Please be safe when wiring anything - never wire or modify an electrical component while it is plugged in - even if the power switch is off. Also be aware that most lighting ballasts can store energy in internal capacitors for extended periods of time, so avoid touching the two output wires together after the first time you use the ballast. The ballasts are designed to dissipate this energy soon after the ballast has been unplugged, but this is still a good safety precaution anyway. 

In order to wire one of our IceCap HQI ballasts to a standard wall plug, you will need the following:

1. Standard grounded plug with cord
2. (5) medium wire twists
3. electrical tape
4. Wire strippers or pocket knife

The power cord with plug can be purchased at nearly any hardware store. Home Depot, for example, has one that has the wires on the cord already stripped and ready for wiring. It is highly recommended that you get a cord that has the typical white-black-green color coding for the wires.

First, strip the ends of all wires for which you will be making connections. If you are using an IceCap ballast, the only wire you will need to strip is the green ground wire, which ships with a washer-type connector on it. Simply cut it off with knife or snips and then strip it to expose about 1/2" bare wire.

Next, use the diagram below that corresponds to the ballast model that you have in order to make the appropriate connections between your ballast, plug, and lamp holders. These diagrams assume that you will be using a double-ended type of lamp configuration, though you can also use the IceCap ballasts with mogul base lamps as well. Note that the polarity of the lamp holders is not relevant.

Each connection should be made by twisting the two copper wires together tightly, then using a wire twist cap to secure and cover the connection. You can optionally also use electrical tape around the twist cap after installation to ensure that it stays connected. 

The 400w IceCap ballast features a dimmer option. You can either install a low voltage on/off switch or a dimmer knob (rheostat or potentiometer type - not digital) across the purple and grey wires. This allows you to change the lamp's power during operation. Most people will want to keep their lamp at max power at all times, which is what is used to rate the average life of the lamps. If you use the lamp dimmed, then you can get extra life out of it and also keep the temperature in your projector lower, though there is no need to do this.

For any given ballast, you can add a power switch to the system so that you don't have to unplug your projector when you want it turned off. In order to do this, simply use a 120-240v light switch from a hardware store in series with the white (common) power wire from the ballast. In this situation, you will connect the white wire from the plug to one end of the power switch, then connect the ballast's white wire to the other connector on the power switch. Please read any instructions that come with the power switch to insure proper installation. It is a good idea to also connect the two green wires to the ground connector on the switch if it has one. You will not need a wire twist for either the white or green wires if you use a power switch depending on what type of switch you use. 

© 2006 DIY For Life Inc