Here's a pic I took back in November of the Beta 5 open with the new electronic fluorescent ballast installed just before I put the fixture up to trial it on the new ballast.It's now been over 4 months and still working great. The original CGE F-can ballast is shown which lasted only about 5 years,the core and coil ballast I replaced it with (not shown) lasted about 20 years.
Interesting, I didn't know that they made a FCan LPS ballast. Too bad it died after only 5 years though. Good to know the electronic ballast works fins with LPS lamps.
@ Joe ,yes the light is working great, one good thing is I was able to get this fixture due to the failure of the original ballast. Actually the ballast isn't completely dead,IIRC it puts out about 100 OCV less than what it says on the label and may operate a smaller wattage lamp like a 26W LPS.
Yes, the Thorn Beta 5 was made for 35W LPS,there is also another similar fixture from Thorn called the Beta 2 which is a bit longer and uses 55W LPS lamps. As far as I know the Beta 2 version didn't see use here in Canada or the US.
@ Mike: Yes the ballast in the fixture is the fluorescent one,it is made by Standard,it seems to work best with the 35W LPS compared to Advance and other similar electronic ballasts.
@ Vince: Yes I kept the CGE F-can all these years XD I was wondering if it was a possible capacitor failure, but I never investigated any further thinking that it would be well buried in the potted ballast.
is it just a run-of-the-mill single lamp F32T8 ballast? Sounds like a much cheaper alternative to a core and coil LPS ballast which give you the need to take out a second mortage in order to pay for them.
Is it wired for double drive (both blue wires connected to one "side" of the lamp and the red to the other or is it a 2-lamp ballast being used as a single lamp? No external starting aid is needed? I know LPS doesn't use an igniter but i didn't know an IS fluorescent ballast would run this. I wonder if a programmed start ballast would work?
It's wired with the two blue connected to one side,no external starting aid. This ballast is an instant start. Seems to run great,no signs of blackening or anything,the tube is nice and clear,just a faint ring. No problems starting even during a cold snap.
@Darren, ahh good thing you saved the fixture as I think the previous owner would have scrapped it otherwise.
@Mike, back when I ran LPS lamps on a electronic ballast, I had mine wired up exactly like Darren wired his up. Worked fine but I rarely use that setup anymore now that I have a real 18w LPS fixture.
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@ traffic light1: Thanks!
@ Vince: Yes I kept the CGE F-can all these years XD I was wondering if it was a possible capacitor failure, but I never investigated any further thinking that it would be well buried in the potted ballast.
@Mike, back when I ran LPS lamps on a electronic ballast, I had mine wired up exactly like Darren wired his up. Worked fine but I rarely use that setup anymore now that I have a real 18w LPS fixture.