Gallery of Lights


Home Login
Album list Last uploads Last comments Most viewed Top rated My Favorites Search
Home > User galleries > joe_347V > Lighting Components
Return to the thumbnail page FILE 15016/20293 Return to start See previous file See next file Skip to end
Wut... Found this ballast setup in a old wraparound light. It's your standard F20T12 trigger start ballast but as you can see the previous owner wired it as a two lamp ballast with the lamps in parallel. So basically was the red wires got wired to the red and blue set where a two lamper would wire and the blue to where the yellow would normally go. I didn't have a two lamp trigger start ballast than ran the lamps at full power so I replaced this with a rapid start electronic Motorola F17T8 ballast I had lying around. Keywords: Gear

Wut...

Found this ballast setup in a old wraparound light. It's your standard F20T12 trigger start ballast but as you can see the previous owner wired it as a two lamp ballast with the lamps in parallel. So basically was the red wires got wired to the red and blue set where a two lamper would wire and the blue to where the yellow would normally go.

I didn't have a two lamp trigger start ballast than ran the lamps at full power so I replaced this with a rapid start electronic Motorola F17T8 ballast I had lying around.

Bedroom_Wraparound+.JPG 6911787499_810aef288c_b.jpg COL_CIMG_0898.JPG 20200119_161345.jpg 100_2063.JPG
File information
Filename:COL_CIMG_0898.JPG
Album name:joe_347V / Lighting Components
Keywords:Gear
Company and Date Manufactured:Sylvania
Model Number:MB1x40/120 RES
Wattage:40w
Lamp Type:Fluorescent
Filesize:358 KiB
Date added:Feb 15, 2013
Dimensions:1800 x 1200 pixels
Displayed:151 times
Color Space:sRGB
DateTime Original:2013:02:12 18:04:10
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Program:Program
Exposure Time:1/60 sec
FNumber:f/4.5
Flash:Compulsory Flash
Focal length:32 mm
ISO:400
Make:Canon
Model:Canon EOS REBEL T3
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=14959
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 18 of 18
Page: 1

rjluna2   [Feb 15, 2013 at 01:56 PM]
Interesting configuration Confused

Could this be double the load to half the power out to each? Confused
A_lights   [Feb 15, 2013 at 06:12 PM]
So it probably only lit one lamp?
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Feb 15, 2013 at 08:52 PM]
I believe a single-lamp ballast like this can be wired in such a way as to only light one lamp but have a backup where redundancy is needed like hallway or security lighting...however I believe the cathodes of the non-lit lamp may be heated. Which one will light is totally random.
A_lights   [Feb 15, 2013 at 09:32 PM]
yeah i have tried it with an electronic IS ballast when run parallel one lamp will trike and the other nothing at all, i would assume same with magnetic, the smart way to wire this would be series, no idea if it would have a high enough ocv to light them up though, unless the cathodes were all heated on both lamp
streetlight98   [Feb 15, 2013 at 09:59 PM]
@ andy; do you mean two lamps wired to a one lamp ballast and the lamp with less resistance lights and the other serves a backup?

@ Joe, is each lamp connected to both reds or is one lamp connected to one red on both pins and the other lamp is connected on both pins to the second red?
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Feb 15, 2013 at 11:42 PM]
Yep, that's what I meant...
streetlight98   [Feb 16, 2013 at 12:03 AM]
Hmm that seems like a pretty good idea. My exit sign retrofit kit from Bryan follows the same concept.
joe_347V   [Feb 16, 2013 at 12:28 AM]
I guess those standby HPS lamps are basically the same concept too. I know this wasn't the original configuration though as the ballast looks much newer than the fixture. Also you can see that the wire are spliced instead of going directly to the holders.

@Mike, each lamp is connected to both reds.
streetlight98   [Feb 16, 2013 at 12:47 AM]
ahh. did both lamps light at about 50% brightness or did only one work like if they were wired in series?
joe_347V   [Feb 16, 2013 at 12:52 AM]
Not sure, I needed the wires so I took the thing apart. Razz
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Feb 16, 2013 at 12:54 AM]
Hmm, I might have to try this sometime! Wonder how well a preheat version would do?
streetlight98   [Feb 16, 2013 at 01:05 AM]
if you use preheat, i think you'll need two starters if it's even possible.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Feb 16, 2013 at 01:07 AM]
That makes sense...
joe_347V   [Feb 16, 2013 at 05:00 AM]
Forget about what I said about it being a 20w ballast, it's actually a 40w rapid start ballast. Shocked
streetlight98   [Feb 16, 2013 at 01:27 PM]
ahh so this ran two f20 lamps in series? (or parallel?)
joe_347V   [Feb 16, 2013 at 01:48 PM]
Oddly it was still wired in parallel.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Feb 17, 2013 at 02:16 AM]
For redundancy...so if one lamp dies the other takes over.
joe_347V   [Feb 17, 2013 at 04:31 AM]
I hardly think so, one the ballast is a F40 ballast which is the wrong ballast to begin. Second, I think the fixture was just a home owner repair as the old ballast wires are still there. I guessed you skimmed through my comments above again. Confused Rolling Eyes

Comment 1 to 18 of 18
Page: 1
Powered by Coppermine Photo Gallery