Yeah I don't really like shoplites either, nor do I like the two lamp NPF ballasts. I don't mind single lamp NPF fixtures, since generally they're just used in area like closets or whatever but I have a strong dislike for NPF two lamp ballasts, both F14/15/20 and F30/40. The Workshop lamps were designed with cheaper electrodes to make the lamps easier to start on cheaper ballasts and to make the lamps cheaper. Of course with cheaper quality electrodes come shorter life.
See, the problem with residential grade fluorescents is that homeowners want fluorescent lighting but are too cheap to buy good stuff, so manufacturers sell inexpensive pieces of junk to shut up the homeowners who want lower cost fluorescent lighting. The cost of "real" fluorescent fixtures turns most home owners away from fluorescents. No, the Workshop lamps are fine on HPF full-power ballasts, but I wouldn't use 25W lamps...
No, those troffers you have are not shoplites. Just because they're suspended doesn't make them shoplights. (even if they were in a shop, they'd be "shop lights" not shoplites.) Shoplites have cords on them and are residential grade fixtures. Yep, the basement with the shocky fridge lol. The troffers and two wraps are the same age as the original lamps: 1996. They have Advance Mark-something ballasts (Mark IV I think; they're 0.73A with the later style label). They're pretty loud too. When you turn them on they go "MMMMUUUUUUUUUUUUU" (sound changes after the lamps come on). There are no labels on the troffers IIRC. I couldn't find a manufacturing label anywhere on the fixtures. The strip I added is a later is from around 2010-ish. I had bought it at Lowe's for my collection. My grandma mentioned that there wasn't a lot of light over the sink in the basement where she washes out the cats' litter boxes so I gave it to them and my grandpa and I installed it sideways on a stud over the sink. It's got a cord on it for them to plug it in. Unfortunately I didn't put a pull-chain switch on it before (we couldn't find one that would fit right) so they just plug it in and unplug it when they use it. My grandpa has used up the remaining lamps in the last case of lamps he bought so he will be buying a new case next time I relamp. Sometimes he relamps and other times I do it. At his shop, I pretty much do all the relamping since he doesn't have time. The only place he always relamps immediately is the spray booth, as that room cannot have any shadows or dark spots, or else the paint might not come out right.
Nope the ERS ballast usually instant start IIRC (ERS is electronic RS in case; just a term I coined if you couldn't figure out what I meant lol). I think the lamp might come on dim and then flash bright after a split-second or so, but it's nothing like a HPF RS ballast. It's actually really weird having a T12 on an electronic ballast. Like an electronic HID. "Something just ain't right here" lol. What's the difference between the Philips C50 Supremes and the Ultralume 5000s?
Hey, you know what? Better to enjoy the lamp then just hang on to it forever and new use it, especially since you said it might end up broken anyway. I plan to use up most of the lamps in my collection too, but I will hang onto the rarer ones. Speaking of changing things, I replaced the light in my bedroom today. I was really bored today so I took down the 100W MV M-250A and put up the 100W HPS (70/90W) M-250R from 1981, wired at the 90W tap. I'm using a 90s GE lamp and a 1980 Fisher Pierce in the fixture, with tape over the PC window so it doesn't turn off the light indoors.
If that ballast still trips the thermal protection with no lamp, then the primary coil is bad. The secondary coil is open-circuit with the lamp removed, so it won't even be energized. That's why the 4ft ballasts still make noise when the lamp is removed, whereas a preheat choke will not make any noise when the lamp is removed.
Yeah the lamp in mine is still going strong, just slightly dimmer in the middle. IDK the OCV of the Sylvania quicktronic offhand but I think it's decent. T12s will not fit in the troffer since the troffer is too low-profile.
Otherwise I'd convert it to F40/RS lol. I could convert it to T8RS but I don't have a single lamp T8RS ballast (I do have a two-lamp Advance T8RS ballast from Aaron though. It's NOS but has short leads). I've actually never used the ballast I got from Aaron. When it got it, I just wrapped up the leads and stuck it with the others.
Yeah I like the morning announcements, but the kids at the school don't like us since we like to goof off lol. We get hate mail on Twitter lol. We have "Pun-Day Monday" when one of my co-announcers Megan says a corny pun over the intercom. We also have a "Frivolous Fact Friday", when I read a random fact no one really cares about lol. We were doing "Wake-Up Wednesdays", where we blast 10 seconds of a song over the air but that kinda fell through. We save music for special occasions lol.
Ah good luck with that added battery!