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8 ft. Switch start fluorescent batten fitting.

I came across one of these yesterday. It has failed. I suspected the series capacitor had gone open circuit. The choke winding was continuous and the tube looked o.k. The fitting was removed and a new one fitted.

So, having forgotten the theory, how does the circuit work with an 8 ft. tube and a choke and series capacitor? What is the principle of operation?

 

Z.

Parents
  • Yes, but the older types of fluorescent tube that contained argon and were often but not always T12 would strike from line voltage without any high voltage pulse. Lamps up to 5 feet in length sometimes used a transformer start circuit.

    A choke was inserted in series with the supply, and a transformer with three windings was also used, one 220 volt winding and two windings each of 9 or 10 volts.

    The 220 volt winding was connected across the lamp and the two lower voltage windings connected one to each heater.

    Initialy, with a 240 volt supply, about 20 volts was dropped across the choke and about 220 volts applied to the starting transformer. This produced 9 or 10 volts on each heater and the lamp would strike almost instantly. Under running conditions the voltage across the lamp was about 110/120 volts and the starting transformer gave a few volts continually on each heater.

    Simple and reliable with no starter to fail. More expensive and less efficient though. Such a circuit would on a good day strike a lamp with one heater open circuit.

Reply
  • Yes, but the older types of fluorescent tube that contained argon and were often but not always T12 would strike from line voltage without any high voltage pulse. Lamps up to 5 feet in length sometimes used a transformer start circuit.

    A choke was inserted in series with the supply, and a transformer with three windings was also used, one 220 volt winding and two windings each of 9 or 10 volts.

    The 220 volt winding was connected across the lamp and the two lower voltage windings connected one to each heater.

    Initialy, with a 240 volt supply, about 20 volts was dropped across the choke and about 220 volts applied to the starting transformer. This produced 9 or 10 volts on each heater and the lamp would strike almost instantly. Under running conditions the voltage across the lamp was about 110/120 volts and the starting transformer gave a few volts continually on each heater.

    Simple and reliable with no starter to fail. More expensive and less efficient though. Such a circuit would on a good day strike a lamp with one heater open circuit.

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