Is there anything at all ( I tried every lead possable) to operate a 50 W GE Mercury vapor bulb. Is this a loss cause?

On 5/19/2023 11:26 PM, Russell Brand wrote:
>
>
> Is there anything at all ( I tried every lead possable) to operate a 50 W GE Mercury vapor bulb. Is this a loss cause?
>
>
Do you have a proper fixture with a ballast?

What is the function ballast on mercury Vapour lamp?
Ballasts are used to initiate and control the arc in mercury and metal
additive curing lamps. Ballasts provide an instantaneous high voltage to
strike the elements within a mercury vapor lamp, creating a plasma that,
once initiated, is sustained by the ballast.

On 5/19/2023 11:47 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 5/19/2023 11:26 PM, Russell Brand wrote:
>>
>>
>> Is there anything at all ( I tried every  lead possable) to operate a
>> 50 W GE  Mercury vapor bulb. Is this a loss cause?
>>
>>
> Do you have a proper fixture with a ballast?
>
> What is the function ballast on mercury Vapour lamp?
> Ballasts are used to initiate and control the arc in mercury and metal
> additive curing lamps. Ballasts provide an instantaneous high voltage
> to strike the elements within a mercury vapor lamp, creating a plasma
> that, once initiated, is sustained by the ballast.

High power ones are usually for greenhouses, but 50W is mostly likely
for lizard solarium. Many of such low power mercury vapour lamps don't
require external ballast. Just search Amazon or some pet shop website.
If the bulb has normal screw thread like a regular light bulb, then most
likely it doesn't require a ballast. Get a light fixture with ceramic
socket because these bulbs are very hot. Normal plastic socket will
melt. If you cannot find light fixture with ceramic socket from Home
Depot, then try pet shops that sell reptiles.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ceramic+reptile+heat+lamp+holder

On 5/19/2023 9:47 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 5/19/2023 11:26 PM, Russell Brand wrote:
>>
>>
>> Is there anything at all ( I tried every  lead possable) to operate a
>> 50 W GE  Mercury vapor bulb. Is this a loss cause?
>>
>>
> Do you have a proper fixture with a ballast?
>
> What is the function ballast on mercury Vapour lamp?
> Ballasts are used to initiate and control the arc in mercury and metal
> additive curing lamps. Ballasts provide an instantaneous high voltage to
> strike the elements within a mercury vapor lamp, creating a plasma that,
> once initiated, is sustained by the ballast.

Arc discharge lamps - mercury, high/low pressure sodium, fluorescent,
neon - basically operate at constant current. They don't like constant
voltage supply. A ballast (and neon sign transformer) provide much more
of a constant current supply than constant voltage. High voltage pulse
start is particularly important with high pressure sodium.

Almost no information was provided about the lamp. Where did it come
from. Lighting, sun tan, grow lite, .... Part number.