China manufacturer of magnetic ballasts for metal halide flood lights & hps flood lights

 A metal halide lamp’s starting requirements are important because they impact the type of ballast that the lamp requires. Two methods are used to start MH lamps: probe start (standard start) and pulse start. Probe start refers to the method used to ignite the arc in the arc tube. A traditional or probe start metal halide lamp has three electrodes – two for maintaining the arc and a third internal starting electrode, or probe. A high open circuit voltage from the magnetic ballast initiates an arc between the starting electrode and the operating electrode at one end of the arc tube. Once the lamp reaches full output, a bi-metallic switch closes to short out the probe, thereby discontinuing the starting arc.

Metal halide lamps are a type of HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamp; mercury vapor and high-pressure sodium lamps are also HID lamps. However, mercury vapor and sodium lamps are not typically used in the reef hobby but are widely used in the horticulture industry.

Most applications, including factories, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and gymnasiums, will use a standard magnetic core and coil ballast. Their high heat tolerance and wide array of voltages and configurations make core and coil the most popular of metal halide ballasts. To aid in installation and reduce labor costs, almost all core and coil ballasts we carry include pre-wired capacitors and (in the case of pulse start metal halide ballasts) pre-wired ignitors.

Though versatile and inexpensive, core and coil ballasts aren't the right choice for every application due to their weight, size, and noise levels. This makes f-can metal halide ballasts the best choice for indoor downlighting in offices, schools, and retail. All components of f-can ballasts are enclosed within a fluorescent ballast style housing that is insulated to reduce noise.