# Which 35w HID Ballast to get?



## pelks (Feb 12, 2006)

I am building a hand held spotlight using a Osram D2S HID lamp and I am not sure which type of ballast to choose from. It must be as small as possible as it will be mounted on the spotlight.
Has anyone got any suggestions?


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## XeRay (Feb 12, 2006)

pelks said:


> I am building a hand held spotlight using a Osram D2S HID lamp and I am not sure which type of ballast to choose from. It must be as small as possible as it will be mounted on the spotlight.
> Has anyone got any suggestions?


 
Smallest ballast package does not use D2S bulb but D1S. D1S is preffered for smallest total package. However the D1S bulb is not as readily available to consumers.


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## Sway (Feb 13, 2006)

What type of host are you going to use?

Later
Kelly


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## pelks (Feb 14, 2006)

Sorry Xeray,
I meant to say that I would like the smallest ballast i can get
for a D2S lamp.
Sway, I will be using a Lightforce SL240, the same host that you used on yours I believe. How is yours going by the way?


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## XeVision (Feb 14, 2006)

Sorry, forgot to use XeRay.


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## XeRay (Feb 14, 2006)

pelks said:


> Sorry Xeray,
> 
> I meant to say that I would like the smallest ballast i can get
> 
> ...





Very limited options for D2S ballast. The industry has been moving to D1S for 3-4 years. Probably the XenLight or Aurswald will be smallest for 35 watt. These 2 ballasts use a seperate igniter between ballast and bulb or D2 plug attached to the igniter. If you want to wait 3 months, we will have the smallest ballast on the market for 35/50 watt switchable, with continuous 50 watt operation capability. The Aurswald is not made for continuous 50 watt operation.


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## Sway (Feb 18, 2006)

Hi Pelks,

Yep mine is still up and running just fine although it does looks like a refugee from a _Road Warrior_ movie so it ain't gona win any beauty contest.

But if you on the receiving end I don't guess that matters 

Let us know how yours turns out.

Later
Kelly


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## LightForce (Mar 18, 2006)

Hi!
I want to ask you a difficult question...
Which of the listed here ballast is the most efficient/generates the least heat and have a hot restrike capability...:help: 
What are exact dimensions of it?

[img=http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/7683/philipslvq2127sp.th.jpg]

[img=http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/6457/hella5dv0075sf.th.jpg]

[img=http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/9536/920891292jw.th.jpg]

[img=http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/2450/925258783jo.th.jpg]
:thinking: 

These are a frequently used ballasts and I wish someone can help me!
Thanks!


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## XeRay (Mar 19, 2006)

LightForce said:


> Hi!
> I want to ask you a difficult question...
> Which of the listed here ballast is the most efficient/generates the least heat and have a hot restrike capability...:help:
> What are exact dimensions of it? These are a frequently used ballasts and I wish someone can help me! Thanks!


 
ALL of them have hot restrike capability. The first two, Hella and Philips are identical, both made by Hella. The Hella unit you show #2 has special mounting ears. The best choice for size and heat is #4 the newest generation Hella.


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## jtice (Mar 19, 2006)

LightForce,

Any idea where to get some of those ballasts?

I am azlso wanting to do a few projects,
both handheld and for my ATV.

Looking for a few realitivly cheap, small water tight ballasts.

~John


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## yuandrew (Mar 19, 2006)

Ebay is one place, I got a Lexus HID ballast and lamp recently. There are lots of various ballast avaliable (There is one D1 ballast by Philips listed there that is extreamly compact)

You can also go to the buy/sell/trade section on HID Planet (www.hidforum.com) as well. A lot of used or spare parts come up. I'm on there too.


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## LightForce (Mar 20, 2006)

So I have #4 ballast, ignitor and wires but... Which one goes to '+' and which one to '-'?? brown or yellow??:laughing: Please tell me I can't remember...


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## jtice (Mar 20, 2006)

I have been looking at these, they seem nice, and quite popular.
http://www.hidplanet.com/ballasts.html

Same price as the Pyramids I found,
but I trust Hella/Philips alittle more.

~John


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## yuandrew (Mar 21, 2006)

LightForce said:


> So I have #4 ballast, ignitor and wires but... Which one goes to '+' and which one to '-'?? brown or yellow??:laughing: Please tell me I can't remember...



Usually on European ballasts

Brown -
Yellow +


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## kinseykaylor (Mar 21, 2006)

what kind of lumen/watt could i exepect from the phillips/hella ballast.

Is this plug and play? Just plug a 12~ volt battery?


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## LightForce (Mar 21, 2006)

Thanks, yuandrew.

kinseykaylor: 
Automotive HID burner has 91 lm/W @ 35W, and automotive ballast's efficacy is ~83% (35W output power/42W input power). So overall efficacy of the ballast/burner combo is 0,83 x 91 lm/W = 75,5 lm/W.


