Gallery of Lights
The Site => General discussion => Topic started by: GEsoftwhite100watts on November 07, 2012, 08:24:14 PM
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So if I don't have access to any "real" ones how could I ballast two F40 or F34 lamps? I have a 22w circline choke laying around, a F15T8 choke, and several spiral CFL ballasts...can I wire ballasts in paralell to make higher output? I hear of more than one ballast being used by LG and GOL members to power up high power HIDs but how do I wire them so I make high enough output/OCV?
Just a project I'm working on...
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Chokes can easily be wired in parallel to increase current. It should also be feasible with other sorts of HID ballasts. As of fluorescent ballasts it sounds a little more complicated...
BTW tour 22W circline should work fine directly on your F15T8 choke, since those are usually rated for 20W lamps as well.
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yeah as far as i know, the older LOA shoplites used chokes wired in series and used a capacitor to both regulat the current and to start the lamps.
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That should be enough to light at least a F34T12, but how will the few 13w spiral CFL ballasts I've got laying around do?
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No. I wouldn't use them. I'm sure you could, but I'd just avoid it if i were you...
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the spiral CFL ballasts I'm guessing? I'm tempted to try that but it will probably be outside on a cheap F34T12...
I'm tempted to try the chokes though...
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Never tried but you could use 2 F15 choke ballasts in parallel. .
The trigger start ballAsts for 2 F20T12s will work, but run a single F40TT12 or F34T12 between the red and blue leads, cap yellow leads individually
using a CFL ballast would be ok but make sure its in a metal/fire containg enclosure because when you use them on a T12 lamp that has thicker cathodes then the CFL it was designed for the cathode may not break when the lamp is EOL (cheap bAllasts in CFLs use broken cathode as EOL cut) id recommend a 30+W CFL for this...mAybe the 13W CFL ballasts in parallel would do the trick...just as you can combine output leads On linear electronic bAllasts to overdrive lamps