Do XHL T8 tubes need special ballasts?
Sarah Austin
Put them in a 2 bulb fixture and turned them on, but they look pretty dim.
Did I screw up? Do you need a special ballast or something, to run these?
The advertising sounded like they're supposed to be super bright white
with high lumen output.
Victor Roberts
I don't have any personal experience with this lamp, but the
TCP data sheet indicates they are standard T8 lamps, at
least from the electrical point of view. (The lamps are
rated to produce about 10% more light than conventional T8
lamps, which may be due to a better phosphor composition, if
the claim is true.)
The lamps should therefore work on any standard T8 ballast.
You say they are dim when installed in a "2 bulb fixture."
Is this fixture designed for T8 lamps, or for T12 lamps?
That is, does it have a T8 ballast or a T12 ballast? Both
T8 and T12 lamps come in 4-foot lengths and both have the
same base, but they are NOT interchangeable.
--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com
http://www.cflfacts.com
To reply via e-mail:
replace xxx with vdr in the Reply to: address
or use e-mail address listed at the Web site.
This information is provided for educational purposes only.
It may not be used in any publication or posted on any Web
site without written permission.
Sarah Austin
> On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:12:07 -0600, Sarah Austin
><SAu...@pndfnospam.com> wrote:
>
>>I just got some TCP 31032835XHL T8 tubes to try, 32W 48".
>>
>>Put them in a 2 bulb fixture and turned them on, but they look pretty
>>dim.
>>
>>Did I screw up? Do you need a special ballast or something, to run
>>these?
>>
>>The advertising sounded like they're supposed to be super bright
>>white with high lumen output.
>
>
> I don't have any personal experience with this lamp, but the
> TCP data sheet indicates they are standard T8 lamps, at
> least from the electrical point of view. (The lamps are
> rated to produce about 10% more light than conventional T8
> lamps, which may be due to a better phosphor composition, if
> the claim is true.)
>
> The lamps should therefore work on any standard T8 ballast.
>
> You say they are dim when installed in a "2 bulb fixture."
> Is this fixture designed for T8 lamps, or for T12 lamps?
> That is, does it have a T8 ballast or a T12 ballast? Both
> T8 and T12 lamps come in 4-foot lengths and both have the
> same base, but they are NOT interchangeable.
>
No, it's a standard T8 ballast and fixture.
Sarah Austin
bright as heck.
When I tested it with the 2 new tubes, I did it in a large room with all
the other lights out and it was aimed up at the ceiling, which apparently
made them look dim, relative to the room.
Now that the fixture is mounted about 40" over my desk, facing down, it's
great, amazing.
Sorry for my mistake guys.