings:

<OL TYPE=1>


[*] Starting Line Current / Operating Line Current,


[*] Value without / with Power Factor Correcting Capacitor,


[*] Value for 120 VAC / 240 VAC without Power Factor correcting Capacitor.
</OL>

Per #1 above, if the Ballast is a simple Linear Reactor type, it very likely would have a near 200% Starting Line Current draw - or 3.2 Amps at 120 VAC, then taper down to a stable Full Operating (Running) Line Current of 1.6 Amps at 120 VAC.
This would be an Operating value with a P.F. correcting Capacitor included with the Ballast's Circuitry.

Per #2 above, the first value of 3.2 Amps at 120 VAC could be the "Non-Power Factor Corrected" value of the Ballast and Lamp assembly, without a Capacitor included in the Circuitry.
This would result in a total Line input Volt-Amp load of 384 VA - falling somewhere around 0.39 P.F. (39% Power Factor)

The second value of 1.6 Amps at 120 VAC could be the "Corrected / High Power Factor" value for the Luminaire's Equipment - and this Circuit would have a capacitor included.
In this "version", the total Line input Volt-Amp load will be 192 VA - falling somewhere around 0.78 P.F. (78% Power factor).

As you can see, the Capacitor drastically improved the Power Factor!

The last "option" (#3 above), might be a Normal Power Factor rating vs input voltage - if the Ballast has the capability of using "Multi-Voltage" inputs (like a "Quadri-Volt" Ballast).
3.2 Amps at 120 VAC / 1.6 Amps at 240 VAC, no Capacitor included (39% P.F.).

These are the options to consider per this particular Luminaire.

Being that it's an "El-Cheap-O" Fixture, and the 150 Watt HPS rating, it's likely that the Ballast will be a simple Linear Reactor (no input Autotransformer section).
Does the Lamp use a Medium Based Screwshell?
If yes, then it's almost 100% sure to be Reactor only, and to make things even cheaper - leave out the optional Capacitor and just let the Customer deal with the Crappy P.F.!

The type of HPS Lamp i described above is a 55 Volt Lamp.
If the Line input Voltage is 120 VAC, there is no need to step up/down the input Voltage via Autotransformer section, and therefore only a Reactor core is needed - reducing the cost of the Ballast Kit.

Let us know what you discover!

Scott35

I took the the fixture apart over the weekend, and found no capacitor. I'm going to add it, because this thing is in desperate need of one. 400 watts for a 150 watt lamp is a little bit....ridiculous!!

Peter

... How do you compute the value of the capacitor to be inserted..??
Russ