I take it from the bent tube that you'e experimented with melting a working tube? I went through a phase of creating warped fluorescent tubes over a gas cooker burner. You have to move the tube in and out the flame for preheating and cooling, but you can create some well warped tubes that still light.
Yeah, maybe if you get 450VAC every day. But for efficiency and tube life, the electronic ballasts are way better. There's a reason the industry is moving to them. Rather, I should say, there's a reason the industry _moved_ to them.
Old comment thread but in 2024 we're throwing out a stupid amount of electronic ballasts and LED batten lights that have all failed in our new buildings. The humble old magnetic ballasts are still going strong that we still have up in the old buildings.
Well another great video, awesome :) And electronic ballast is limited to the mains filtering capacitor, most likely it was 400V (does not matter 105C or 85C, will blow up if voltage is higher than rated) Even if we put 600V cap, next thing that will go is mosfet that drives the pulse transformer, it would give only like ~100V extra with a different capacitor, so nobody bothers putting more expensive capacitors with higher voltage in them, since it gives most to nothing.
Damn... looking back at this vid, it's hard to imagine the fate of Ashley (TheManLab7) only two months after this was uploaded... Such a devastating tragedy to happen only at the age of 25. When I saw the Critical Update video - I was speechless and really ground to bits... A real pity, indeed. 😖😧
Dear mr photon , I would like to thank you for saving me 50 quid on a carpet cleaner last week. I threw up over the carpet last Saturday night , after watching one of your old videos prob years back you demonstrated motor in water and how long it lasts , suffice to say I put my old Hoover to good use sucking up a bucket of water after washing the carpet, Hoover sat on top of a bucket , motor didn't like all the water but did the trick ! Thanks!
I like your videos like this it just goes to show that the product will stand up to normal operating conditions and actualy last rather than stop working as soon as you plug it in.
Magnetic ones are definitely good for driving photographers insane, it sucks being limited in shutter speeds to deal with low frequency lighting. Not that any fluorescent lighting is exactly the friend of a photographer, but low frequency stuff is pure evil.
I guess most photographers are glad that as long as it's not faulty, LED lights that we have now generally provide better lighting than most florescent lights ever did.
Alan Bradley: 253V is the maximum the UK grid is supposed to supply. So 250V may not be typical, but it is within the legally accepted tolerances. EDIT 25/4/2015: the above comment was made in the context of this video which is regarding a light fitting designed to run on domestic UK mains of 230/240V and tested to destruction, and in the further context of the question posted by Alan Bradley who asked whether 250V was over-voltage. It has since been pointed out to me that in some cases the grid supplies higher voltages. My comment only applies to the UK mains as used in standard domestic conditions where the electricity supply is a _nominal_ 230V.
nop. when null-wire damaged it can be 380 V (between 2 phases) nominal. 220V*sqrt(3) = 380V, so 253V*sqrt(3) = 438V 438V is possible voltage when null-wire damage happen.
That'll be three phase though? My comment was regarding single phase as the original video was about lighting (running on single phase and designed for 230/240V). Actually bit confused now as three phase in UK was always 415V, now nominally 400V, so doesn't explain your situation :(
After careful consideration, and watching quite a few of your videos, I have reached the conclusion that you are barking mad and I just love watching you electrocute various items!! hahahaha.
I much prefer the electronic "120-277V" ones we use here for the lower mains voltages, BUT they smoke just as good when the apprentice installs one on the good 'ol Canadian 347V lighting circuits.
Looks like that electronic ballast was designed to run in the states. Not only do we have 120 volts for lighting, but some industrial and commercial installations use 240 or even 277 volts for lighting. I figured it would last for quite a few more volts.
That's right, but for commercial and industrial systems in the US things typically run between 208 volts star (120 volt phase to Neutral), 240 volts split single phase (120 volts to neutral also in residential), 240 volt high leg delta (neutral between two phases to allow two phases to have 120 volts to neutral). We also have 480 volt star (277 volts to neutral). That is just what is used in buildings, you also have a few other odd systems used for street lighting, railroads, etc.
Let me help, in Portuguese: É um balastro comum e corrente. Encontras isso em quase qualquer loja de material de iluminação. O que existe é os novos balastros electrónicos, mas suspeito que não queiras isso. Tenta ir a lojas mais antigas, de regra geral tem um stock dessas coisas giras.
as always highly educational and worthy of a LIKE, now all we need is a bit more voltage to make the crappy fluro's give of a bit more light...stuff the environment the single dislike troll needs to get a job
All LEDs require a ballast (in this case a series resistor) to limit maximum current. A forward biased LED presents almost zero ohms. There has to be a resistor for each LED, you cannot connect them in parallel with each other and use a single resistor.
