I do All Things Halloween. I once found a hack of a magnetic ballast, a flasher unit for road crews, and a regular house lamp to heat the flash unit. I LOST IT! Does anyone know how to do this, or the video I'm looking for?
T8 lamps always die quickly because of their "electronic" ballasts. That's why I'm looking for rapid start T8 fixtures. By the way, is this High Power Factor? Or Low Power Factor? Curious... and I recently found High Power Factor Rapid Starts for 4 foot T5 lamps!! Never thought I'd find them.
Why the hum and the startup flicker are what makes it great, you know the light is working and all the fixtures start up at different times giving a more dramatic effect, as you know something is going down when the professor hits the switch. An instant at once startup is boring, and no more interesting than turning on the single incandescent bulb in the closet to grab a coat. It doesnt have the same effect. Besides, I prefer ballasts that are more gentle on the tubes.
Magnetic ballasts usually always outlast their electronic cousins. The hum and flicker don't bother me at all, in fact I think it makes them pretty neat ballasts. Also, the oldest preheat ballasts were pretty efficient. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for electronic ballasts, and there are some cool electronic ballasts out there, but magnetic ballasts aren't as bad as you make them out to be.
OH yea give me a thumbs down before you comment that is really mature.
You guys are such idiots get your facts straight before posting,magnet lasting longer than electronic please..., efficient?please don`t make me laugh, DavidFromAE you enjoy the flicker and the way it`s gentle on the filament,you change a tube what every 5/6 years electronic ballast`s 20% more energy efficient,do they math.
hey I have gotten Westinghouse lamps from friends who said the fixtures never were relamped for over 20 years and seeing the dates of the ballast and lamps (from date codes) they do last longer, Electronic ballasts have larger failure rates and lamps don't last as long either. In fact when I was a kid I remember my dad installing 4 troffer fixtures with 4 lamps each....in 1988. The maganetic aballasts dated to 1988 on the back. We recently moved out, 12 out of 16 lamps still worked! 1988-2007!
If you don't like magnetic ballasts, don't use them. In the meantime, don't try to force your views on those who disagree with you. I for one also enjoy the hum and startup flicker of magnetic ballasts. Not to mention they've been in use far longer than their electronic counterparts. As far as efficiency is concerned, we'll use they miniscule extra amount to get the long lamp life and all the other things.
Firstly...Magnetic Ballasts Do Not Suck at all....not all of them Hum....and Actually the will Last Wayyyy Longer than an Equal Electronic Ballast....and Dude...cheap Skate Idiots?...thats just Mean...if you have nothing good or useful to Say here you need to Shut the Hell Up.
In regards to finding a hole in burned out tubes, at work they replaced all the old magnetic F96T12 slimline fixtures with F96T8 electronic ballast fixtures. I've seen several burned out F96T8 lamps that had holes in them at the ends. I've never seen an F96T12 slimline on a magnetic ballast do that.
So what will happen if u do run F32T8 lamps in a ballast for F40T12's and one more thing i dont quite get but y r F34T12's somewhat dimmer than F25T12's at least thats how they look to me and when F34T12's burn out they have a different fliker than the other kind and sometimes they dont even flicker at all they just glow dim on each end of the tube
What I am told is that it overworks the capacitor a bit cause the F32T8 lamps run at a higher open circuit voltage. However, I have seen this done plenty of times. A lot of the time it just kills the lamps faster, then again, instant start electronic ballasts already do that anyway. I can however keep a set of F32T8 lamps running for a while on one of these magnetic T8 ballasts.
Most certainly yes! They have F14T12, F15T12, F20T12 and F15T8 all there. 2 foot 17 watt octrons also run in 2 foot preheat fixtures I've noticed and those are there too.
Usually the live time of the ballast depends of the temperature, people use to not clean the lenses and the mirrors and that is the killer of the ballast, because the heat melt the insulation over the time and is always hotter with a dirty fixture.
I agree. Instant start sucks (except for F96T12 Slimlines). Preheat and rapid start rule! The F40T12's in my dad's garage are about 15 years old and still going strong.
Seconded. I also like F96T12 slimlines. Single pin magnetic instant start is OK in my book. I have seen F32T8 lamps burned out about a month after installation in a store i frequent. Bi-pin lamps are not made for instant start. I'll stick with PH and RS any day.
They appeared on ebay. Every now and then one will pop up there. You can also order new ones online some places, but they are rather costly ordered new.
I do All Things Halloween. I once found a hack of a magnetic ballast, a flasher unit for road crews, and a regular house lamp to heat the flash unit. I LOST IT! Does anyone know how to do this, or the video I'm looking for?
hyperflexharrington5 10 months ago
T8 lamps always die quickly because of their "electronic" ballasts. That's why I'm looking for rapid start T8 fixtures. By the way, is this High Power Factor? Or Low Power Factor? Curious... and I recently found High Power Factor Rapid Starts for 4 foot T5 lamps!! Never thought I'd find them.
suzukir122 2 years ago
Cool! Where did you find a rapid start magnetic ballast for t5 4-footers?
bamaslamma1003 2 years ago
got 1000s at my work...for freeeee wooooot, but dont use em lol
airbop 2 years ago
Comment removed
brianfromLI 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Magnetic ballasts suck,they make an irritating hum noise,they flicker and consume more energy,all of you are just a bunch of cheap skates Idiots!
