Which HID Ballast is Best?

   With the popularity of hid xenon lights, more and more drivers upgrade their lights from halogen bulbs to xenon bulbs.  Both of HID xenon lamps and hid ballast are important parts, all related to the actual effect of car lights upgrade. But the performance of xenon lamps more apparent than hid ballasts, some car owners ignore the importance of xenon ballasts.

   Ballast is the core of drive hid xenon lamps, which is essential part. In additional ,it also play a role that protect the entire system, the quality determines the life ,safety and whether flicker of your headlights, Choose good quality hid ballast, it is related to the issue of car headlamp brightness, even more important relate to the night drive safety. So serious, then how to choose good ballasts?

  

    Choose good ballast, at first, we need know the working principle of ballast.

 

   The main function of hid ballast is put original 12 Voltage instant raise to 23000 Voltage,using high intensity voltage active hid bulbs xenon, a strong light is generated between the two poles so that the light achieve high illumination. Frankly, it like a small transformer, ballasts produced by different manufactuers, but share the same working principle. When we select ballasts, mainly depends on its stability, high stable ballast with the feature of quick start, anti-interference. Poor stable ballast easy to failure, some of cars lights flicker after upgrade xenon headlights. That is because of ballasts bad at stability,  the voltage up and down, can not continuously light on the xenon gas .

  

Then how to tell the stability of hid xenon ballasts? we need know the important components of ballast, there are capacitors, MOS tube, transformer, high voltage bag and discharge tube. The quality of those components directly related to the stability of ballasts. You think about it, when you drive at night, one of components failure, suddenly burn out, the headlights do not light on, it is dark night, harsh brake noise, scream mixed together, then bang… this soul-stirring moment you never want to experience again.

The ballast circuit boards made in China or made in abroad with similar quality. but for internal components, foreign technology is indeed better than the domestic ones,  also more reliable quality. One ballasts adopt domestic components, the other ballasts adopt  imported components, which one do you choose?

However, we can not see ballast internal components outside, it need some intuitive performance to judge the quality of xenon ballast.

According to international standards, xenon lamp reach 20% of brightness within 1 second, reach 80% brightness within 4 seconds called good ballasts.

If instant arrive 80% brightness or within 4 seconds can not reach 80% of brightness ,that is poor quality ballasts. Why instant arrive 80% brightness ballast also called poor ballast? Because this kind of ballast increase the current in order to quickly light on the xenon bulb. Over current will bring damage to ballast components and circuits, easily lead to components and wires burned.

Other hand, select ballast also need check it is AC ballast or DC ballast, AC ballast will be better choice. DC ballast light on the xenon tube will be very unstable, look at those light which is shaking, that is DC ballast, with higher temperature, there are security risks. It will shorten the life of xenon lamps. On the contrary, AC ballasts will increase the life of hid xenon bulbs.

There are two methods to start the ballast: one is cold start, both of the ballast and xenon bulbs in cooling state ; the other is warm start, both of the ballast and xenon bulbs in normal working state, under warm start if continuously switch on and off the headlamps, the light still in normal working,  then this ballast is good quality ones. If cannot work well, that is poor quality ballast. If there is abnormal light ,one lamp light on, the other lamp light off, you need cut off the power and start again, it means bad quality xenon ballasts.

   In addition, when turn on the xenon lamps and start the car audio, if appears jarring or signal is not well, we need consider the ballast interference issue.

  Finally, the purchase of ballast need consider xenon bulbs together, how to see the two ones are matched? When purchase ballast, meanwhile we need purchase same voltage xenon bulbs. once finished install the xenon bulbs, the bulbs lights on, but the alarm indicator also on, probably because of the ballast does not match the xenon lamps.