METAL VAPOR LAMP STARTING AND OPERATING APPARATUS

摘要

A low wattage metal vapor discharge lamp starting and operating apparatus includes an inductive ballast connected to one of a pair of terminals connectable to a low voltage source, a metal vapor discharge lamp coupled to the ballast and to the other one of the pair of lamp terminals and a non-linear dielectric element shunting the discharge lamp with the ballast and non-linear dielectric element providing a potential within about 600 .mu.sec of current reversal of the source voltage in an amount sufficient to initiate operation of the discharge lamp.