Biax lamp query

Jan 19, 2006 5 Replies
J

Gentle people ?



I have a number of GE 2 pin double biax compact fluorescent bulbs that I can?t get to work. P/N F13DBX/840 F13DBXT4-SPX41.



The GE spec sheet lists them with a G24d 2 pin base, internal starter,



91 v. 0.17 a., but I?ve been unable to find further information on circuitry.

I?ve tried them direct on 120 v. with a dropping resistor, with no result. No current draw ? the voltage at the pins remained at 120v.



I made the assumption that since they contained an internal starter that they may have been self-contained, and this may be incorrect. Most fluorescent bulbs require a ballast, but there is no information supplied on this item.



Can anyone shed some light on the subject (!) for me?



Jack Wetmore in NB Can.


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A

You need a ballast to run them. If you do manage to get one to strike without a ballast, it will be instantly destroyed. It will probably need more than 120V to strike the starter, but the important thing is the ballast limits the current to

0.17A in this case, which is the operating current of the lamp.
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M

Fls need high voltage to strike, so a filament bulb ballast wont do. At the minimum you need an inductor plus starter, for 4 pin tubes. 2 arent as easy to start. I'd get the proper ballast.

NT

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A

2-pin ones simply have an internal starter in the lamp base. They don't need a high voltage to strike if the filaments have been correctly pre-heated. The 4-pin tubes are used with electronic control gear. You could in theory use a starter and series ballast with a 4-pin tube, but no one sells starters for these tubes separately, so you'd have to play around and find one with a suitable closing voltage.

Just noticed OP is in Canada. I'd be surprised if this lamp is designed to run from 120V control gear at all, as there's rather little headroom between the tube voltage and the mains voltage to get reliable current regulation with a series ballast.

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J

Thank you both for the insights.

Do you have any idea of part numbers/sources for the proper ballasts?

jack

Andrew Gabriel wrote:

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M

Yes, quite so. I was thinking of the older 2 pin linears, which were struck cold.

The ballast will likely be an autotransformer.

NT

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