Driving linear fluorescent tubes using CFL ballasts...

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  • Evil Lurker
    Warranty Voider
    • Feb 2011
    • 454

    #1

    Driving linear fluorescent tubes using CFL ballasts...

    I been playing with these self oscillating circuits for a minute now, lord knows I've fried my fair share of them... but honestly I don't care, new ones only cost a few bucks each.

    Basically, the answer is yes, it CAN be done! The proof is in the pictures...



    What you see is a hacked sunbeam 25 tubular cfl ballast I got at Fred's dollar store driving an F15/T8 15w linear fluorescent, mind you in broad daylight on a cloudy day. I paid a whopping $2.50 or so after tax was included.

    Getting the bulbs open is easy. Take a hacksaw blade (not the whole saw) and carefully go around the ring up near the top being careful to just barely cut deep enough to cut the plastic but not enter into the center of the bulb. If you do, you risk cutting the wire leads on the bulb and or breaking the glass. Takes about five minutes.

    Anyhoos, I'd love to post more at the moment but I'm a bit pressed for time. Everything is in the very early research stages, eventually I would like to be able to get one of those relatively low output cfl ballasts and boost the power output to a level that will drive a standard 48" tube.

    So far so good.
  • delaware74b
    Badcaps Veteran
    • Apr 2009
    • 628
    • USA

    #2
    Re: Driving linear fluorescent tubes using CFL ballasts...

    Be careful with electronic ballasts, even the CFL's. A typical ballast will output >500 Volts at 20-40KHz open-circuit voltage.

    A typical T8 lamp requires approx 280mA current regulation (voltage is the variable for fluorescent lighting). The electronic ballasts designed for instant-start T8's use a high voltage burst to start the lamp then limits the current.

    If you don't limit the current, the start cathodes will be destroyed in a short amount of time.

    I can recommend a good ballast to reverse-engineer that has good over-current protection and end-of-lamp life protection (and isn't potted with that awful asphalt material) if you're interested. (in the US)
    Stupidity should be a crime, especially for drivers. I have NO patience for them.

    Comment

    • kikkoman
      Badcaps Veteran
      • Jul 2007
      • 691

      #3
      Re: Driving linear fluorescent tubes using CFL ballasts...

      this might be of interest to you:
      http://www.pavouk.org/hw/lamp/en_index.html
      "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

      Comment

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