HID tester?

[98falstaff]

Hello. I saw an ad for an H.I.D. tester in the back of EC&M magazine. It's supposed to tell if the lamp, ballast, starter, or cap. is bad. Seems this would save some money and time. Has anyone used one of these? How are they? What brands and type are the best? Thanks.

 

[hillbilly1]

I had one of the lamp testers, the one that has the antenna that you touched to the lamp, did not work too well, also had one of those ballast testers that screw into the socket and you used your amp clamp with it. Quality was not that good, after a couple of uses the solder joint broke loose in the base, and it quit working.

 

[480sparky]

Greenlee Gas Lamp Tester, #5715. They do work, but when it comes to anything other than fluorescent, I replace the bulb, ballast, capacitor, ignitor, starter, and whatever else is in the fixture.

 

[Cow]

Get a copy of the "open circuit voltage table" in the troubleshooting guide at the Advance ballast website. Check voltage at lamp socket, compare to table values, and replace ballast if necessary. Replacing individual parts leads to callbacks and angry customers.

 

[EBFD6]

but when it comes to anything other than fluorescent, I replace the bulb, ballast, capacitor, ignitor, starter, and whatever else is in the fixture.

Ditto

When repairing HID lighting, I replace the lamp first, if it still doesn't light I replace everything.

 

[480sparky]

Ditto

When repairing HID lighting, I replace the lamp first, if it still doesn't light I replace everything.

If I'm on a ladder, yes. Bucket truck, everything.

 

[electricalperson]

if its a metal hilide fixture you can use a DMM to troubleshoot it. HPS i would use a known good lamp first and if that doesnt come on then im replacing the cap,ignitor and transformer. i have the beha gas lamp tester but i just bought it on ebay just to see if it worked and it works ok

 

[electricalperson]

here is a troubleshooting guide you can print outhttp://www.advancetransformer.com/uploads/resources/hid-troubleshooting-guide.pdf

 

[480sparky]

here is a troubleshooting guide you can print outhttp://www.advancetransformer.com/uploads/resources/hid-troubleshooting-guide.pdf

It's also available in booklet form. Try asking your supply house (if they carry Advance products) for their rep to leave some. They're super-handy to have in the truck.

 

[electricalperson]

It's also available in booklet form. Try asking your supply house (if they carry Advance products) for their rep to leave some. They're super-handy to have in the truck.

i have one that i had since i was a young padawan. i want to get a new one but i didnt know they still made them

 

[480sparky]

i have one that i had since i was a young padawan. i want to get a new one but i didnt know they still made them

Look closely at the page numbers on the .pdf. Not the Adobe pages, but the page numbers on the document itself. The .pdf file says it has 27 pages, but the document itself has 50+.

 

[quogueelectric]

I have a gas lamp tester that lives in my truck I actually saw it wed nite and flipped it into the lock box I will see it in a few years as It has lived in my truck since 1987 and I used it twice.

 

[ptonsparky]

My help won a tester at a supply house drawing. We both thought "Cool". Don't think it has ever been used.

HPS fixture? Replace everything or if it is all alone on the wall, talk them into a new Metal Halide.

 

[A/A Fuel GTX]

Hello. I saw an ad for an H.I.D. tester in the back of EC&M magazine. It's supposed to tell if the lamp, ballast, starter, or cap. is bad. Seems this would save some money and time. Has anyone used one of these? How are they? What brands and type are the best? Thanks.

You are talking about the tester from DDE, Inc. I bought two of them, one for medium based and on for mogul based lamps. I like the concept in being able to screw one of these testers in and get an instant diagnosis however the testers didn't work as advertised and I returned them. I got a complete refund and was told I would be contacted when they got the bugs worked out. Still waiting..........

 

[electricalperson]

You are talking about the tester from DDE, Inc. I bought two of them, one for medium based and on for mogul based lamps. I like the concept in being able to screw one of these testers in and get an instant diagnosis however the testers didn't work as advertised and I returned them. I got a complete refund and was told I would be contacted when they got the bugs worked out. Still waiting..........

i think all those HID testers are a bunch of nonsense. i like the beha one just for the novelty of it but i still use my DMM. best way to troubleshoot a ballast is to stick a known good lamp in the socket. if it lights the lamp was burned out if it doesnt check for voltage and if no voltage replace everything inside. dont go messing around changing capacitors or ignitors or all that crap just replace it all. i wont waste my money on those testers again