Questions tagged [electronic-ballast]

27 questions
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Electronic Drivers for Fluorescent Lamps: How is the DC-to-AC Conversion done?

Pretty much all (somewhat inaccurately named) electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps run off a DC voltage and have to convert it into AC to operate the lamp. The DC supply can come from rectified AC mains (as seen in standard compact fluorescent…
13
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1 answer

Why is my fluorescent tube orange on one side, white on the other and dark in the middle?

I have a ~60 cm fluorescent tube light that is failing. ~10 cm on one end glows orange, ~10 cm on the other end glows blue-white (normal fluorescent light color) and the middle 40 cm is dark. Question: From an electrical point of view what exactly…
uhoh
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Serial capacitors in electronic ballast of a fluorescent lamp

Recently I repaired one broken electronic ballast of a linear 30W fluorescent lamp. Now it seems to be working as expected, but I had to make some changes to it and I'd like to ask if you see any hidden problems I can get into due to those…
Al Kepp
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Metal Halide circuit without a capacitor?

I recently inherited an awesome 4foot 2x250Watt metal halide lighting unit for my marine tank. The previous owner wanted to dump it because one of the lights was flickering and he could not really figure out why. So after I got it; I stripped it…
Piotr Kula
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Improvized small aquarium lighting

I have a small aquarium that has been illuminated so far by a 15W fluorescent lamp. The problem is that the ballast has broken (melted) after 2 years of use, and the only replacements I could find on my market (same, 1x18W) break after 1-2 hours of…
2
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1 answer

Driving compact UV lamp with DC

I'm 'testing the water' if you will on driving a Panasonic TUV PL-S 5W UV lamp with a low-voltage (12 ~ 24 V) DC supply. The lamp is rated at 34 V, 0.18 A. Since I have a DC source, magnetic ballasts are out. I have read some app notes from ST and…
calcium3000
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Run 12v Incandescent Bulbs off Fluorescent Ballast

Can I use a 120v AC to 12v AC electronic transformer to power 12v bulbs? I have a 150 watt transformer that I tried connecting to a single 10w incandescent bulb, but the bulb just flickers at a low frequency.
Ethereal
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High Voltage input and output microcontroller

I am new to this, but I am looking to regulate a few ballast controlled fluorescent lamps with a micro-controller. Everything I look at has a low operating voltage and below 10 volt input/output voltage. I want to have a/c hookup to the…
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1 answer

Can you help me identify this IC?

Can you help me identify what IC is this? Context:
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1 answer

Understanding the specs of an electronic ballast (UV-Tubes)

I got lost on the topic of selecting the right electronic ballast for 4 UV-tubes (Cosmolux S pink 15W). I have learned about magnetic ballasts and starters, about electronic ballasts and connecting them in series or parallel (or not). Currently I am…
Stefan
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What is the possible reason that cause the failure (burnt) of PTC in an electronic ballast?

What is the possible reason that might cause the failure (burnt) of PTC in an electronic ballast? I have been using this VOSSLOH SCHWABE brand electronic ballast and recently it has been burning up after several years of usage. When I investigate…
1
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1 answer

Can I use a SSR to switch on/off an electronic ballast?

It's not appropiate to use a SSR to switch on/off magnetic ballast (used with HID lamps), because it's an inductive load and the Triac inside the SSR cut off while there is still current flowing. That produce flickering. Can I use an SSR to switch…
Candid Moe
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Detecting lamp failure in electronic ballasts

What would be a simple solution for detecting lamp failure in fluorescent tube ECG's? There are 3 control gears running 6 (40w/4pin) lamps that need to have detection of lamp failure. While ECG's have a simple way to detect failure on the control…
zck
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Repurposing CFL ballast for different bulb (UVC)

I am attempting to repurpose the (electronic) ballast contained within a CFL lamp to power a UV-C bulb (mercury discharge, uncoated tube) for disinfection purpose, and out of general interest in fluorescent lamps. I opted for repurposing a ballast…
1
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2 answers

Why does compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) save more energy?

I read information about fluorescent lamp and compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) but I still don't understand why CFL saves energy and produce the same amount of light? Maybe the electronic ballast consume less reactive power than the traditional…
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