DIY halide setup

jeffro8332

jeffro8332

Member
does anyone have any opinions on the cheapest / easiest way to make a DIY halide setup? I'm only looking for one 175 or one 250 (any opinions on that?). any help is greatly appreciated.
jeff
 
bencc

bencc

Member
I would go to a local electric supply store and get a 250 watt mh ballast and a mogul base and wire it yourself. Then order a good bulb of off ----. This was my plan but I ended up finding someone selling a metal halide light that was used in a warehouse for 10 bucks on ----. I got a 12k coralvue bulb and it works perfectly. The hardest thing is mounting it. It really wasn't that hard either. I called around and the ballast at the supply stores are around 30 bucks and the moguls are like a dollar. The bulb cost me about 60 bucks of ----.
 
jellyfish

jellyfish

New Member
Can you show a pic please. I would like to do something like this. Also, where do you get the mogul, and what exactly is it.
Thanks
 
lonestar

lonestar

Member
I agree with bencc. You can purchase a m58 ballast (250watt) and mogel base here for around 60 bucks. Add an enclosure and you are set. The most expensive part is the bulb itself.
The mogel can be bought at the same electrical supply company. It is just the base (the part the bulb screws in to).
I will attach a pic of an enclosure with the ballast and also the bulb with the mogel.
Good Luck,
Jeremy
 
bencc

bencc

Member
Thats a good looking setup. I'm not sure why everyone pay's big money for these things when it is this easy to diy.
 
lonestar

lonestar

Member
Thanks,
I am not sure either. I have more cash tied up in 6 vho's than I do in 6 MHs (not including bulbs).
Jeremy
 
hondo

hondo

Member
Lonestar,
I have the ballasts and I am in need of the enclosure, where did you buy yours? I have been looking around and can't find anything that large. What type of enclosure is it (by name in the store you purchsed it from) and what size is it.
Thanks
 
lonestar

lonestar

Member
The company's name is hoffman. I use them on alot of projects because their boxes meet code. Because of this, their prices arent that cheap. If you go to their site, they have a breakdown in pdf format that will give you sizes and prices. Just to let you know, the box in the picture is a size 12 (cat number A161410CH). As you can see, it definitely does not need to be 10" deep. I like the other deminsions (16x14)because I normally have 3 ballast in there (was shorted the hardware for the 3rd so did not have it installed at the time of the pic). Do a yahoo search for hoffmanonline.
Thanks for the compliments on the box.
Jeremy
 
hondo

hondo

Member
Thanks, this is the exact size I am looking for as I have 2 ballasts and will probably add a third at some time.
 
hondo

hondo

Member
Lonestar,
I found the Hoffman site and they have a wide range of products but I cannot find anything that matches the cat # you gave me. what type of box (enclosure) is this?
 
lonestar

lonestar

Member
If you added a dot and a com after the name I suggested you do a search for, you should be able to go to products tab, then pricing, then U.S. and it will open a pdf file. the cat number should be in there.
let me know if you can or cant find it.
Jeremy
 
nemo lover

nemo lover

Member
nice thread!! I have been wanting to preform this diy project also.I have a quick questions on the ballasts what is a pulse start? Do I want this or not?
I would like to get 2 250 watt ballast. Is there a certain type of mh ballast I need? I found 2 ballast for mh online one type was a pulse start, and the other wasn't I think. I plan on buying all stuff ,and having my husbands brother who is a electrician assemble it properly.
 
lonestar

lonestar

Member
An artical about pulse start:
A change in the lamp and ballast construction allows pulse start metal halide lamps to start using a high voltage ignitor in the ballast instead of a starting electrode (probe) in the lamp. The result is a "white light" system that challenges high pressure sodium’s long lamp life, high lumen output and quick starts capabilities. This produces metal halide lamps with 20,000 hours of life or longer.
I personally use the standard ballast. Just make sure that the bulb that you want to use will work with the ballast you buy. I run the Iwisaki 6.5Ks and the XM 20Ks and they work fine with the standard ballast.
Jeremy
 
golfish

golfish

Active Member

Originally posted by bencc
I'm not sure why everyone pay's big money for these things when it is this easy to diy.
Mostly because of the heat sink and the warrantee. Like already stated, the M58 ballast is around 50.00, add a GOOD heat sink, switch, wire, quick disconnets and the cost goes up. A standard PFO is a 100.00.
I'm all for saving money and DIY. This just doesn't seem to be a worth it to me.
 
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