Hi as per title I have just ordered a 200W SLI/H lamp as discussed in the web find section and as I have not got a proper lantern I plan to use a 160W sun bed Ballast and 125W FS8 fluorescent  lamp starter. What do I use for a bulb holder ? I have thought of 2 options cut down an old 5FT T12 fluorescent lamp holder been 5FT it will be wide enough to fit the sun bed ballast or make a varnished wooden base with 2 Terry clips with 2 T12 end caps with remote ballast and starter what do you think or any other suggestions kind regards Bob 

What I do is use one or two lab retort stands. These let you hold pretty much any lamp in whatever orientation you like. The ballasts I usually mount on wooden boards like this. Alternatively, one of our other members, FrontSideBus,tends to make gear boxes like this, but I'm not particularly mechanically inclined, so much as I love the boxes he makes, I tend to do it the easier way and just fit them onto a bit of wood 

Hi Rommie what I planning is to attend a few steam shows next year with my stationary engine and my 2.2KVA 240V generator to power a few lamps . The ballast on a wooden board would be ideal as people can see what powers the lamp . After seeng your old electric meter that would be good next to the generator with the wheel turning like your pictures kind regards Bob 

I mounted mine on part of an old wooden bed frame! 

Hi AngryHorse that looks great and if I put the ballast on a varnished wooden plinth like what Rommie & Ria have done that would be great kind regards Bob

 , Yeah, you know when you find yourself keeping those old prices of junk like an old bed frame?, you end up with a totally different use for them! 

Hi AngryHouse upcycling at its best what wattage is your lamp and what control gear are you using kind regards Bob

This one is 200 watts and I’ve only ever used 150 watt HPS gear on this.

Oooh, you could do with a couple of cable glands on that, Rich   

I found my 150W HPS ballast got unbearably hot, but maybe that was a one-off, don't have another to try, though 

Well spotted  , I didn’t have any stuffing glands at the time!, and the Philips Rynite gear here has always ran cool on this, must be just the all steel ones?
Saying that I’ve never ran this lamp for longer than 8 hours on this gear?

This one is 200 watts and I’ve only ever used 150 watt HPS gear on this.

Nice setup you have given me an idea I am going look for an enclosure wit a clear lid kind regards Bob