Lighting Experts?

[[XC] Lead Head]

Any lighting experts here? I just acquired 4 Mercury Vapor ballasts + bulbs, and I was looking into swapping out the bulbs with something that has a better color temperature. It really only seems like the Metal Halides have the real selections when it comes to color temperature. I know mercury vapor bulbs can be run on metal halide ballasts, but can metal halide bulbs be run on mercury vapor ballasts?

[ak_47_boy]

http://members.misty.com/don/hidexp.html

Metal halides require a higher starting pulse. A mercury vapor ballast won't be able to start them.

How about a high pressure sodium mercury retrofit?

[[XC] Lead Head]

http://members.misty.com/don/hidexp.html

Metal halides require a higher starting pulse. A mercury vapor ballast won't be able to start them.

How about a high pressure sodium mercury retrofit?

I got the ballasts w/reflectors and 4 extra bulbs for free. The problem is the bulbs seem to have quite a few hours on them. (240 Watts worth of 4ft florescent lights was able to easily over power one of the 400 watt mercury vapor bulbs).

Reading up, I could swap in Metal Halide ballast into the existing fixture (they are quite nice fixtures, with a very nice reflector), or just bite the bullet and buy some new Mercury Vapor bulbs and deal with that green-ish tinge.

These lights will be used in doors, so there is no way I will be tolerating the orange glow of high pressure sodium