Found a HID ballast? Take a look here!

[Vince]

All HID ballasts follow the ANSI code which wants to mark a code on every ballast to make identification of wattage and type of lamp easier. Here's a list of the ANSI codes with their corresponding wattage.

P.S.: This list is obviously not complete. Just contact us and we'll add any new code  

Mercury vapor:

H33: 400W
H36: 1000W
H37: 250W
H38: 100W
H39: 175W
H43: 75W (to confirm)
H44: 100/125W
H45: 40W
H46: 50W

*Note: All mercury vapor lamps have an Open Circuit Voltage of 225 - 300V, except 700W and 1000W ones which have a higher OCV (around 450 - 500V)

High pressure sodium:

S50: 250W
S51: 400W
S52: 1000W
S54: 100W
S55: 150W (55V)
S56: 150W (100V)
S62: 70W
S66: 200W
S68: 50W
S76: 35W

Metal Halide (PS = Pulse Start):

1000w: M47 (PS)
1500w: M48 (PS)
250w: M58 (PS)
20w: M175
22w : M130
35/39w: M130
50w: M110
70w: M98
100w: M90
150w: M102
175w: M57
175w: M152 (PS)
200w: M136
250w: M153
320w: M154
350w: M131
360w: M165
400w: M59 (PS)
400w: M155
450w: M144
750w: M149
875w: M166
1000w: M141
1650w: M112 (PS)

Low pressure sodium:

18W: L69
35W: L70
55W: L71
90W: L72
135W: L73
180W: L74

[rjluna2]

There is M90 for 100W MH.

[Vince]

Thanks, I'm still completing this list as of now. 

[Medved]

If you are browsing trough specs, you might add electrical characteristics (most important are: lamp current, ignitor yes/no and how many kV peak, expected arc voltage, OCV for lead and lag types, etc...), they would become handy, if someone want to find replacement (e.g. use some MH ballast to power MV lamp, ballast for foreign lamp,...)

[Jace the Gull]

Just like a 150 watt 100 Volt HPS will work on a MH 150 watt ballast...and I think vice versa..not sure..

[FGS]

[Medved]

Are not all MH's 150W and below pulse start only?

[A_lights]

Below 150W is pulse start only, some even use lower voltage or "cheap" ignitors which is not true pulse start. , and they have a 10 Min restrike time.  And probe start in 150W is M107, which is made!

[Medved]

Other question came to my mind: What is the difference between M98 vs  M95 (or M90 vs M91, M102 vs M81, etc)? As far as i know, double vs single ended lamps have the same electrical spec and here (in Europe) are operated on the same ballasts (along with HPS of the same wattage).
Or the "double ended" ballasts (M95, M91, M81,...) do have higher ignition voltage for hot restrike capability (allowed on double-ended lamps)?

[Vince]

It's actually like standard 100W mercury lamps (H38) ans PAR38 100W mercury vapor spotlights (H44 I think), they are electrically the same, but somehow the ANSI gave them their own separate ballast.

[Medved]

It's actually like standard 100W mercury lamps (H38) ans PAR38 100W mercury vapor spotlights (H44 I think), they are electrically the same, but somehow the ANSI gave them their own separate ballast.

Doesn't the H38 deliver 0.95A (originally for 100W) and H44 1.15A (for 125W)?

[Vince]

I don't know the ANSI code for the PAR38 mercury lamp (I thought it was H44), but those are electrically similar to any 100W mercury lamp.

[Medved]

I thought this ANSI coding system describe only electrical parameters of the ballast<->lamp interface (current vs voltage characteristics, ignition pulse voltage and energy,...), not any bulb shape or so...

It does not mean, then some 100W MV could not be designed for 1.15A arc current, so need H44 ballast (in the PAR assembly this would allow shorter and thicker arc, so more efficient optic, but i don't know the exact spec of the MV 100W PAR you mentioned).

[A_lights]

so would it be okay to use a westy lifeguard that specifies H4,H38,and H44 on a 100w MH ballast wtithout ignitor?  What is the H4 ballast? I think it could be a 80 or 90W ballast.

[Medved]

If it specify H38, then yes...