Choosing a step up transformer for HID reactor ballasts « on: August 24, 2025, 02:52:08 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
Whenever I am trying to determine an appropriate step up transformer for running HID reactor ballasts, should the transformer size in volt amperes (VA) be determined by multiplying the ballast’s line current at startup by the ballast’s input voltage or should I multiply the ballast’s line current when the lamp is fully warmed up by the ballast’s input voltage? For example, one of the fixtures that I am looking at uses a 200V 60Hz high power factor reactor ballast for 250W mercury vapor lamps. According to the data I have gathered, the ballast’s startup current is 2.5A and the ballast’s current when the lamp is at full brightness is 1.4A. However, if the ballast has no power factor correction capacitor, the startup current is roughly 3.5A and the line current when the lamp is at full brightness is 2.1A. Reference data sheet for 250W high power factor reactor ballast: https://www.akaricenter.com/suigin_kouatu/iwasaki/anteiki/pdf/H25CC2A352.pdf Reference data sheet for 250W low power factor reactor ballast: https://www.akaricenter.com/suigin_kouatu/iwasaki/anteiki/pdf/H25C2A352.pdf
« Last Edit: August 24, 2025, 02:55:40 PM by WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA »		Logged

Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Choosing a step up transformer for HID reactor ballasts « Reply #2 on: August 24, 2025, 05:21:13 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
If I have a reactor ballast where I do not know the startup current, should it be safe to estimate the startup current by multiplying the ballast’s line current by a factor of 2?
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Choosing a step up transformer for HID reactor ballasts « Reply #4 on: August 24, 2025, 05:34:48 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
In the case with my 200V 60Hz 250W mercury vapor reactor ballast where the line current during full brightness operation as 2.1A, I can safely assume that I would need a 1000VA transformer when factoring in a startup current of 4.2A where I get a startup VA rating of 840VA?
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Choosing a step up transformer for HID reactor ballasts « Reply #6 on: August 24, 2025, 06:26:40 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
I have been seeing that a good number of the reactor ballasts I was looking at do seem to have integrated PFC capacitors in them.
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Choosing a step up transformer for HID reactor ballasts « Reply #8 on: August 24, 2025, 06:53:19 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
What I meant to say is that those ballasts have a 2 terminal reactor and a capacitor all potted in one casing. Often times, I have seen Japanese reactor ballasts that sometimes have 3 or 4 wires connected to a case. Often times, some of those wires would lead to power factor correction capacitors potted inside the casing and other times, I have seen that some have some wires not connected to anything. For example, here is a Japanese 200V 60Hz reactor ballast that I found that specifically does say “high power factor” on its casing: https://buyee.jp/item/jdirectitems/auction/k1148211050?conversionType=jdirectitems_auction_TranslateSearch This implies that the power factor correction capacitor and the reactor coil are all inside the case. That is why you see 4 wires coming from it. In principle, the reactor coil is still wired in series with the lamp and the power factor correction capacitor inside the casing is still wired in parallel with the input leads.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2025, 07:08:12 PM by WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA »		Logged

Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Choosing a step up transformer for HID reactor ballasts « Reply #10 on: August 24, 2025, 07:15:31 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
Thanks for providing me with the information that I need to know about using step up transformers with reactor ballasts.
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.