High pressure sodium and modern metal halide lamps which include existing lamps, 150 watt and less, as well as the new generation of pulse-start metal halide lamps, 150 watt and greater, have no starting electrodes. In addition to an OCV of approximately two times the lamp voltage, these lamps utilize an ...ignitor... to provide a high voltage starting pulse directly across the main electrodes. Once the lamp...s arc is established, the ignitor automatically stops delivering pulses, and the lamp comes up to full brightness on its own.
