Electronics - Running HID lights from PC power supply
Submitted: Wednesday, Aug 15, 2012 at 16:38
ThreadID:
97430
Views:
3446
Replies:
5
FollowUps:
7
This Thread has been Archived
ss--ss
G'day , this is probably not the
forum for it but I've received a lot of advice here from people who are fairly knowledgeable in electronics etc so giving it a shot.
I've got two HID 55W globes with Ballasts that I'm trying to power with a computer switchmode power supply. When I
test the HID lights off a battery they work
well & I measure 9.5 amps drawn for the two of them. When I connect to a PC power supply on the +12v rail it lights up for about 30 seconds then shuts down & needs to be unplugged to try again. The PC power supply is 400 Watts with 17amps on the +12v ..
I tried 2 power supplies (300W & 400W) & both doing the same thing.. One thing I did notice is when I turn it on it starts at 12v then slowly drops to 8V then dies..
I'm going to try get my hands on a higher rated PS but thought I'd ask the question here incase someone knows
Thxs Don
Reply By: The Bantam - Wednesday, Aug 15, 2012 at 18:02
Wednesday, Aug 15, 2012 at 18:02
As has been said for a number of reasons computer power supplies unmodified do not make good bench supplies, particularly the later ones.
PC supplies have very little surge capacity and they are designed to run lots of little loads.
Additionally many switchmode power supplies do not like running with outputs unloaded
Also I would have thaught to have any hope of sucess you would be better off looking at AT supplies with a mechanical power switch rather than ATX supplies with a fly by wire power switching system.
BUT....then ya looking as uncommon high power supples, some of the early At supplies where only 150 watts all up.
If ya trying to run HIDs of 240v mains, what ya doing is a round about way of getting the result...reinventing the wheel so to speak.
ya probably beter off doing some homework and getting an archtrual or projection balast to do the job.
what are you trying to achieve?
cheers
AnswerID:
492935