Hey guys,
So im attempting to wire my s51 core and coil ballast bought off of atlantalightbulbs.com, and i really have no idea what im doing. I pretty much figure out the diagram with the wires and how you attach them and stuff, but I just have a few questions:

1. How do you input power through the input wire? Is there a way to just buy a plug that you can attach the wire to and plug it into a wall?

2. How do you turn on and off the ballast? Just plug and unplug it?

3. i have heard people talking about sodering things...is this necessary? can i just use those wire caps things to connect wires?

Lastly, i have a core and coil ballast that I paid like 80 for, and Im just wondering, is it that much worse than the e-ballast? should i just get one of those?

Anyone with some pictures of a s51 ballast all wired up, that would help a ton. Thanks again guys, you are so helpful.
-Rmars91954

wiring page

Hi rmars91954,

This is a great time for you to pick up a book on wiring or find a friend that is experienced to help you out. Wiring the projector is the most dangerous part of the project and you want to get it right.

In answer to your questions you can buy wire and a plug and hook them up, but I would recomend the power entry setup that brain offers in the store.

I would also recomend that you look at the wiring diagram in the tutorial section of the site and learn as much as you can about each item and it's function.

Yes you can use wire nuts for the connections but they are prone to corrosion and bad contacts. you would make out better soldering them and covering them with electrical shrink tube or soldering the wires to terminals and attaching them to terminal boards with terminal board covers. You dont want open contact areas that you could accidently touch.

You should make out fine with a coil core ballast as long as it is rated for the bulb you would like to use. The Eballast does give better light output, longer bulb life, is easy to wire and is very light. you can always upgrade in the future if you want to.

Please take your time with this part of the project and learn how to get the best performance out of your light and cooling systems.