<VV> NEW STYLE BALLAST

[Frank DuVal]

Tim, if this sign is going to be around your ham station, the switching 
supply mat generate a LOT of RFI and drive your receivers crazy.

Of course even the transformer driven neon made some interference also.

I have had to get Lithonia to replace ballasts for me in brand new 
fluorescent lights. Lots of RFI from switching ballasts if they are 
poorly designed. The quiet ballasts had a higher current rating for the 
same two tube fixtures. I guess energy savings is why they push the 
noisy ones.

BTW, I have also had two of those compact fluorescent lamps fail in a 
shower of sparks. Another one got so hot it turned the white base brown 
as it failed. I never had these issues with incandescent. They were just 
hot all the time!

Frank DuVal


On 11/12/2014 6:51 PM, N2VZD--- via VirtualVairs wrote:
> Instead of just a high voltage transformer (kind of like an ignition coil)
> they are now a solid state "switching" type circuit with a circuit board
> oscillator making the high voltages needed to fire the mercury in the tube.
> same  type circuit in the base of them stupid looking  curly light bulbs...
> basically it is more efficient . I will clean out the tar box and put a
> modern circuit in it. (when I get time?)
> regards, Tim Colson
>   
>