Satco Products HID Lamps manual HID Basics, How It Works, Burning, Positions positions, Fact

Temperature (CCT).

FACT:

Colors are created by using different arc tube designs and changing the mixture of chemicals within the tube.

HID Basics

HOW IT WORKS

The operational concept behind HID lamps is very similar to that of fluorescent lamps. Electrodes are positioned at either end of a tube, whose chamber is filled with gas and metals such as mercury. An electrical charge passes from one electrode to the other. In fluorescent lamps, this charge creates ultraviolet (UV) light, which converts to visible light once it passes through the phosphors on the tube’s interior.

In an HID lamp, the electrical arc, gasses and metals are contained in what is known as the arc tube. The arc tube is made from either quartz (used in mercury vapor and metal halide lamps) or transparent ceramic (used in high-pressure sodium lamps because of their high temperature). All arc tubes are housed within a larger outer glass envelope.

Unlike fluorescent lamps, the arc tube of HID lamps is filled with gas at a very high rate of pressure (up to 50 psi). This allows the electrical arc created by the electrodes to operate in the visible part of the spectrum, producing usable light without the addition of phosphors.

Like fluorescents, HID lamps require a ballast to control the electrical current in the arc tube. Certain HID lamps also require an ignitor, which produces a high voltage to pulse the arc tube, allowing the arc to strike.

Visible Light

Electrode

Arc Tube Filled with Gasses & Metals

Starting Electrode (Probe)

The biggest difference in HID lamps is the fact that they need a start-up time to reach their full brightness. This usually takes five to 10 minutes, during which time the lamp will flicker until the metal inside fully vaporizes and the lamp reaches is full operating temperature.

	Burning	position to achieve targeted life
		Certain HID lamps have been
		designed to operate in a specific
approximately 100 hours before the lamp will	Positions positions
New HID lamps require a “burn in” period of		or performance goals. These
		examples illustrate these burning

reach its true specified color. Until this process is
completed, lamps can be unstable and vary in		Vertical	Vertical		Vertical
color.
		BU-HOR	BD-ONLY		BU-ONLY
As HID lamps age, chemical changes occur that					15º 15º
cause color shifting. The shifts vary depending
	on the lamp type.
FACT:	Standard probe start		105º
	lamps tend to shift
HID lamp color is	color about twice as
rated in kelvins and	much as pulse start		15º	15º
is reffered to as its	lamps. Results vary
Correlated Color	from lamp to lamp.

It is recommended to conduct a group relamping once it is determined that a lamp or group of lamps is changing color or failing. This way, the area being illuminated will main- tain an even balance of color and light.

Universal	Horizontal		Double Ended
U	HOR			HOR
	15º	15º	4º	4º
	15º	15º	4º	4º