😂

Have you got any gear around that sort of wattage?

hi, i’ve got a Sylvania 85w T12 6ft fluorescent tube (don’t know how it ended up here in italy) and i was wondering how can i run it since i don’t have any specific ballasts for it. thank you very much

Spoilsport...

One of my friends works as a fire investigator, and one time he showed me this burnt up 2x4 troffer from a site. I took a look at it and it looked like it was from the 60s or 70s (had Y-slot lampholders) and it looked like it was retrofitted to T8 electronic from T12 RS. The electronic ballast ballast was spliced into the old ballast wiring which was stranded. The wiring was also a bit of a mess with multiple splices. Generally in a conversion I like to terminate the new ballast directly to the lampholders like in a factory fixture but most people don't due to time and money.

Anyway everything on it was burnt to a nice crisp and everything plastic was melted, one of the lampholders was also burnt away completely too. 

Not sure if the ballast was the cause but it didn't look too budged. Plus electronic ballasts generally don't fail in such a violent manner.

I like to fuse my 2xF40 RS ballasts individually at 1A. It shouldn't trip under normal use but if the ballast starts to act up, you have a better chance of it just blowing the fuse.

I noticed Dollar Tree has the 3 way LED bulbs now, for $1.25. They’re the warm white too, which I prefer. I picked up a couple to try.

It’s nice to finally see AFFORDABLE 3 way LED bulbs, since most, are $6-7 each at other stores.

 I've witnessed a fair few fluorescent ballasts go up in a BIG cloud of smoke ! Many years ago a classrooom in school had one release a big cloud of yellow smoke !     We left and finished class out in the courtyard !

  This one was well done when I bought the fixture : https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=5203&pos=82&pid=163404

Bring back the 1960's, I say. Grew up in London then and it was brilliant, the place isn't the same any more 

Going out and about in public with no electronic devices on my person. (My watch is not battery powered.)

Ahh, the good old days before the turn of this century

I've never had a ballast blow but I've seen a couple do it . I have had a capacitor release the magic  smoke inside my Norelco 180w SOX streetlight . Also , back in my teen years , I wired a 50w HPS ballast improperly causing the lamp to grenade into schrapnel all over my bed room !!  I wasn't allowed to mess with lights in my room after that one !

Oops   

Never had a problem here, the good old magnetic lumps here were built to last, I've known them still work after 50 years half submerged in water in the base of a lamp post