Hello:
I wanted to order with my father through the email, 4 EFS120 Pulstarters from Arlen. The text of the email to the address of their export sales was:

Subject: Order of 4 EFS120 Pulsestarters

I would like to order 4 units of EFS120 Pulsestarters to be shipped to Haifa Israel. Please let me know what would be the cost of this shipment.

Thank you,

*My father name concered*
33 Beth-Lehem St.
Haifa, Israel 35566

End of message.

They answered us:

Subject: Undeliverable: Order of 4 EFS120 Pulsestarters

Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups:

efaexportsales at arlen.co.uk (at = @)
Your message can't be delivered because delivery to this address is restricted.

End of message.

Why they did this to us???

Maybe because of Isreal's restrictive trade practices law?

It looks like the email did not go through for some reason. They didn't even see your request.

To get more clear, the email address that we sent the order, was efaexportsales at arlen.co.uk (at = @).

It looks like the email did not go through for some reason. They didn't even see your request.

Yeah it looks more like a email server problem then them refusing to sell to you. You could try using a different email account though as some places block specific email hosts due to spam issues.


I personally would just order them off eBay (the exact model is there) or something...usually I find manufacturers won't sell directly to the public.  

@Dor123 - The Pulsestarter is only a solid state switch on a timer and does nothing to reduce starting voltage to the tube. The tube will still suffer switch wear only delaying the process with less flashing. A true programmed start method would have dual function. 1) Preheat eletrodes. 2) Ramp up the lamp voltage gradually until the entire tube lights the tube will last more than the rated lifespan I'm sure. You could also install preheating transformers on a timer and series lamp the starter to reduce starting voltage if you really want to get >rated liefespan of the lamps other wise I think it's not any different than regular starters plus they are difficult to get.

@imj:
The "starting voltage reduction" play no role in preserving tube life.
There are only two things affecting the life:
Never let the discharge appear on electrodes not hot enough
Never overload the tube, what mean with an inductive ballast phase control of the ignition pulses (this is not guaranteed by the glowbottle).
Both is provided by the "pulsestarters".
The 3'rd condition is to provide correct heating power, that is the task for the ballast.


The gradual increase in lamp voltage in HF programmed start ballasts is a consequence of making the design robust against component tolerances. The reason is, the resonant frequency vary almost +/-10%, the same for the timing components controlling the frequency.
As the correct frequency for the high voltage generation require way tighter matching between the frequency and resonant circuit than the reall components are able to offer, the designs use an alternative approach: Ssweep the generated frequency so, somewhere within the sweep the matching will be good enough, so strike the lamp.
Ans as the frequency is swept, consequently the voltage rise gradually.
The sweep should not be too slow, as when the voltage rise, so does he heating power, way above what the filament is designed for (both for voltage, as well as current mode heating). Therefore the ignition sweep is usually designed to last less than 100ms, so the thermal inertia of the filament is capable to prevent it's overheating before the lamp damp the resonator when it ignite.

I have a PulseStarter installed in one light in the living room. I changed the tube recently couple of months ago and it has many switchings and not left on for long I could take the cover off to see if there is any wear.

OK I checked it there is WEAR! A black patch is forming on one side of the tube would not happen in the circuit I built with lowered starting voltage and external preheating which the tubes used on it has seen far more switchings than the light with PulseStarter.

IMJ: Don't except for low quality chinese generic lamps to last longer even with your pulsestarters. In your rate, with glow starters, your lamps won't last at all.
Also, if there is a mismatch between the lamps and the starter type (Single operation starter with two lamps and a single magnetic ballast in series (2x4-8W T5 or 2x18-20W T8/T12), or a series operation starter with a single lamp and a single ballast, even with pulstarters the lamps won't last long.
The Arlen Pulsestarter EFS600 inside the Shaingout Electronic-Start PROVED to extend the lifespan of the US Philips F40T12/Ds and the Osram China L 36W/765 in the storage of Carmel hospital considerably, compared to the same lamps operated with Osram ST111 glow starters.
N.B: Which brand of electronic starters you use?

Deleted to avoid conflict.

Deleted for wasting my time since there is conflict already.

Just order some off eBay. Plenty of sellers in the UK ship worldwide.