DDUFubar 2 years ago
Why the hum and the startup flicker are what makes it great, you know the light is working and all the fixtures start up at different times giving a more dramatic effect, as you know something is going down when the professor hits the switch. An instant at once startup is boring, and no more interesting than turning on the single incandescent bulb in the closet to grab a coat. It doesnt have the same effect. Besides, I prefer ballasts that are more gentle on the tubes.
DavidFromAE 2 years ago
Magnetic ballasts usually always outlast their electronic cousins. The hum and flicker don't bother me at all, in fact I think it makes them pretty neat ballasts. Also, the oldest preheat ballasts were pretty efficient. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for electronic ballasts, and there are some cool electronic ballasts out there, but magnetic ballasts aren't as bad as you make them out to be.
jfrog1983 2 years ago
OH yea give me a thumbs down before you comment that is really mature.
You guys are such idiots get your facts straight before posting,magnet lasting longer than electronic please..., efficient?please don`t make me laugh, DavidFromAE you enjoy the flicker and the way it`s gentle on the filament,you change a tube what every 5/6 years electronic ballast`s 20% more energy efficient,do they math.
DDUFubar 2 years ago
hey I have gotten Westinghouse lamps from friends who said the fixtures never were relamped for over 20 years and seeing the dates of the ballast and lamps (from date codes) they do last longer, Electronic ballasts have larger failure rates and lamps don't last as long either. In fact when I was a kid I remember my dad installing 4 troffer fixtures with 4 lamps each....in 1988. The maganetic aballasts dated to 1988 on the back. We recently moved out, 12 out of 16 lamps still worked! 1988-2007!
jecwhiz 2 years ago
If you don't like magnetic ballasts, don't use them. In the meantime, don't try to force your views on those who disagree with you. I for one also enjoy the hum and startup flicker of magnetic ballasts. Not to mention they've been in use far longer than their electronic counterparts. As far as efficiency is concerned, we'll use they miniscule extra amount to get the long lamp life and all the other things.
bamaslamma1003 2 years ago
I`m done posting, believe what you want.
DDUFubar 2 years ago
incandescent uses more power than magnetic ballasts anyway...
jecwhiz 2 years ago
Firstly...Magnetic Ballasts Do Not Suck at all....not all of them Hum....and Actually the will Last Wayyyy Longer than an Equal Electronic Ballast....and Dude...cheap Skate Idiots?...thats just Mean...if you have nothing good or useful to Say here you need to Shut the Hell Up.
form109 2 years ago
In regards to finding a hole in burned out tubes, at work they replaced all the old magnetic F96T12 slimline fixtures with F96T8 electronic ballast fixtures. I've seen several burned out F96T8 lamps that had holes in them at the ends. I've never seen an F96T12 slimline on a magnetic ballast do that.
bamaslamma1003 2 years ago
So what will happen if u do run F32T8 lamps in a ballast for F40T12's and one more thing i dont quite get but y r F34T12's somewhat dimmer than F25T12's at least thats how they look to me and when F34T12's burn out they have a different fliker than the other kind and sometimes they dont even flicker at all they just glow dim on each end of the tube
eyecanthelpit 3 years ago
What I am told is that it overworks the capacitor a bit cause the F32T8 lamps run at a higher open circuit voltage. However, I have seen this done plenty of times. A lot of the time it just kills the lamps faster, then again, instant start electronic ballasts already do that anyway. I can however keep a set of F32T8 lamps running for a while on one of these magnetic T8 ballasts.
DavidFromAE 3 years ago
do u know if home depot sells preheat lamps
eyecanthelpit 3 years ago
Most certainly yes! They have F14T12, F15T12, F20T12 and F15T8 all there. 2 foot 17 watt octrons also run in 2 foot preheat fixtures I've noticed and those are there too.
DavidFromAE 3 years ago
Im going to home depot when in get my next check thanks man
eyecanthelpit 3 years ago
only in 2 foot or shorter....
jecwhiz 2 years ago
Usually the live time of the ballast depends of the temperature, people use to not clean the lenses and the mirrors and that is the killer of the ballast, because the heat melt the insulation over the time and is always hotter with a dirty fixture.
piousa 3 years ago
Are those Octron lamps? What brand is the ballast? I found an Advance Mark III for
F32T8's on Grainger's website.
bamaslamma1003 3 years ago
The lamps are GE daylights and the ballast is a Mark 3 Energy Saver, just like the one you found on Grainger.
DavidFromAE 3 years ago
I agree. Instant start sucks (except for F96T12 Slimlines). Preheat and rapid start rule! The F40T12's in my dad's garage are about 15 years old and still going strong.
bamaslamma1003 3 years ago
Seconded. I also like F96T12 slimlines. Single pin magnetic instant start is OK in my book. I have seen F32T8 lamps burned out about a month after installation in a store i frequent. Bi-pin lamps are not made for instant start. I'll stick with PH and RS any day.
DavidFromAE 3 years ago
Advance is still making the Mark III ballast for F32T8 lamps.
yuandrew 3 years ago
Where did you find that ballast? I want one.
bamaslamma1003 3 years ago
They appeared on ebay. Every now and then one will pop up there. You can also order new ones online some places, but they are rather costly ordered new.
DavidFromAE 3 years ago
I have one of these ballasts now. I also have a startup video for it.
bamaslamma1003 2 years ago