Hmm. I wonder if they used these on a T8 ballast thinking "eh. they're two watts more and a few bucks less and fit the fixture." Maybe it was retrofitted to T8 since those look to be older style sockets, or there's an electronic T12 ballast. I can totally see someone sticking these in a T8 ballast though. I guess the 34W lamps would work pretty well on the HBF PS T8 ballasts.
Possibly, I guess the original magnetic ballast failed and someone just stuck a instant start ballast in. I think some T12 electronic ballasts do instant start the lamps though even though it says rapid start on the label.
if it's electronic than it is parallel. EDIT: yeah only one lamp is lit so it's parallel; either electronic rapid start T12 or T8 IS or PS
Yeah the GE electronic RS ballast in the metalux strip i gave my grandparents instant starts lamps. I think the OVC is lower though so T8s would probably sputter like they would on magnetic T12 ballasts.
well T8s are way overpowered on T12 ballasts(almost double lamp current) and cause the ballast to run hotter , thats why they have the annoying pulsating flicker. although sometimes they don't even do anything on a T12 magnetic ballast , but a T8 on electronic RS T12 will work normal but is probably harder on the ballast, i ran some for a few years that way and the ballast works still
oh wow really. i thought the t8s were underpowered on t12 ballasts. this is a very random question, but would a F96T12/HO ballast power a 90W T17 lamp properly? will any other ballast besides a preheat T17 ballast power a 90W T17 properly?
@Mike, I have tried 90w T17's on said ballast but the lamps were rather dim....underdriven. In fact, they even striated when first turned on. I then tried them on 96T12VHO ballast and they were overdriven....because the T17 lamp voltage is so much lower than T12. I haven't tried it yet...but based on current, lamp voltage, etc, I would think that T17's would work best on a 2xF48T12VHO ballast. I finally acquired some but gave away the T17's to another collector due to limited space. I also wonder about T17 being designed for pre-heat and connected to rapid-start instead.
@Aaron, yeah, I've installed several 40w T12 electronic ballasts at my work. I was spot replacing magnetic ballasts that had starting problems when it was humid. Anyway, I tried some T-8's on those and they worked fine....very bright too, since overdriven. However, since F32 have a higher lamp voltage, I think they stress the ballasts... particularly at EOL since I had a couple ballasts blow when lamp failed. These are rapid start and wire the same way as magnetic; also series because one side will light lamp like slimline starting side while the other won't light at all on one lamp. But when regular T12's burn out, they end up looking like the above pic!
Ah i figured they'd probably be a bit dim. Thankfully the ballasts and starters aren't impossible to find nor are the lamps (though they're a pretty penny) but the start and lamp sockets: forget it! How long of a life are 90W T17s rated for?
@Don: i am changing the inner lamp sets in a friends garage soon because the magnetic RS does not start at all in the cold...the outer ones will stay magnetic because they will warm up with inner lamps on electronic RS so they should work after 5-10 mins even on a very cold day
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Yeah the GE electronic RS ballast in the metalux strip i gave my grandparents instant starts lamps. I think the OVC is lower though so T8s would probably sputter like they would on magnetic T12 ballasts.
@Aaron, yeah, I've installed several 40w T12 electronic ballasts at my work. I was spot replacing magnetic ballasts that had starting problems when it was humid. Anyway, I tried some T-8's on those and they worked fine....very bright too, since overdriven. However, since F32 have a higher lamp voltage, I think they stress the ballasts... particularly at EOL since I had a couple ballasts blow when lamp failed. These are rapid start and wire the same way as magnetic; also series because one side will light lamp like slimline starting side while the other won't light at all on one lamp. But when regular T12's burn out, they end up looking like the above pic!