Now let me start off by saying that I have no intention of operating a
175W MV lamp with the envelope smashed as the guy does in the video
you're about to see, but....

What fascinates me is that he seems to ignite and operate the MV lamp
without a ballast using a standard incandescent and capacitor. The
incandescent looks like it is wired in series with the bulb and the
capacitor in parallel. Here is where he explains it in the video:

https://youtu.be/WjKkgkbRSgY?t=73

The question is, I don't have a ballast either and I would like to try
out a standard 175 W MV lamp in my backyard briefly before investing in
a standard ballast. How would I go about calculating incandescent size
and capacitance? In the video, he is using 20 uF, but I think that's
for a much larger bulb if I'm not mistaken. Thanks.

On Sunday, 26 January 2020 01:52:37 UTC, J-J wrote:
Now let me start off by saying that I have no intention of operating a
175W MV lamp with the envelope smashed as the guy does in the video
you're about to see, but....

What fascinates me is that he seems to ignite and operate the MV lamp
without a ballast using a standard incandescent and capacitor. The
incandescent looks like it is wired in series with the bulb and the
capacitor in parallel. Here is where he explains it in the video:

https://youtu.be/WjKkgkbRSgY?t=73

The question is, I don't have a ballast either and I would like to try
out a standard 175 W MV lamp in my backyard briefly before investing in
a standard ballast. How would I go about calculating incandescent size
and capacitance? In the video, he is using 20 uF, but I think that's
for a much larger bulb if I'm not mistaken. Thanks.

he uses a lightbulb as ballast to limit current. No cap that I saw.


NT

On 1/26/20 5:44 AM, wrote:
On Sunday, 26 January 2020 01:52:37 UTC, J-J wrote:
Now let me start off by saying that I have no intention of operating a
175W MV lamp with the envelope smashed as the guy does in the video
you're about to see, but....

What fascinates me is that he seems to ignite and operate the MV lamp
without a ballast using a standard incandescent and capacitor. The
incandescent looks like it is wired in series with the bulb and the
capacitor in parallel. Here is where he explains it in the video:

https://youtu.be/WjKkgkbRSgY?t=73

The question is, I don't have a ballast either and I would like to try
out a standard 175 W MV lamp in my backyard briefly before investing in
a standard ballast. How would I go about calculating incandescent size
and capacitance? In the video, he is using 20 uF, but I think that's
for a much larger bulb if I'm not mistaken. Thanks.

he uses a lightbulb as ballast to limit current. No cap that I saw.


So the little blue round object at the bottom left of screen is not a
capacitor? Sure looks like it with the two posts sticking up from it,
but maybe not.

On 1/26/20 3:09 PM, J-J wrote:
On 1/26/20 5:44 AM, wrote:
On Sunday, 26 January 2020 01:52:37 UTC, J-JÂ* wrote:
Now let me start off by saying that I have no intention of operating a
175W MV lamp with the envelope smashed as the guy does in the video
you're about to see, but....

What fascinates me is that he seems to ignite and operate the MV lamp
without a ballast using a standard incandescent and capacitor.Â* The
incandescent looks like it is wired in series with the bulb and the
capacitor in parallel.Â* Here is where he explains it in the video:

https://youtu.be/WjKkgkbRSgY?t=73

The question is, I don't have a ballast either and I would like to try
out a standard 175 W MV lamp in my backyard briefly before investing in
a standard ballast.Â* How would I go about calculating incandescent size
and capacitance?Â* In the video, he is using 20 uF, but I think that's
for a much larger bulb if I'm not mistaken.Â* Thanks.

he uses a lightbulb as ballast to limit current. No cap that I saw.


So the little blue round object at the bottom left of screen is not a
capacitor?Â* Sure looks like it with the two posts sticking up from it,
but maybe not.


Never mind, I guess that's the plug for the incandescent bulb. It seems
like that's all he has in series with the MV lamp then, an incandescent
bulb to act as ballast. Any more details on this would be appreciated.

On Sunday, 26 January 2020 20:11:41 UTC, J-J wrote:
On 1/26/20 3:09 PM, J-J wrote:
On 1/26/20 5:44 AM, tabbypurr wrote:
On Sunday, 26 January 2020 01:52:37 UTC, J-JÂ* wrote:

Now let me start off by saying that I have no intention of operating a
175W MV lamp with the envelope smashed as the guy does in the video
you're about to see, but....

What fascinates me is that he seems to ignite and operate the MV lamp
without a ballast using a standard incandescent and capacitor.Â* The
incandescent looks like it is wired in series with the bulb and the
capacitor in parallel.Â* Here is where he explains it in the video:

https://youtu.be/WjKkgkbRSgY?t=73

The question is, I don't have a ballast either and I would like to try
out a standard 175 W MV lamp in my backyard briefly before investing in
a standard ballast.Â* How would I go about calculating incandescent size
and capacitance?Â* In the video, he is using 20 uF, but I think that's
for a much larger bulb if I'm not mistaken.Â* Thanks.

he uses a lightbulb as ballast to limit current. No cap that I saw.


So the little blue round object at the bottom left of screen is not a
capacitor?Â* Sure looks like it with the two posts sticking up from it,
but maybe not.


Never mind, I guess that's the plug for the incandescent bulb. It seems
like that's all he has in series with the MV lamp then, an incandescent
bulb to act as ballast. Any more details on this would be appreciated.

the only other detail one could add is that the discharge is snaking. IIRC, and can't be sure, that comes from underrunning the discharge, which often affects lamp life.

He makes the mistake of opening the window: let the ozone do its job.


NT

On Sunday, January 26, 2020 at 4:34:49 PM UTC-5, wrote:


He makes the mistake of opening the window: let the ozone do its job.

Sufficient atmospheric ozone to kill bacteria by exposure will pretty much destroy any rubber materials, attack many plastics, harm many plants and much worse.

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quali...d-air-cleaners

Further to this, so-called "air cleaners" based on ozone are very similar to bug-zappers. They do not work, they can (and often do) cause harm and are generally worthless.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

On 26/01/2020 02:52, J-J wrote:
Now let me start off by saying that I have no intention of operating a
175W MV lamp with the envelope smashed as the guy does in the video
you're about to see, but....

What fascinates me is that he seems to ignite and operate the MV lamp
without a ballast using a standard incandescent and capacitor.Â* The
incandescent looks like it is wired in series with the bulb and the
capacitor in parallel.Â* Here is where he explains it in the video:

https://youtu.be/WjKkgkbRSgY?t=73

The question is, I don't have a ballast either and I would like to try
out a standard 175 W MV lamp in my backyard briefly before investing in
a standard ballast.Â* How would I go about calculating incandescent size
and capacitance?Â* In the video, he is using 20 uF, but I think that's
for a much larger bulb if I'm not mistaken.Â* Thanks.
The capacitor is here to correct the power factor of the ballast.
For a test it is not necessary.
For a 125W lamp it is an 8 µF.
I used one of those lamps for lighting in the early ages of
amateur video.
It took several minutes to reach normal brightness.
Today with LED they are useless.
Even with their envelope intact those lamps are not designed to
be looked at at close range .
Use of sun glasses is a good idea.