Building/Wiring Fluorescent Fixture.


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Old 01-18-08, 03:17 PM
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Building/Wiring Fluorescent Fixture.

Hi....About last Summer I had great help come from this site.
I was running power to my shop.... I thank you ...
Now I'm in need of help,with wiring up a small homemade Fluorescent fixture,that will be a free standing unit,as in a table top model...
This fixture is about a 1' square,by 7" tall. ... it's small.
I plan on having four,F4T5BL tubes... Built on a stand that allows 4" of clearance underneath.This UV emitting tool,will be used for curing of UV Cured cement...The items to be cemented,will be slid underneath,and allowed to cure...
My questions are in wiring the Starter,then running the wiring to the four tubes...
Firstly I have a question about the Starter size...The appropriate starter for this size 4 watt tube would be the
"FS5 STARTER,4,6,8W FLUORESCENT"... I think I need to wire these four tubes in parallel??? If this is correct,do I need a larger Starter?? Or will this model handle the four tubes together??? The tubes are 4 watts apiece,so do I figure a starter for 16 watts???
I have more questions about the wiring,but if I can get the starter size needed answered,I'll continue with the next question..... Hey.......thanks for your help...
 
  #2  
Old 01-18-08, 04:46 PM
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You will need to wire each bulb, starter and ballast as a single assembly and then wire the primary side of each ballast in parallel with the others and your line cord.
 
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Old 01-18-08, 07:57 PM
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furd ???

Originally Posted by furd
You will need to wire each bulb, starter and ballast as a single assembly and then wire the primary side of each ballast in parallel with the others and your line cord.
Hi,thanks for the reply...
No doubt,your wording has added another part to the project,that I hadn't seen coming.... In short (ballast)...
I just came from the How Stuff Works site,and it seems that I'll need a ballast... Along with a starter...
So,I'm going to cut this short until I can come up with some info on the needed items for this project...
Can you tell me....???
Do I need a starter for each bulb ???
I intend to use four bulbs.
Also how about the ballast....
Is there a need for a single ballast for each bulb also ???
Can either of these service multiple bulbs???
Thanks again.....
 
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Old 01-18-08, 08:10 PM
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Some bulbs don't need starters if the ones you choose do then each will need a starter (IIRC).

The starter is wired between one pin on each end of the tube. Each end has a filament. One side of one filament is wired to the ballast, The other filament is to one side of the "AC" in. The starter for a very short time completes the filament circuit so each filament glows long enough for the electrons to flow. Then the starter open to cut the flow of current through the filaments. From then on electrons travel directly through the tube between the filaments. Some ballasts can operate more then one tube. One that could handle 4 rapid-start bulbs would be ideal. No starters one ballast. More likely you will need two ballasts.
 
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Old 01-18-08, 10:52 PM
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ray2047

ok....thanks alot.......
I'll go see what I can put together.....
I googled around for about an hr,and all I saw was ballast for two bulbs.......,and they were for the larger t-12 type.
I have a small store bought hand held,100v UV-a curing type of a unit now....It has one F4T5B in it...There isn't much to taking it apart,and I know it has a starter,due to the fact that the starters are sold for it from the company that I bought it from....
There are many four bulb UV-A cement curing lamps,out there.
It's just that all of them are made for the UV cement curing market,and the four bulb models are starting at $200 and up...way up.
I figured I could build one for much less....With the starters,the bulbs,the starter brackets,and the bulb mounting brackets,I have about $40 invested.That's everything I need except for the ballast cost.....
I can build a good four bulb unit for a lot less than $100,tied up in the in whole project.......
 
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Old 01-19-08, 12:10 AM
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It's probably too late now but I would have recommended that you simply buy four of the battery operated fluorescent lights (less than $10. each) that take an F4T5 bulb and then get a six volt 2 amp "wall wart" supply for them.

I haven't checked but I don't recall ever seeing a ballast for a 5 watt tube that would serve more than one tube.
 
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Old 01-20-08, 08:16 PM
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You will need one ballast, one starter, per tube.
 
 

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