Which preheat fluorescent starting method gives the longest tube life? « on: March 17, 2022, 03:20:46 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
After knowing that there are 6 methods to starting fluorescent tubes on preheat ballasts (which are glow starter preheat, manual preheat, electronic instant starter preheat, electronic pulse starter preheat, and air thermal starter preheat, and magnetic switch start preheat), I am interested in knowing which preheat fluorescent starting method yields the longest tube life. From what I am aware of, I understand that both electronic pulse starter preheat circuits and manual preheat circuits are known to yield longer tube life than glow starter preheat circuits. I am interested in trying to know if manual preheat circuits yield longer tube life than electronic pulse starter preheat circuits and whether the 1939 magnetic switch start and air thermal starter preheat circuits yield longer tube life compared to glow starter preheat circuits. In general, I am interested in knowing which of the 6 preheat circuits yields the longest tube life overall.
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Which preheat fluorescent starting method gives the longest tube life? « Reply #1 on: March 17, 2022, 09:05:12 PM » Author: bulb_tester2009
我觉得传统磁镇流器的效果是最好的，它可以使灯管实际使用时间远远大于它标称的寿命，甚至达到两倍。就比如说我在我老家做的长达3年的测试，基本过了一年后，使用电子镇流器fixture的飞利浦TL-D 36W/765明显发黑，而使用磁镇流器加上欧司朗ST111R的同款灯管几乎没有发黑，而且我觉得预热型电子镇流器的效果就稍微差些，但是比非预热型电子镇流器好 I think the effect of the traditional magnetic ballast is the best, it can make the actual use time of the lamp much greater than its nominal life, or even up to twice. For example, I did a 3-year test in my hometown, and after a year, the Philips TL-D 36W/765 using electronic ballast fixture was significantly blackened, while the same lamp using magnetic ballast plus OSRAM ST111R was almost no blackening, and I think the effect of the preheated electronic ballast was slightly worse, but better than the non-preheated electronic ballast Leo Yuan
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I've been collecting light bulbs since I was 2 years old and I've been collecting them ever since.
 
One of the few Chinese users here
Note:
Bulb base in China:E12(CES) E14(SES) B22d(BC) E27(ES) E40(GES)

	Re: Which preheat fluorescent starting method gives the longest tube life? « Reply #2 on: March 18, 2022, 02:36:25 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
This does not directly answer my question. I am only asking which starting method on magnetic preheat fluorescent tube ballasts yields the longest tube life. Is it glow starter preheating, electronic pulse starter preheating, electronic instant starter preheating, air thermal starter preheating, manual preheating, or preheating with magnetic starter switches used in preheat fluorescent fixtures from the late 1930s? Electronic ballasts, magnetic rapid start ballasts, and magnetic SRS ballasts are not part of this topic and do not need to be discussed. When I mean late 1930s magnetic starter switches, I meant these mechanical devices shown in the following link: https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=3&pid=158854
« Last Edit: March 18, 2022, 02:44:24 AM by WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA »		Logged

Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Which preheat fluorescent starting method gives the longest tube life? « Reply #3 on: March 18, 2022, 03:29:00 AM » Author: dor123
Preheat with an electronic starter that preheats the electrodes correctly, gives the best for both the lamp and the ballast, as they only tries once, and don't put stress on the ballast, and once the lamp is EOL, the starter shut down, letting the lamp to rectify which isn't so damaging the ballast compared to LPS and HID lamp rectify. Thermal starters have the problem that when you restrike the lamp when the bi-metal still hot, it will allow the lamp to glow dimly directly from the ballast OCV until it will close and restrike the lamp, which is a cold cathode mode, that can damage the lamps. Electronic instant start starter aren't healthy to both lamp and ballast, as it instant start the lamps and put stress on the ballast, causing it to product loud noise during starting.
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I"m don't speak English well, and rely on online translating to write in this site.
Please forgive me if my choice of my words looks like offensive, while that isn't my intention.

I only working with the international date format (dd.mm.yyyy).

I lives in Israel, which is a 220-240V, 50hz country.

	Re: Which preheat fluorescent starting method gives the longest tube life? « Reply #4 on: March 18, 2022, 03:31:27 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
Good to know. Do fluorescent tubes on manual preheat circuits last longer than on circuits with electronic pulse starters?
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Which preheat fluorescent starting method gives the longest tube life? « Reply #5 on: March 18, 2022, 03:42:24 AM » Author: dor123
They should last the same provided that in manual preheat press the start button until the electrodes are fully heated.
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I"m don't speak English well, and rely on online translating to write in this site.
Please forgive me if my choice of my words looks like offensive, while that isn't my intention.

I only working with the international date format (dd.mm.yyyy).

I lives in Israel, which is a 220-240V, 50hz country.

	Re: Which preheat fluorescent starting method gives the longest tube life? « Reply #6 on: March 18, 2022, 04:56:38 AM » Author: funkybulb
Manual preheat start is best.   U can make one by puting normal open switch mounted in a starter can.      Next best is time delay relay on couple seconds to start the lamp  This start by on power up it hold contact close for 2 or 3 seconds  Then opens up.  It wont restart the tube unless u turn off power and   On again.    Air thermal starter is good but it do rare And hard to come by.  And not recomended  For every day use as collector standpoint    Electronic pulse starters I hear they can be hard on old fluorescent Cathodes and break them open.
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No LED gadgets, spins too slowly.  Gotta  love preheat and MV. let the lights keep my meter spinning.

	Re: Which preheat fluorescent starting method gives the longest tube life? « Reply #7 on: March 18, 2022, 05:20:11 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
From what I am aware of, there are actually 2 types of electronic fluorescent tube starters. One type is known as a “fast start” starter such as the Tabelek Fastlux starter. “Fast start” starters are known to shorten the life of fluorescent tubes by sending a high voltage pulse across the cathodes to strike an arc without any actual cathode preheating. On the other hand, there are the “slow start” electronic starters such as the Arlen pulse starters and the PalmStep ÖKO starters. “Slow start” starters actually prolong the life of fluorescent tubes by gently preheating the cathodes until the right temperature is reached before an arc is initiated so that cathode sputtering and end blackening are eliminated.
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.