I am getting heavily confused on the electrical characteristics of modern PL-L CFL lamps For my understanding, I seem to understand the following characteristics for PL-L lamps:

18w PL-L at 55v 350mA

24w PL-L at 70v 350mA

36w PL-L at 100v 430mA

40w PL-L at 130v 270mA

55w PL-L at 100v 600mA

80w PL-L at 260v 270mA

Am I correct with the above specifications for modern PL-L lamps? I just need help getting an understanding about these lamps and I am considering experiments involving running these lamps on preheat circuits.

IEC-60901 give the following electrical data:
18w PL-L at 50v 320mA 16W
24w PL-L at 75v 320mA 22W
36w PL-L at 90v 360mA 32W
40w PL-L at 126v 320mA 40W
55w PL-L at 101v 550mA 55W
80w PL-L at 145v 555mA 80W

Note that the higher power lamps of 40W and above cannot be run on 50/60Hz circuits and are compulsory to use HF ballasts of 20-26kHz.

IEC-60901 give the following electrical data:
18w PL-L at 50v 320mA 16W
24w PL-L at 75v 320mA 22W
36w PL-L at 90v 360mA 32W
40w PL-L at 126v 320mA 40W
55w PL-L at 101v 550mA 55W
80w PL-L at 145v 555mA 80W

Note that the higher power lamps of 40W and above cannot be run on 50/60Hz circuits and are compulsory to use HF ballasts of 20-26kHz.

What problems should I have with a 55w PL-L on a 58w Switchstart choke? I seem to see people saying that 58w T8 fluorescent lamps run at about 100v 600mA.

IEC-60901 give the following electrical data:
…
55w PL-L at 101v 550mA 55W

Wow, that's high current!  I thought 55W PL-L/DULUX L/High Lumen BIAX (FT55W/2G11) is electrically nearly identical to straight linear T5HO 54W F54T5/HO (PENTRON High Output/SILHOUETTE High Output).  I value being corrected!  Thank you very much, James.  Now if somebody would copy this to Gallery of Lights, it would be helpful to a larger audience.

The 58W T8 runs at iirc 110V 670mA. Running a PL-L with 101V arc on it will get a current of at least 670mA as well, so way too much for 550mA lamp

It might get about right with something like 18W PL-C || 13W PL-C || 13W PL-C chokes though (3 chokes in parallel)

The 58W T8 runs at iirc 110V 670mA. Running a PL-L with 101V arc on it will get a current of at least 670mA as well, so way too much for 550mA lamp

It might get about right with something like 18W PL-C || 13W PL-C || 13W PL-C chokes though (3 chokes in parallel)

I am also considering preheating a 55w PL-L on a 39w magnetic MH ballast with a glowstarter in place of the ignitor. I understand that 39w MH lamps run at about 0.5a and 85v. I will plan such an experiment and see if the lamp will run well on that ballast. I might also see if 3 F13T5 preheat ballasts in parallel will do the job as well.

Wow, that's high current!  I thought 55W PL-L/DULUX L/High Lumen BIAX (FT55W/2G11) is electrically nearly identical to straight linear T5HO 54W F54T5/HO (PENTRON High Output/SILHOUETTE High Output).  I value being corrected!  Thank you very much, James.  Now if somebody would copy this to Gallery of Lights, it would be helpful to a larger audience.

If anyone wants me to, I have an account and could post the info over to GoL.

If anyone wants me to, I have an account and could post the info over to GoL.

I think that's what he was implying, so you can go ahead and do it. 

The high power lamps suffer very short life and premature end blackening if run on low frequency or switch-start circuits.  This is because the power factor is too low at 50/60Hz, and the instantaneous peak currents at the crest of the current waveform lead to higher cathode temperatures and significantly increased obliteration of the emissive coating.  You can do it for short periods and the discharge will run at approximately the correct power, but the load on the electrodes will be far too high.  You could compensate for this by slightly under-running them, but then the temperature of the cold spots drops leading to too low mercury pressure, and reduced light output and efficacy.

Can the load on the electrode be reduced by shorting across the filament after starting ?

IEC-60901 give the following electrical data:
18w PL-L at 50v 320mA 16W
24w PL-L at 75v 320mA 22W
36w PL-L at 90v 360mA 32W
40w PL-L at 126v 320mA 40W
55w PL-L at 101v 550mA 55W
80w PL-L at 145v 555mA 80W

Note that the higher power lamps of 40W and above cannot be run on 50/60Hz circuits and are compulsory to use HF ballasts of 20-26kHz.

I have seen magnetic rapid start ballasts for 40 watt PL-L lamps before. Are you talking about the European krypton lamps?

I have seedn magnetic rapid start ballasts for 40 watt PL-L lamps before. Are you talking about the European krypton lamps?

These lamps are the same worldwide.
The problem is mainly with the current crest factor.
Plus in the US ballasts operating the lamps at different power than the rating (so ballast factor lower than 1) are legal (for dimmable ballasts the range then should include the unity ballast dactor), so it could have be one underdriving the lamps. In the EU not (since maybe 70's), so no magnetic would be legal for these (it would either destroy tge electrodes, which isnot acceptable, or be lower ballast factor, which is illegal).

When I tested my US Sylvania 36w PL-L lamp on a US HPF F40T12 preheat ballast, the PL-L lamp ran at about 0.34a.

I do vaguely recall that in the early 1980s the first Thorn 2L 40W was possibly also rated for use on magnetic ballast, however this allowance was quickly withdrawn when the lamp and electrode designs of these types became internationally standardised.

NB none of these CFL types at krypton filled. Most are argon-filled, sometimes with a trace of neon or helium for the higher power types which increases their volt drop, to allow increased wattage without having to proportionally increase the tube length.  Due to the use of gases with lower atomic mass there is more sputtering and shorter electrode life, another reason why only HF operation is permitted.

It is not possible to reduce filament load by shorting it.  The heating is caused by electron impingement during the anode phase of the cycle 

I do vaguely recall that in the early 1980s the first Thorn 2L 40W was possibly also rated for use on magnetic ballast, however this allowance was quickly withdrawn when the lamp and electrode designs of these types became internationally standardised.

NB none of these CFL types at krypton filled. Most are argon-filled, sometimes with a trace of neon or helium for the higher power types which increases their volt drop, to allow increased wattage without having to proportionally increase the tube length.  Due to the use of gases with lower atomic mass there is more sputtering and shorter electrode life, another reason why only HF operation is permitted.

It is not possible to reduce filament load by shorting it.  The heating is caused by electron impingement during the anode phase of the cycle

So why in the US, rapid-start ballasts are used for these electronic ballasted only PL-L?