The Importance of Ballasts in HID Kits
We've all seen them. HID conversion is the hot topic in the motoring circles. Not only do they offer 3-4 times more power than halogen bulbs but they use less electricity and last 10 times longer than the old filament type bulbs.
What is an HID headlight then? The high intensity discharge light is a sealed glass tube which contains inert gas such as Xenon, tungsten electrodes and is powered by the car's electrical system via a ballast which controls the amount of current running towards the bulb. The electrodes have a spark jumping (arcing) across them and in the environment of the gas, this creates the light.
The different bulbs which are available work at different temperatures (measured by the heat range or Kelvin). Between 5,000-8,000K the light emitted is similar to sunlight, higher heat ranges will give a more crystal white to a blue tinge when you reach 10,000+K.
There are normally three different types of ballasts available in HID Xenon conversion kits. There are electronic, magnetic and digital ballasts. Even though HIDs are fairly a new technology which everyone is starting to upgrade their car with, the advancement in ballasts have also changed. Magnetic ones were used first, which were then controlled by electrical current then to the digital ones, which are commonly described as being the most stable and reliable. The last thing you want is the ballast failing as this will destroy the bulbs because the electrical current will no longer be controlled.
The digital ballast runs at a higher frequency than the other two ballasts. This means it has a higher performance but also uses less power, similar to the difference between halogen and HID bulbs.
One thing is for sure, HIDs are the way forward for lighting in your car or truck. No more dull lights from yellowing halogens, only cool, white or blue lights from high intensity discharge lamps.
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