BulbCollector Forums

BULB BANTER => General Discussion => Topic started by: Straick on March 07, 2009, 10:23:41 pm

Title: Just joined
Post by: Straick on March 07, 2009, 10:23:41 pm
I just joined tonight, and am looking for some rather interesting information. Where I work, I routinely find vintage lighting fixtures, and do all I can to save them from the dumpster, but since I don't have the space to keep but have a friend who collects them, I give them to him.
The biggest information I'm looking for, right now at least, is the specific component specifications for the electronic starters that are now made to replace glow starters on fluorescent fixtures. I found the patent information(Patent no. US 6603275 B2), but of the 2 schematics included in it, they don't include any information regarding component specifications. I would love to be able to find this because I prefer, wherever possible, to build things myself, and because I also use a single lamp glow starter flourescent fixture over my small work area that gets used for all my activities(electronic repair, RC car repair, airbrushing), but don't like how it flickers right at start up because I know that it shortens lamp life. The other reason I'm looking for it is because my friend has a lot of fluorescent fixtures that use glow starters with vintage tubes in the fixtures, and I want to help him keep them working properly as long as possible. Any help you all can give me will be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Just joined
Post by: adam2 on April 24, 2009, 11:02:14 am
Replacement glow starters, and the electronic equivalents are readily available at very low prices from many suppliers.
I dont think that home building electronic starters is viable since I believe that some of the components are specials, not readily available.
Also surface mount technology is widely employed. This is very challenging for home assembly without specialist equipment.

With the widespread use of electronic ballasts, glow or electronic starters may eventually go out of production, though probably not for decades yet.
If you wish to keep old fixtures in working order, it might be prudent to keep a stock of starters, and lamps.

Thermal starters are already virtualy unobtainable, as are "double glow" starters.