Another pet peeve that has really been bothering me is that I often get frustrated whenever I encounter collectors who give contradicting advice when it comes to lamp/ballast combinations in which a European collector might claim that the setup is “compatible” and “safe” while a North American collector would claim that the same lighting setup is “incompatible” and “dangerous”. Has anybody else ever dealt with a similar situation like I have been facing?

Found out that a SON 70w will happily ignite on a 80w HPL-N ballast if you parallel a fluorescent lamp starter to the lamp. Gotta remove the capacitor from the ballast to measure the current (even without lamp it shows 500mA of current, of course with a power factor of zero), but it's likely gonna be pretty damn close to the normal operating current of the SON 70w.

They're fairly quiet sounds, recording them is indeed not too easy unless you already have a proper portable recorder like the ones from Zoom or Roland.

If you don't need them urgently, i can make a few tries. I tried with a contact microphone and i instantly run into two problems: RF clicks from the starter, and inductively coupled hum from the ballast. So the only option would be to use a well shielded condenser/electret microphone, because a dynamic will gladly pick up the magnetic field from the ballast. I do have one, but i need to set up everything outside of the room with my computer. But that's exactly where all my lighting stuff is.

I don't have any EOL tubes. I can make them plink a few times if i lower the input voltage to 190v or so, but they start annoyingly easy.

Yeah, that could work. But there is one thing... I don't have such a good microphone. I have a microphone on my phone and it always picks up some background sounds. But of course there are many tools to remove background sounds...

Get an eol tube and a noisy starter. Record the sounds along with the ballast hum. If you are wanting to make multiple (like a room full) record multiple startups of the lamp (maybe different starter) and change loudness (amplitude) and overlay them. That should get you a decent sound.

Hi

Can someone help me remake sounds of fluorescent starter chimes and 50hZ ballast hum? I have no idea on how to create similar sounds. I am just considering to make an animation with fluorescent lights turning on (and perhaps an EOL lamp). Any help would be appreciated. And of course I can use ready sound effects as well 

Also, any help with the animation itself is appreciated. I will probably be using Blender as it's free. But no hurries, as my current laptop can't run Blender that well (I'm saving for a more powerful computer).

I've always reversed like that as well. My current car has a video screen which helps, but I don't rely on it. As I said, I've always been crap at reversing, but I'd be totally screwed with a caravan..! I've only ever driven with something on tow once, when I was taxi driving. I had to take a trailer load of bonded luggage from Birmingham Airport to Gatwick after a flight got diverted. The customs lot loaded it all up, sealed it with umpteen seals and locks, and told me "Don't stop for anybody. If the police pull you over, don't let them open it, get them to call us..!"

Fortunately I managed the whole trip there and back without getting pulled and without having to reverse..! The car was an old shape Ford Granada, lovely old thing it was.

I received a refund on my order regarding the missing lamp, and put my 36w Sylvania to use. It's nice and bright, but the hertz flicker is a bit stronger with that lamp. This is a HPF magnetic R.S ballast for two PL-L 40w lamps... the hertz flicker is exactly like that of most F40T12 HPF R.S magnetic ballasts. With the Sylvania Eco Dulux 36w lamp in series with one Philips PL-L 36w lamp, the hertz flicker looks almost the same as if I were to install a 34w lamp in series with a 40w lamp. It's tough to explain.

Best way to reverse is like the HGV driver’s do, use your mirrors!, not the stupid way they teach you on your test, turning around and looking over your shoulder!, that idiotic way needs removing from the driving test now!
I once pulled up on a caravan site at 10 pm and went the wrong way!, I successfully reversed using my mirrors, with the caravan on the back, the full length of the site, in the dark!

With a bit of practice it became second nature!, I never look over my shoulder anymore while reversing. 

Same here, I've always been crap at reversing