HID 35W (DIY project) with separate ignitor and ballast

Marek Id¼kowski wrote:
> Hi everybody
> I am building my dive light (lighthead + canister) based on 35W HELLA
> car kit with d2s bulbs.
> Can I separate ignitor and ballast with 1,3 meter (4,3 ft) (on expand)
> spiral cable (3 wire x 0,75 mm).
> I am planing to put ignitor in to lighthead and ballast with battery
> pack in canister.
> Is it safe for electonic pars of ballast?
> I have heard that sparks between wires in long cables can damage
> sensitive electronic ballast's parts.
> And what about high voltage for human life in sea water during some
> accident (flod, etc.) of headlight.

Try http://www.candlepowerforums.com for the answers to your questions.
Most are designed to have the ballast close to the light itself.

The chance of any injury because of the high voltage is very small. It is
the amperage that is the killer and it is hard to get high amps from small
12 volt batteries.
Most ballasts will shut down if a short occurs and this is most likely to be
across the area where the bulb broke when it got wet.

If you did everything just right you might get a shock that might knock the
regulator out of your mouth but quite frankly I'd be more worried about
shark attacks than any electrical problem. (Actually I'd probably be more
worried about shark attacks in fresh water. It *has* happened...)

In article <cl9g95$sil$1@atlantis.news.tpi.pl>,
lataDELETE_THIS_PART@plusnet.pl says...
> I am building my dive light (lighthead + canister) based on 35W HELLA car
> kit with d2s bulbs.
> Can I separate ignitor and ballast with 1,3 meter (4,3 ft) (on expand)
> spiral cable (3 wire x 0,75 mm).
> I am planing to put ignitor in to lighthead and ballast with battery pack in
> canister.
> Is it safe for electonic pars of ballast?

Dive Rite tried this at first, and had problems that caused them to move
the ballast to the light head. There have been problems in other lights
(10W) that were due to the wires between the ballast and socket. Look
here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hiddivelights/ and ask questions;
they are a very helpful group.

al

Hi everybody
I am building my dive light (lighthead + canister) based on 35W HELLA car
kit with d2s bulbs.
Can I separate ignitor and ballast with 1,3 meter (4,3 ft) (on expand)
spiral cable (3 wire x 0,75 mm).
I am planing to put ignitor in to lighthead and ballast with battery pack in
canister.
Is it safe for electonic pars of ballast?
I have heard that sparks between wires in long cables can damage sensitive
electronic ballast's parts.
And what about high voltage for human life in sea water during some accident
(flod, etc.) of headlight.
Regards
Marek
POLAND

Please write on groups and for my private mail addres:
lataDELETE_THIS_PART@plusnet.pl with subject: HID
becouse I have written on many scuba groups

Marek Id¼kowski wrote:
> Hi everybody
> I am building my dive light (lighthead + canister) based on 35W HELLA
> car kit with d2s bulbs.
> Can I separate ignitor and ballast with 1,3 meter (4,3 ft) (on expand)
> spiral cable (3 wire x 0,75 mm).
> I am planing to put ignitor in to lighthead and ballast with battery
> pack in canister.
> Is it safe for electonic pars of ballast?
> I have heard that sparks between wires in long cables can damage
> sensitive electronic ballast's parts.
> And what about high voltage for human life in sea water during some
> accident (flod, etc.) of headlight.

Try http://www.candlepowerforums.com for the answers to your questions.
Most are designed to have the ballast close to the light itself.

The chance of any injury because of the high voltage is very small. It is
the amperage that is the killer and it is hard to get high amps from small
12 volt batteries.
Most ballasts will shut down if a short occurs and this is most likely to be
across the area where the bulb broke when it got wet.

If you did everything just right you might get a shock that might knock the
regulator out of your mouth but quite frankly I'd be more worried about
shark attacks than any electrical problem. (Actually I'd probably be more
worried about shark attacks in fresh water. It *has* happened...)

In article <cl9g95$sil$1@atlantis.news.tpi.pl>,
lataDELETE_THIS_PART@plusnet.pl says...
> I am building my dive light (lighthead + canister) based on 35W HELLA car
> kit with d2s bulbs.
> Can I separate ignitor and ballast with 1,3 meter (4,3 ft) (on expand)
> spiral cable (3 wire x 0,75 mm).
> I am planing to put ignitor in to lighthead and ballast with battery pack in
> canister.
> Is it safe for electonic pars of ballast?

Dive Rite tried this at first, and had problems that caused them to move
the ballast to the light head. There have been problems in other lights
(10W) that were due to the wires between the ballast and socket. Look
here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hiddivelights/ and ask questions;
they are a very helpful group.

al