calvin,

You can download the latest catalogs from Advance Transformer and find information on the required ballasts(M142/M102E):

For electronic ballasts, check page #4-6 in catalog:
http://www.advancetransformer.com/uploads/resources/Section_4.pdf

For magnetic ballasts, check page #5-17 in catalog:
http://www.advancetransformer.com/uploads/resources/Section_5.pdf

The Advance site is an excellent resource, with very good informational brochures.

A medium socket IS the same size as standard incandescent lamp, but you need to buy special one for an HID bulb - a ceramic-encased socket rated at 4000kV.

zink

Calvin,

Please excuse my last recommendation. I used the figure 4000kV, which is WAY TOO HIGH. I meant to say either 4kv, or 4000v. I don't think I would want to be near a bulb that required 4 MILLION volts to initiate ionization (that's what 4000kV would be). Maybe Nikola Tesla would brave it, but not myself. That would create one large spark!

At least after the current begins to flow, the voltage drops to only a couple of hundred volts (measured open circuit).

Zink

Thanks for the reply Zink. So for the socket, I'm assuming that I can get these special ceramic encased sockets at Home Depot? Or do they need to be specially rated? I will check around Home Depot this weekend to see if they have rated for 4kv

I am also looking at some kits from prolighting - when they say 'mounting hardware included' does that mean that hte socket is included?

Calvin,

"I am also looking at some kits from prolighting - when they say 'mounting hardware included' does that mean that hte socket is included?"
That "hte socket" you refer to must mean a High Tension Electrical socket. Just kidding! But that would be an appropriate term for such a socket. To answer your question, I have no idea what their mounting hardware includes.

I do know that Home Depot does NOT carry the larger, high-voltage Mogul Base sockets which are used in HID fixtures, but I don't know about a Medium Base socket. They do need to be rated at some higher voltage, usually several thousand. I have gotten the larger Mogul Base sockets from local electrical supply or lighting outlets.

If you need Mogul sockets, you can look for light poles which have been knocked down by automobiles. I have extracted several Mogul sockets (and ballasts) from such tragedies. Your local utility company is likely to trash damaged fixtures anyhow, so recycle them if you can. Your tax or utility bill money paid for them.

Zink

So I just got my Philips Ceramic Metal Halide ED-17 MHC/150/U/4K Bulb and I was reading another thread here and it seems that I was confused and I'm not supposed to be getting a magnetic ballast after all, but rather, a pulse-start electronic ballast. Zink - I saw your post about MH references and I'm going to check it out because I'm completely confused now....while I want to just get a ready built plug and play ballast, I'm too poor to do that so I think I need to go with the kit idea...and I've seen a good link I think from object16 that tells you how to wire the thing so that should be okay.

The bulb says 'universal' operating position..does that mean that it can't be mounted horizontally?

I will need to do some more research on what exactly I need - I never knew this was so complicated! That's a good idea about getting stuff from utility companies but I don't think I know enough about this to be able to tell them what I want. :S

As for the socket, I thought mogul sockets were bigger than medium ones...? or is a mogul socket the same as that special ceramic-encased socket you were talking about before?

Thanks for all the help - I'm good with plants and I'm good with biology but I just seem to get stupid when it comes to electronics.

-Calvin

(Lermer) This bulb can be powered by either magnetic (MH) or electronic ballast. Generally the electronic are better.

"universal" means it can operate horizontally or vertically.

Medium base sockets are the same size as standard light sockets, mogul base sockets are bigger base.