ILUMINAR CMH Full Fixture SE 315W | 343 W Square Wave Ballast, 0-10V, Lamp Separate

What the ILUMINAR CMH Full Fixture SE 315W Is Built Around

The fixture is ILUMINAR's C-Series single-ended ceramic metal halide. A microprocessor driven low-frequency square wave ballast is built into the housing, with a replaceable reflector under it. It draws 343 W at the wall on every voltage: 2.89 A at 120 V, 1.43 A at 240 V and 1.30 A at 277 V, on 50 to 60 Hz mains. Power factor is 0.95 minimum and total harmonic distortion is under 15 percent. The lamp runs at 140 to 220 Hz, the low frequency a ceramic arc tube wants. A high-frequency ballast is the one thing a CMH lamp must never see, since it raises the risk of the arc tube failing. Control is 0-10V, through an ILUMINAR Touch or HASH controller or a Priva, Hortimax or Argus system, with a total range of 50 to 115 percent. The top of that range is the useful part. A room can push the fixture past nominal in late bloom instead of hanging more lights. Soft start, random start and ignition failure protection are in the ballast, along with end-of-lamp-life, open circuit, short circuit and thermal sensing. A room full of them does not strike all at once, and a lamp that will not light shuts down rather than cycling. Power arrives through an IP68 Wieland plug, the sealed connector commercial rooms expect where there is wash-down and humidity. ILUMINAR sells the cord for each voltage. Standalone coverage is 4 by 4 ft at a hanging height of 3 to 4 ft. Heat output is 1,400 BTU an hour, low enough that the case cools itself without a fan. It is rated for 0 to 35 °C at up to 95 percent non-condensing humidity, with a maximum case temperature of 75 °C. The body is 514.9 by 298.9 mm, about 20.3 by 11.8 in, and weighs 6.5 kg, 14.33 lb, light enough for a single hanging point. The lamp is chosen separately. ILUMINAR recommends its own CMH lamp in 3K for bloom, 3K plus red, 4K for veg and full-cycle work, and 10K for finishing. The ballast carries a three-year warranty and the fixture is ETL listed. Two builds are listed here, IL-CMH315-120 for 120 and 240 V and IL-CMH315-277 for 277 V, and a 347 V build exists in the line.

Hanging and Running a 315W CMH Fixture for a Full Lamp Life

A 315W CMH fixture gives its rated life only if the first hundred hours and every restrike are handled the way the manual says. Run the lamp at 100 percent for its first 100 hours before dimming it. A ceramic arc tube seasons under full load, and dimming it new shortens its life. After that, dim and boost freely inside the 50 to 115 percent range. Hang the fixture dead level every time. A ceramic metal halide burning off-level runs its arc against one side of the tube and fails early. That is the most common reason a CMH lamp dies young. Let a hot lamp cool for an hour before it strikes again. A hot restrike is a permanent hit to output. A controller schedule that cycles the room off and on in minutes is a schedule that eats lamps. Space fixtures 24 to 60 in apart and hang them a yard or so over the canopy. Go closer for veg and higher as the room fills in bloom. Keep the 80 percent rule on the panel. A 20 A household circuit carries five of these fixtures and no more under it. The higher-voltage build carries considerably more per breaker, which is why commercial rooms spec it. Never put a CMH ballast behind a flip box. Disconnect power before a lamp change and handle the glass with gloves so skin oil does not cook into the quartz. Never unplug the lamp cord while the ballast is live. Check that the reflector is clean every cycle, because a dusty reflector is light paid for and never delivered. Keep it out of a closed closet or a tent that cannot vent its heat. Match the lamp to the stage and keep a spare on the shelf. A fixture is only as useful as the lamp in it on the night one fails.

Key Features

• Single-ended 315 W CMH: Low-frequency square wave ballast built into the housing, 140 to 220 Hz at the lamp.
• 343 W actual draw: 2.89 A at 120 V, 1.43 A at 240 V, 1.30 A at 277 V; 0.95 power factor, THD under 15 percent.
• 0-10V dimming, 50 to 115 percent: ILUMINAR Touch or HASH, or Priva, Hortimax and Argus systems.
• Protected ballast: Soft start, random start, ignition failure, end-of-lamp-life, open and short circuit, thermal sensing.
• IP68 Wieland plug: Sealed connection for wash-down rooms; cord sold per voltage.
• 4 x 4 ft coverage: At 3 to 4 ft hanging height; 1,400 BTU per hour, fanless case.
• Replaceable reflector: Comes off for cleaning or replacement.
• Lamp chosen separately: ILUMINAR 315 W CMH in 3K, 3K plus red, 4K or 10K.
• Three-year ballast warranty: ETL listed; 6.5 kg / 14.33 lb.

Technical Specifications