I am surprised the electronic ballast lasted as long as it did. must have had a tough capacitor. None the less it's the capacitor that went first again. I'm also surprised the magnetic/inductive ballast went at all. I would have guessed the bulbs would have popped first. Always something to learn. Great job and keep em comin
There are definitely some valuable things, such as which ballast had the most previous use. Certainly, most of the magnetic ballasts made near the end of the majority of the first world allowing the importance of them, were not so well made.
Do you know if there are any wall outlets that are higher than 440 volts? If so I would like to see that, as well as you experimenting above that range.
And one more idea for future, may be get some High Voltage from big transformer 10kv and put them into OLD TV vacuum bulb display. connect all outer pins on the gun for 1 terminal and second one into top HV terminal... just think about this.
Hey Photon, i have a few old fluorescent lamp laying around, is there anything fun/interesting you can do with a couple of magnetic ballasts? Perhaps harness the volt spike when he tubes startup? Thanks
I can't remember, but I think this was my idea as I was changing over so many magnetic ballast to electronic. But tbh I'm not entirely sure 🤔I know there were some ideas that where mine but I haven't got clue which ones they were 🤷🏻♂️ I know I used to bring random bits home from work and just have a chat and then thought "Has anyone ever done a video like this before?" n went from there. There were quite a few videos we did that never aired because they weren't funny or interesting enough.
That was weird! I smelled burning components when I saw this! The power of suggestion is strong indeed!!!! WOW! I am another mad scientist Hellbent for High voltage stuff! I make Tesla coils for fun, 9 so far and many more to go. thanks, that was cool!
Some one should answer what a ballast is. For those of us who are here for smoke and sparks. I rather like the videos where Photon explained the principles he was having fun with or some information about the items he was tinkering with. That's what I like, the information followed by excessive application of said information.
But magnetic ballasts produce heavy flicker which not only reduces efficiency but also the overall lighting output and even puts sensitive individuals at risk of at risk of adverse health effects from the flicker
I'm guessing the electronic ones are more power efficient under normal conditions, though? What are those nasty chemicals in the electronics? Some plastic, some silicon in the chips, a little bit aluminium in the electrolytics. Doesn't seem too bad.
hi pal i have a uv lamp which is pls 2 pin 36w my chinese replacement ballest blown up brandnew so i want a metal one what type of ballest would i need thanks lads
I knew the magnetic ballast would be tougher then the electronic one. So many parts that can fail inside that thing and if one part fails, no more light bulb. Could you please tell me what kind of ballast those are for the magnetic type? I have done most of my own work with fluorescent bulbs and as i went bigger in bulb size i found i could not get a 40 watt T12 bulb to kick on in the same way i turned on all smaller sized bulbs..... any ideas you may have please hit me up. Keep up the good work m8 and stay uh.... safe? heh l8terz man.
I'm not sure what's around where you are, but I got some $10 LED bulbs- it all depends on where you live, but LEDs are way better than florescents in my opinion and should be used if practical to do so.
@@coalthedergsune I still have some LED bulbs that I was using when I wrote that comment ten years ago, so that's not true. And those that did go out in that time went bad because the circuit in the base got too warm; the LEDs themselves were fine and new ones don't make as much heat. Old fluorescent tubes get dim and hard to start.
I didn't realize capacitors of that size had the electrolytic fluid in them. I thought it would be the wax or oil. When I saw the steam it startled me a bit. LOL
I'd hardly call having a lamp outlast the control gear better overall. I'll admit on paper electronic is far superior but the problem is they just can't do the hours. One of my mates is a sparky and has a skip full of dead high frequency ballasts!
Why don't you find an industrial-class quality electronic ballast? The one featured in the video didn't even have something as basic as overvoltage protection.
Also: A hello to Mr. ManLab. :-) I also forgot to say in my last comment (mainly because I run out of characters again!) that at 0:20, I spotted some nice BIG fuses in the background on that shelf where the rolls of wire & cable are. :-) -BoomBoxDeluxe.
Magnetic ballast every time for the win. There are magnetic chokes out there that have been in service for over 50 years! With even the best electronic your lucky to get 5 years out of them and the cheapo Chinese ones are even worse! Magnetic ballasts are also less damaging to the environment when they are disposed of as they are only copper and iron, no electronics with nasty chemicals ect...
