DIY: How to get a 175w MH ballast and Mogul socket for under $50!..pic heavy

[Corndork2]

This tutorial will show you how to harvest a M57 ballast and mogul socket from a very common and inexpensive outdoor lighting fixture. This particular fixture can be found at anyone’s local Home Depot or Lowes. It may also be available in other stores but those are the two that I know definitely carry it. The benefit of this project is that the materials are readily available and extremely more cost effective if you’re willing to do a little handy work.
The M57 ballast is a magnetic ballast that will support 175 watt Metal Halide bulbs. I am not sure of an entirely complete list of bulbs that it will support, but I know that this ballast is capable of powering XM, Iwasaki, Hamilton, Coralvue, Ushio, and Coralife lamps, as well as most other 175 watt lamps produced by major manufactures.

First off…the legal business:

DISCLAIMER: The components that one will come into contact with when attempting this project can be dangerous, harmful, or even deadly if the proper safety precautions are not taken. This article is provided strictly on an informational basis. I am not responsible for, nor do I assume any liability for, damages resulting from the use of any information contained in this article. Please, if you do not have some electronics experience, do not attempt this project for your own safety.

Materials:
1 – Regent 175w MV Security Lighting Fixture
1 – 8ft 16 Gauge power cord
1- Box of electrical caps. The orange ones are the perfect size for this gauge of wire

All this stuff can be bought for under $35

Tools Needed:
Phillips Screwdriver
Pliers or Socket Wrench with a variety of small sockets
Wire cutters
Wire stripper or scissors

Ok, now let’s get our hands dirty.

This is what the box will look like in the store. It’s a simple outdoor mercury vapor security lighting fixture. I got mine for 24.88.


This is everything you will get out of the box. The main steel fixture, a cheap reflector, a 175w MV bulb (it’s useless for our tanks but it’s nice to keep around to test your ballast) a CDS cell, and some mounting hardware.


You can toss everything but the main steel fixture. The ballast and socket we want are mounted in there. All that needs to be done is a little surgery, and a little rewiring.


First flip the fixture upside down and take a look inside.


Here’s the pay dirt. One M57 Ballast, and one Mogul socket


Now take a look at the bracket holding on the socket. Notice it is held on by two bolts. The first thing we need to do is remove those bolts.



Here’s what you should have thus far...


Now take a look at that beige circular socket that has the red, white, and black wires going into it.


Next cut the white wire, and the red wire as close to the white socket as you can.