@Y0uTube235 I think Kev has just seen so many junk ballasts since he works with lights...I can understand why he dislikes electronics (even me who has just my own lights got alittle sick of replacing the things LOL . Just looking around in stores I see plenty of failed ballasts too)
@Y0uTube235 Yep LOL occasionally people here will use bloke, don't hear it very often though...(pretty much same thing as saying 'guy' or 'dude' here as well)
I'm used to that word since I've also seen some UK TV..
"poor little bloke" "poor little guy" could be seen as a negative comment, especially if the guys had previous arguments
@Y0uTube235 To me spamming is advertising... If you're posting ads for something (even if its your own personal website or something & even if you're not selling anything), then yes you did spam. But if you're not posting any sorta ads its not spam!
@Y0uTube235 Yep surges will fry electronics, thats ofcourse why my computer & stereo is on a surge protector LOL... but also same for what i consider 'important' lights/items - plants & aquarium, they're surge protected. (this really doesn't matter for magnetic based ballasts)
Some (not all, some) electronic ballasts are themselves just junk/poorly made and simply die way before they should...i have a pile of dead ones to prove it LOL.
A well made e-ballast should last a long time, esp if on a surge protector (I have one that even has built-in surge protection. should be a good ballast...its not in use right now though)
LOL LOL LOL What is there to maintain in a CB as they onyl work under fault conditions. All the schools have surge protection. BTW every message you sent me is getting reported as SPAM because you are a SPAMMER
Dull? They dont last long enough to be dull! I am a electrical maintaince engineer in england most light that were installed after say 2003 were HF (instant start). On installations where they are used a lot IE schools and shops they really struggle to last over 5 years without burning out or blowing up! I have old thoulux 8' 125w fittings in the sports hall at redruth school 1967 all origonal ballasts and fitting , change the tubes or starters and all work no crap electronic ballasts there!
@TheDieselNut Before the ballasts smoked it was around the same brightness as a standard LPF shoplight
EOL depends on the bulb, with some just the ends will glow (& go through various dim colors orange/blue/purple) others will light & just kinda flicker.
Once one of the electrodes breaks it'll go out, just like a normal preheat.
Nice mod. My dad had six of these in his garage. Within about a month they had all failed. I put some regular 2-lamp rapid start fixtures in their place. Still working today.
@XmasLightsGuy As a matter of fact he did have F34T12's in them. The fixtures even said they would work with F34's. They were just crap. The fixtures I replaced them with had Advance Mark III ballasts and I used real F40's. Good quality stuff.
@bamaslamma1003 even tho they say it'll run F34T12's that didn't work very well (if i remember correctly i even burned out a ballast on one that way).... in general i agree crap lights.
I have some older 4-lamp lights with a previous version of the Advance Mark III - the Mark II good stuff there as well...
@Y0uTube235 I think Kev has just seen so many junk ballasts since he works with lights...I can understand why he dislikes electronics (even me who has just my own lights got alittle sick of replacing the things LOL . Just looking around in stores I see plenty of failed ballasts too)
XmasLightsGuy 1 month ago
@Y0uTube235 Yep LOL occasionally people here will use bloke, don't hear it very often though...(pretty much same thing as saying 'guy' or 'dude' here as well)
I'm used to that word since I've also seen some UK TV..
"poor little bloke" "poor little guy" could be seen as a negative comment, especially if the guys had previous arguments
XmasLightsGuy 1 month ago
@Y0uTube235 Ok LOL just not something people here say .. so thought u guys were arguing again
XmasLightsGuy 1 month ago
@Y0uTube235 ?? I thought u guys had stopped this...
XmasLightsGuy 1 month ago
@Y0uTube235 To me spamming is advertising... If you're posting ads for something (even if its your own personal website or something & even if you're not selling anything), then yes you did spam. But if you're not posting any sorta ads its not spam!
XmasLightsGuy 5 months ago
@Y0uTube235 Yep surges will fry electronics, thats ofcourse why my computer & stereo is on a surge protector LOL... but also same for what i consider 'important' lights/items - plants & aquarium, they're surge protected. (this really doesn't matter for magnetic based ballasts)
Some (not all, some) electronic ballasts are themselves just junk/poorly made and simply die way before they should...i have a pile of dead ones to prove it LOL.
XmasLightsGuy 5 months ago
...continued
A well made e-ballast should last a long time, esp if on a surge protector (I have one that even has built-in surge protection. should be a good ballast...its not in use right now though)
XmasLightsGuy 5 months ago
@Y0uTube235
Do they startup like a 'real' rapid-start?? Can you do a video?
4 years is ok...but I'd have to see at least 10 before I even consider them as being good.
XmasLightsGuy 5 months ago
LOL LOL LOL What is there to maintain in a CB as they onyl work under fault conditions. All the schools have surge protection. BTW every message you sent me is getting reported as SPAM because you are a SPAMMER
kevxsi16v 5 months ago
Dull? They dont last long enough to be dull! I am a electrical maintaince engineer in england most light that were installed after say 2003 were HF (instant start). On installations where they are used a lot IE schools and shops they really struggle to last over 5 years without burning out or blowing up! I have old thoulux 8' 125w fittings in the sports hall at redruth school 1967 all origonal ballasts and fitting , change the tubes or starters and all work no crap electronic ballasts there!
kevxsi16v 1 year ago
I do not like HF ballasts magnetic is much better if you had a new magnetic and a new electronic ballast the magnetic would last 10 times longer!
kevxsi16v 1 year ago
@kevxsi16v I agree completely! Most of my lights have magnetic ballasts...and they have outlasted multiple electronic-ballasts
XmasLightsGuy 1 year ago
That is a crappy light! Looks like it is driving those lamps at about 20 watts or less! What does it do with a lamp @EOL?
TheDieselNut 1 year ago
@TheDieselNut Before the ballasts smoked it was around the same brightness as a standard LPF shoplight
EOL depends on the bulb, with some just the ends will glow (& go through various dim colors orange/blue/purple) others will light & just kinda flicker.
Once one of the electrodes breaks it'll go out, just like a normal preheat.
XmasLightsGuy 1 year ago
Nice mod. My dad had six of these in his garage. Within about a month they had all failed. I put some regular 2-lamp rapid start fixtures in their place. Still working today.
bamaslamma1003 2 years ago
Did he by chance use 34w energy saver bulbs instead of standard 40w? I know from experience that these "don't like" the ES bulbs.
Personally i have found standard rapid start ballasts to be the most reliable...even moreso than the new electronic stuff.
XmasLightsGuy 2 years ago
@XmasLightsGuy, I also agree with you on that. Rapid start ballasts tend to last alot longer than electronic ballasts.
suzukir122 2 years ago
@XmasLightsGuy As a matter of fact he did have F34T12's in them. The fixtures even said they would work with F34's. They were just crap. The fixtures I replaced them with had Advance Mark III ballasts and I used real F40's. Good quality stuff.
bamaslamma1003 2 years ago
@bamaslamma1003 even tho they say it'll run F34T12's that didn't work very well (if i remember correctly i even burned out a ballast on one that way).... in general i agree crap lights.
I have some older 4-lamp lights with a previous version of the Advance Mark III - the Mark II good stuff there as well...
XmasLightsGuy 2 years ago