Retrofit ballast - leave the old one in place!

Thomas Paterson

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Dec 14, 2009, 6:06:54 PM12/14/09

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http://www.helico.com.cn/Uploads/2009-9-8-104048.PDF

Any thoughts on these things? Interesting idea, not sure that they
save a lot of money.

Thomas.

Andrew Gabriel

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Dec 15, 2009, 7:26:12 AM12/15/09

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In article <a5ba19f3-39b9-4063...@13g2000prl.googlegroups.com>,

They seem to drive only the T5HE tubes, which in any case are about
the same efficiency as T8 tubes (with electronic control gear).
The T5 advantages with smaller light source will be lost as luminaires
were not designed for those tubes. T5 tubes are still harder to
find and with less choices (CRI, colour temperatures, etc) than T8.
Looks like you still have the old control gear losses too (and if
you're going to open the luminaire to remove that, you might as well
simply fit T8 electronic control gear in there instead). So, I'm
really struggling to see any point at all.

I've replaced T8 magnetic control gear with T8 electronic control
gear in the same luminaire where advantageous, but I couldn't see
myself using this retrofit tube device.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Victor Roberts

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Dec 15, 2009, 7:56:22 AM12/15/09

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I would not this retrofit system them to save any money
compared to just replacing the T8 EM ballast with a T8
electronic ballast. As Andrew has said, T5 and T8 lamps
have about the same efficacy when both are operated at high
frequency. And, using this retrofit adapter, you still have
the losses from the old EM ballast that was left in place.

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com
http://www.cflfacts.com
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JB

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Dec 15, 2009, 8:00:12 AM12/15/09

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"Thomas Paterson" <t_p_pa...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:a5ba19f3-39b9-4063...@13g2000prl.googlegroups.com...

> http://www.helico.com.cn/Uploads/2009-9-8-104048.PDF
>
> Any thoughts on these things? Interesting idea, not sure that they
> save a lot of money.
>

See http://www.lif.co.uk/technical/
Specifically Tech Statement: TS41
Basically a very poor idea indeed to use these or the newer LED 'retrofits'.
They are all inferior to the original T8 tube on electronic gear.

JB

TKM

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Dec 15, 2009, 5:23:29 PM12/15/09

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"Thomas Paterson" <t_p_pa...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:a5ba19f3-39b9-4063...@13g2000prl.googlegroups.com...

The question that I always ask about such devices is, do the major lamp
manufacturers still warranty their lamps when those lamps are operated on
the device?

Some luminaires might look OK with the shorter T5 lamps put in place of the
original T8 or T12 lamps, but behind a lens or diffuser, the shorter lamps
would look like a major case of dark ends.

Terry McGowan

Jeff Waymouth

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Dec 16, 2009, 6:49:46 AM12/16/09

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Plus, if you read the "blurb" closely, the major type of T6 lamps they
are talking about replacing are the European preheat T8's with magnetic
ballasts and starters.

Jeff Waymouth

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Dec 16, 2009, 6:53:18 AM12/16/09

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When I was still in the OSRAM SYLVANIA fluorescent marketing group, we
did not beleive thatthe ballast provided wiht this system met all of the
IEC standaards for T5 lamps and would not support a warranty. (I don't
know if thta has changed since I left) However, what such a retrofit
will definitely do is void any UL listing of the lumenaire

Jeff Waymouth