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## Jazz (Mar 22, 2006)

I've got a pair of Hella Gen 4 which have a separate igniter. They are very lite. Here's a pic of the guts. I'm going to weigh them and compare them to some Hella Gen 3's which I have. B-T-W, Not sure which direction the industry is headed, but I understand there are D4 HID bulbs/ballasts coming in some new cars which are not compatible with D2 or D1. D2 is more common and with the Hella Gen 4's, the igniter sit on the back of the D2 bulb so only four thin wires go between the ballast and bulb/igniter.


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## XeRay (Mar 22, 2006)

Jazz said:


> I've got a pair of Hella Gen 4 which have a separate igniter. They are very lite. Here's a pic of the guts. I'm going to weigh them and compare them to some Hella Gen 3's which I have. B-T-W, Not sure which direction the industry is headed, but I understand there are D4 HID bulbs/ballasts coming in some new cars which are not compatible with D2 or D1. D2 is more common and with the Hella Gen 4's, the igniter sit on the back of the D2 bulb so only four thin wires go between the ballast and bulb/igniter.


 
The industry is mostly moving toward D1S or D3S (No Hg) removing the igniter from the ballast so that it can more easily be made small and thin. D4S is the Hg free version of D2S. BTW Hg = Mercury. The Voltage to the burner is normally 85 volts, 0.41 amps for 35 watt operation when warmed up. The D3S and D4S bulbs are 42 Volts, 0.83 amps. Some new ballasts have been designed to meet only these new Hg free bulb specs. So far, only the Japanese are using this new Hg free D4S bulb type.

I would say your ballast choice pictured is one of the best ballasts available on the market currently.


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## Jazz (Mar 22, 2006)

XeRay said:


> The industry is mostly moving toward D1S or D3S (No Hg) removing the igniter from the ballast so that it can more easily be made small and thin. D4S is the Hg free version of D2S. BTW Hg = Mercury. The Voltage to the burner is normally 85 volts, 0.41 amps for 35 watt operation when warmed up. The D3S and D4S bulbs are 42 Volts, 0.83 amps. New ballasts have been designed to meet these Hg free bulb specs. So far, only the Japanese are using this new Hg free D4S bulb type.
> 
> I would say your ballast choice pictured is one of the best ballasts available on the market currently.


Good Info!!!
Thanks,
James

P.S. Is it true that the new HID bulbs will be a little dimmer? If so, not so good for us CPFer.


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## XeRay (Mar 22, 2006)

Jazz said:


> Good Info!!!
> Thanks,
> James
> 
> P.S. Is it true that the new HID bulbs will be a little dimmer? If so, not so good for us CPFer.


 
I believe the Hg free D3S or D4S have about the same lumens output as the current D1S and D2S bulbs. The reason for removing the Hg is purely environmental even though the mercury is a very small percentage of the "fill" mix. 

There are no performance gains using D3S or D4S and they will be more expensive as will the ballasts. Your ballast (photo) is NOT designed for either of them.


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## pelks (Mar 22, 2006)

I have always wanted to see what was inside one of these ballasts.
Thanks Jazz, saves me plulling apart mine  

Have just tested my HID Spotlight. I've still got spots in my eyes.
Compared to the original 100w Halogen, there's no comparison.
I will be posting pics in the next few weeks.

In my situation with a hand-held spotlight, a seperate ignitor is not suitable because of the size constraits.
Excellent info though.


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## Sway (Mar 22, 2006)

pekls!!!!!!! 

Welcome to the HID Blitz Club, it just brings tears to my eyes too hear another one is up and running,* Good Show Mate * :twothumbs  

Now about those beam shots :naughty:

Later
Kelly


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## Jazz (Mar 22, 2006)

This is a 15 second exposure with the lens wide open at f2.8.





10MCP Thor modded with a 35W aftermarket HID. Heavily overexposed, but look impressive.


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## Jazz (Mar 22, 2006)

Here's another shot.


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## XeRay (Mar 22, 2006)

Jazz said:


> Here's another shot.


 
Looks like Donner Lake.

Dan


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## Jazz (Mar 23, 2006)

XeRay said:


> Looks like Donner Lake.
> 
> Dan


Close, it's Echo Lake.


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## LightForce (Mar 23, 2006)

Wow what a pics!!
I have exactly the same ballast/burber combo as you, Jazz.
Haven't tried it outdoors yet...
So scared of it what I'll see today's evening!:lolsign:
I'll post some beamshots in a few days, too.

Does opereting in non-horizontal directions really hurts the bulb?
I also discovered, that the best result is when the bulb operates in such a position, that the return wire is under the bulb.

|
|----------\_
|----------/ |
|=========

looks something like that...


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