Gallery of Lights
The Site => General discussion => Topic started by: GEsoftwhite100watts on October 28, 2012, 09:04:16 PM
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Don't you hate those cheaply-made F40T12 shoplights (NOT the vintage good quality ones)? I do.
Back in May of this year I installed two (secondhand) ones. One is a Lithiona and the other was...dunno the brand but I see that model often and it had an old, sorta rusty Advance "BenchLite" ballast. I really find it annoying how the ballast cover/reflector doesn't match up very well with the main body of the fixture.
I've messed with these before, and I must say it's a royal pain to get them to work right after they tart giving you trouble. The one in question gave me trouble since the day I installed it. I replaced it with a (much nicer and higher quality) Lithiona F32T8 wraparound running SP35 GE EcoLux lamps.
The other light is still that Lithiona shoplight.
Now I need a new ballast in the removed, cheesy shoplight, then I can put it up somewhere else...
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yeah i know what you mean... Is it one or two lamp? I'm guessing two... If so, do you want to use T12 or T8? If you're going to install it somewhere else outside your home, I'd use T8. this is becuase if it's T12, a future owner will say "oh, well this light is outdated. I'll replace it", but if it has a T8 bulb, they're more apt to kepping it around. If it's in your house, I'd say electronic rapid start.
Here are my choice pics/recomendationd for you:
- For F40T12/RS (electronic). (http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/7846/BU-UNMB234SR120.html) Try to find something with a high ballast factor like this ballast. It has 0.9, which is one of the best I've seen with T12.
- For F32T8/IS. (http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/379/BA-ICN2P32N35M.html) This has greater than 1 ballast factor and Advance is top notch stuff with ballasts, so you can't go wrong with this ballast if using T8.
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I've had good results with Sylvania instant start ballasts too.
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It's at my own house and if I can find then, it (and another one that's currently ballast-less) are going to have HPF magnetic rapid start F40T12 ballasts. I need to get off my lazy butt and get that vintage shoplight from a friend's place...I'll share it's cool story when I get it...
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that's a problem these days with all that energy efficiency crap that there is not even electronic T12 ballasts that match with the old .77 and .80A ballasts ...they look dimmer >:(
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...And I bet the vintage one I'm getting has a .8A ballast! It's currently running 34w Watt-Misers but I advised the people currently living in that house to not leave it on unattended/for long periods so there's less chance of the ballast burning up.
Hopefully sometime later this month it will be mine...I need to get it!
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If it doesn't specifically list the F34T12 or 35W i wouldn't use it..fried a few ballasts That way
Even modern ballasts may have a shorter life using F34T12 lamps it hasn't been confimed though
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I believe 34W lamps work the ballasts much harder than 40W lamps due to higher OCV. This means in cold weather i bet it's even harder on the ballast!
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Don't 34w lamps have a lower voltage?
That light appears to have a bad ballast. Most likely I'll convert it to T8 electronic IS unless I can find a T12 ballast, magnetic or electronic.
Then I'll install it somwhere else...
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I know the F34T12 runs at about 460mA current and has a lower arc voltage then an F40TT12 which runs at 430mA
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I wonder if those Advance 34w RS ballasts would work better with 34w lamps, I tried running 40w lamps. on them and they were too dim for my liking.
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Advance makes ballasts specifically for 34W lamps? My grandpa's troffer ballasts have F40T12 and F40T12/ES listed on the lamp types so they're probably more modern. I think they're 1990s troffers...
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yes they're usually a green painted ballast and say for use with F34T12 lamps only, yet list F40T12
yeah i think ballasts after the 1970's all were compatible with F34T12, but not all certified for use with them until later on
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That makes sense since the 34w "energy saver" florescent tube came out in 1974 in response to the 1973 oil crisis.
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Yeah, here's how mine looks like: Some are also painted green but mine only had a green label.
(http://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10364/normal_P2254564.JPG)
Oddly it lists 34w, 40w , and 3' 30w lamps.
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Hmm. Seeing how it was designed for 34W tubes, have you tested how it performs with F32T8s?
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That would be interesting...
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I have some great news: It looks like that vintage shoplight will be in my captivity pretty soon (and I mean like less than a few weeks possibly). I'm excited already!
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F32T8 is 230-260 mA and that's about half the current of the F34T12 lamps, so it might be flickery and overheat the ballast, also most .73A and lower ballasts will run a pair of F30T12s at the proper power since they are 460mA lamps (i think)
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I almost had an experience with the title of this thread earlier this evening...replacing florescent sockets is always "fun". I got a socket from a cheesy shoplight so I guess I had a cheap shoplight moment...but it went into my best fixture...see below...
I got that vintage shoplight today and had to replace the socket I broke removing the reflector to see what it had for a ballast. Works fine now, though! I still need to clean all the old sawdust off (was used in a woodshop) but it works flawlessly...no buzz or anything.