Ballast starters are used to strike the arc between the anode and cathode of an HID lamp. This is accomplished by a series of coils that increases the voltage that enables the arc to jump across the terminals of the HID Lamp. Once the arc is established the starter/Igniter’s job is completed and the Electronic ballast takes over delivering enough electricity to keep the arc stable. Electronic ballasts all require starters or igniters, so there are a variety of different styles available. Usually HID lamps have different electrical characteristics so one starter/igniter may not work on another lamp. AE LIGHT offers a variety of ballast igniters for a variety of lamps including Metal Halide, Mercury Vapor, Short Arc Xenon and other special applications.