Author Topic: 100 watt mercury lamp not running up fully  (Read 6320 times)
Mr. Orthosilicate
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Re: 100 watt mercury lamp not running up fully « Reply #15 on: March 31, 2020, 05:23:43 PM » Author: Mr. Orthosilicate
Test results:
Using the 10 MFD cap I was originally using:
Warmup time: 30 minutes
Final arc voltage: Hovered around 91-95 volts

I also found out that another cap from my 175 watt MH fixture was also 10 MFD. Its test results were:
Warmup time: 25-30 minutes
Final arc voltage: 98 volts

I also looked it up and the running arc voltage of 100 watt mercury lamps is supposed to be 115 volts.

The correct voltage for a 100w mercury lamp is actually nominally 130v, the minimum being 115v and the maximum being 145v. 

Try checking the line voltage you’re using to power the lamp, a CWA ballast can adjust for +/- 10% voltage variation, but the lamp power would be affected if the line voltage further off than that.

The other possibility is that the lamp is defective (Sunlite lamps are a generic brand to my knowledge), or that the ballast itself is bad. Get an ac multimeter and check to see that the OCV, short circuit current, and other parameters on the label are within spec.
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Bottled lightning
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Re: 100 watt mercury lamp not running up fully « Reply #16 on: April 07, 2020, 02:22:00 PM » Author: Bottled lightning
Try a 100w 120v incandescent bulb, it should light slightly brighter than normal and a 150w should light dimly.  I have a couple of cheap lamps that behave the same way.
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