Resolution to fluorescent fixture problem

[Peter]

I bought an FS-4 starter today. Things started looking good when I removed the
glow bulb from the can and it looked to be the same dimensions as the faulty
glow bulb I originally removed. I soldered the FS-4 in place and the fixture
works perfectly.

Thanks to all who made constructive suggestions for pinpointing the problem and
for suggesting the fix. For whatever reason, the 18W lamp bulb seems to require
a starter normally rated for 30/40W bulbs.

It was worth the time and effort. Cost me $2 in parts (1 failed attempt with
the FS-2, and the successful attempt with the FS-4) and about $2 in gasoline to
salvage a lamp that I would have had to spend at least $70 to replace.

 

[James Sweet]

I bought an FS-4 starter today. Things started looking good when I
removed the glow bulb from the can and it looked to be the same
dimensions as the faulty glow bulb I originally removed. I soldered the
FS-4 in place and the fixture works perfectly.

Thanks to all who made constructive suggestions for pinpointing the
problem and for suggesting the fix. For whatever reason, the 18W lamp
bulb seems to require a starter normally rated for 30/40W bulbs.

It was worth the time and effort. Cost me $2 in parts (1 failed attempt
with the FS-2, and the successful attempt with the FS-4) and about $2 in
gasoline to salvage a lamp that I would have had to spend at least $70
to replace.

The wattage of the lamp is only half the story. Narrow diameter tubes
are typically run at lower current, so to get the same wattage the tube
is designed to drop a higher voltage. The starter is sized to match the
voltage of the lamp, and the wattage printed on the starter is for the
lamp types it is typically used with.

Glad to hear you got it working, it's always nice to fix something,
especially when it is not really designed to be fixed.

 

[The Daring Dufas]

I bought an FS-4 starter today. Things started looking good when I
removed the glow bulb from the can and it looked to be the same
dimensions as the faulty glow bulb I originally removed. I soldered the
FS-4 in place and the fixture works perfectly.

Thanks to all who made constructive suggestions for pinpointing the
problem and for suggesting the fix. For whatever reason, the 18W lamp
bulb seems to require a starter normally rated for 30/40W bulbs.

It was worth the time and effort. Cost me $2 in parts (1 failed attempt
with the FS-2, and the successful attempt with the FS-4) and about $2 in
gasoline to salvage a lamp that I would have had to spend at least $70
to replace.

We all learned something, now if you had put a multimeter on
it and measured currents, I would have learned a little more.
We'll show those darn disposable society types! *snicker*

TDD

 

[Peter]

We all learned something, now if you had put a multimeter on
it and measured currents, I would have learned a little more.
We'll show those darn disposable society types! *snicker*

TDD

Sorry to disappoint you.

As I noted in one of my replies dealing with this problem, I did not measure
voltages or currents because I could not find on the web (and no one who replied
in these groups provided) any details of electrical specifications that would
have helped me decide which standard starter's glow bulb to select for the
circuit in my fixture. Someone suggested trying the FS-4's glow bulb because
they said it had approx. double the voltage rating of the FS-2 and I had written
that the FS-2 glow bulb in this circuit caused continuous flickering. In
addition, I wasn't sure that the only electrical tool on my workbench (a 1960's
era VOM rated 10K Ω/V AC) would have provided a meaningful measurement.

 

[The Daring Dufas]

Sorry to disappoint you.

As I noted in one of my replies dealing with this problem, I did not
measure voltages or currents because I could not find on the web (and no
one who replied in these groups provided) any details of electrical
specifications that would have helped me decide which standard starter's
glow bulb to select for the circuit in my fixture. Someone suggested
trying the FS-4's glow bulb because they said it had approx. double the
voltage rating of the FS-2 and I had written that the FS-2 glow bulb in
this circuit caused continuous flickering. In addition, I wasn't sure
that the only electrical tool on my workbench (a 1960's era VOM rated
10K Ω/V AC) would have provided a meaningful measurement.

Experimentation found a solution, if I remember correctly, Edison went
through a whole lot of stuff before finding a suitable material for a
light bulb filament. Consider yourself to be a successful experimenter.

TDD