70w Sodium Outdoor Light and Internal/external Ignitors ?

Andy From Sligo

Hi there I ordered a Light fitting off ebay a 70w Sodium (SON) one comnplete with Bulb. When I got it I saw label and it said use 70w Son-E bulb, Fair enough most son fittings these days require internal ignitors in the bulb but this one must have an external ignitor inside the fitting and fair enough I looked into the inside of the bulb supplied with the fitting and there is no ignitor inside it. So I undone the reflector and the gear was underneath. However all that is there is a 70w Magnetic Ballast and a Power corrector Capacitor - no Ignitor! - unless the magnetic ballast already has the ignitor built in but I must admit I have never heard of a Magnetic Ballast with a built in Ignitor - I have heard of Electronic Ballasts with built in Ignitors. Any ideas from any electricians or anyone who knows about HPS sodium lighting? - I just want to check before I wire it up! am going to try and add a pic of the inside of this fitting to this post.

tomdempsey200

ya wrong bulb.

Andy From Sligo

ah right - what happens if you put a external ignitor bulb in a fitting with no ignitor - does it just not light?, or is there a big bang and damage to cap or ballast? - i mean im not gonna do that i will just get a lamp with internal igniter but im just intruged as to what would happen?

tomdempsey200

dunno looks to be wrong bulb alright

been a while but i used to maintain them

the cheaper fittings would be son-I bulbs usually and just cap+ballast in fitting


is that a metal fitting then? looks to be

Andy From Sligo

tomdempsey200 wrote: »

dunno looks to be wrong bulb alright

been a while but i used to maintain them

the cheaper fittings would be son-I bulbs usually and just cap+ballast in fitting


is that a metal fitting then? looks to be

Yeah its kind of like a die-cast metal, I thought it would be plastic - got it off ebay uk for only 29 quid - good price

tomdempsey200

it's only ok tbh

i'd prefer the plastic myself for the domestic market



30 something euro if i recall for basic floodlight at wholesalers


you'd bring your bulb straight back and get it swapped..

Andy From Sligo

tomdempsey200 wrote: »

it's only ok tbh

i'd prefer the plastic myself for the domestic market



30 something euro if i recall for basic floodlight at wholesalers


you'd bring your bulb straight back and get it swapped..

30 something and a lot more at our local electrical factors for a 70w son and that would be a flood not a wall washer - one like this I reckon would be 80 to 100euro no problem, thats why I say this one was cheap from ebay

indie armada

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

30 something and a lot more at our local electrical factors for a 70w son and that would be a flood not a wall washer - one like this I reckon would be 80 to 100euro no problem, thats why I say this one was cheap from ebay

In fairness, you only have about 3 wholesalers to choose from in sligo, and they probably keep the same fittings as each other, at the same price.
That said, the fitting pictured above is really really poor quality and looks like a junior cert project. Good quality fittings can be got locally if you look hard enough.

Andy From Sligo

indie armada wrote: »

In fairness, you only have about 3 wholesalers to choose from in sligo, and they probably keep the same fittings as each other, at the same price.
That said, the fitting pictured above is really really poor quality and looks like a junior cert project. Good quality fittings can be got locally if you look hard enough.

What you on about its made by aurora lighting one of the best well known brands you can get! - admittedly it dont look professionally made LOL http://gb.auroralighting.com

I only know of 2 electrical factors in Sligo Cliffords and CT Electrics ... whats the 3rd one?

indie armada

CT electric in finisklin, part of the kelihers group and there is derry taheny in lynns dock also.
ive never sold or have been asked for any of aurora's industrial lighting, and i can see why.
In that whole area of lighting, you do get what you pay for.

Andy From Sligo

indie armada wrote: »

CT electric in finisklin, part of the kelihers group and there is derry taheny in lynns dock also.
ive never sold or have been asked for any of aurora's industrial lighting, and i can see why.
In that whole area of lighting, you do get what you pay for.

Retails (or Retailed) apparently at 115 uk pounds. - ah yes, forgot about dery taheny down by the docks.

Andy From Sligo

Haha funny how my Original Question was 'is this the right lamp for the fitting?' and now its ended up with people dissing the make of the light fitting...

Andy From Sligo

The most strangest thing I put the lamp that was supplied with the fitting in today and it Lit even though there is definitely no igniter inside the bulb and no Igniter in the fitting itself, just a magnetic ballast and a Capacitor - I was expecting it not to light without an igniter...

tomdempsey200

it prob has internal igniter..

i think i was confused originally...i think the SON-T and SON-E on the package describes the bulb shape
ie:elliptical or tubular

http://www.lamps2udirect.com/high-low-pressure-sodium-bulbs/70-watt-elliptical-sodium-bulb-with-internal-ignitor/890

i think the marking on the lamp itself (if any) tells you if there's igniter

indie armada works in wholesale i think..he will know

indie armada

If the lamp is a son i, it will have the letter i inside a little triangle or circle on the glass.
Son lamps with integral ignitors are usually eliptical, either 50 or 70 watts with an es base.
They do exist in Tubular with an e40(ges) cap but they are usually 250/400 watt.

Andy From Sligo

I have just taken a photo of the bulb that lit up ok in the fitting. The bulb has not got <i> in a triangle stamped on the bulb and the fitting has no igniter in situ. The bulb is frosted white so I had to take the picture looking down from the screw base at the clear glass bit. You can clearly see the bulb has no igniter in it otherwise you would see where the prongs are a round glass/silver capsule at the prong area and sometimes a little tiny ceramic resistor as well. No, this bulb has certainly got no igniter inside it.

bunderoon

Sorry for the asking this here but I am new to boards.ie and ye may be the people to answer this.

I have two driveway lights (I think they are Thorn Gamma 6)

And both would have SON-E bulbs.

One light comes on white, turns orange then after 30 secs for about 30 secs and then cuts out completely. This cycle then repeats after a few mins. This cycle stops then after 2 -3 times. I am wondering if its the bulb or mechanisms.

The other had a major water leak and tripped the circuit so I removed it's connection so the other lights I have, would work.
I don't think I can attach Pics.

My question is - If you replace a SON-E with a SON-I, can you do away with all the inards or does SON-I bulbs require some sort of ballast / circuitry.

Thanks in advanced.

Andy From Sligo

bunderoon wrote:

My question is - If you replace a SON-E with a SON-I, can you do away with all the inards or does SON-I bulbs require some sort of ballast / circuitry.

I'm no expert and one of the others will most probably be more qualified to answer but even with SON-i you will need a magnetic ballast at least and for power correctness a capacitor in the unit too. If you tried to run a son-i without ballast you most probably trip a rcd or blow a fuse. There is a 80w sodium lamp you can run straight off the mains but it gives out white colour. I think it's called MBTL , a trade electrical wholesaler would have them. By the way SON-E just means it's an elliptical shape bulb, not that it runs on external ignitor