My HID collection started in 2001 when I bought a GE Lucalox 70w self -igniting HPS from B&Q. In fact I got it before I had any HID ballasts so I tested it on a preheat choke for F20T12 - needless to say the lamp failed to warm up properly ... however the ballast (in a plastic enclosure) certainly did!

My first Hid lamp was a CMH 100W Alto 4K. used. I think sometime April 2008, with a ballast that worked. The lamp is in my gallery and is from 2001.

Mine was a also a clear Caster 175W MV lamp that I got with a yardlight and a Sylvania 175W coated MV lamp that I got at the same time.

My first HID lamp was the 400w High pressure sodium (coated phillips) that came with 400w HPS ballast that came with M400 r2. my SECOND HPS was 175w Regent MV lamp. and the regent lamp was the first HID i lit. i might of got m400 r2 first, but we were novices on lighting, so we just bypassed the ballast, and put an incandescent lamp in the fixture, and lit THAT up. then right when i joined this site, we wired it up, and lit the 400w Cpated lamp for the first time. i was so excited to light the 400w HPS =D

My first HID lamp that I splurged with the lamp and a ballast.  I connected with existing plugs and throwaway lamp and came up with this: http://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-34667

My first HID lamp was a Philips SON 70w (coated HPS). I blew it up because I used no ballast I don't have it any more. My second HID lamp was a philips SO 60w low pressure sodium lamp. I still have this one because it is a rare lamp

Almost all of you have started with so big wattage lamps... My firts lamp was just 50W MV made by osram . bought it together with helvar 50W/80W ballast. I still have that lamp somewhere. If I remeber right, in some point I dropped that ballast, and plastic push-in connectors broke so I could not use it anymore. At that time I was really sad because of that.

My first HID lamp was a Philips SON 70w (coated HPS). I blew it up because I used no ballast I don't have it any more.

What a coincidence! I did exactly the same thing.. A lesson was learned that afternoon... I was only about 12 I think. 

70W HPS from RAB

Mine was a Westinghouse 70 watt clear BT-25 HPS lamp that came with that plastic brown yardlite from ITT/American Electric, (the one that also had the same fixture in a 100 MV). I dropped and broke it. When we bought the fixture, it was my decision to go with the HPS one because it was a new source back then- what was I thinking? If I had chose the MV fixture, which was cheaper, I might still have had a Westinghouse cleartop BT-25 mercury lamp. The HPS lit our backyard very well for many years.

Here is my first HID light bulb and the gear that I splurged at 1995.

http://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-34669

Mine was a 175w MV in a (I think) Reagent yard blaster back in the '80's when I still lived with my parents. I was about 12 or so when I installed this fixture in our backyard. Unfortunately, I was bit by the HPS bug a couple of years later, so I "upgraded to a 70w HPS yardblaster).

Yeah that 'HPS bug' spread pretty badly.

A 70 watt HPS lamp I found when I was 10 on the ground!