Hi all
I'm new to the site and hoping for some help

In my workshop i have some old fluorescents and a lot of spare bulbs however no starters and i'm now down to two bulbs that will light out of six, my problem is these starters are bigger than any new ones i can find plus there 4 pin.
They have Philips K3080 80 40 30W written on them and there metal cans with the pins 15mm apart, i don't have much knowledge about lights so i'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction of a solution

Many thanks in advance

So these are current controlled thermal starters, pretty rare these days. These contain a heater element, what is heated by the current passing trough the lamp (or directly, or using an auxiliary winding on the ballast). This heat up the bimetal switch, what open, when heated up. This contact connect one pin from each tube side, while the tube is supplied from the ballast to remaining sides.
So if you turn the power ON and everything is cold, the contact is ON and let the current flow only trough the lamp filament and heat it up. At the same time the heater heat up the bimetal, so after some time the contact open. This create an inductive kick, what ignite an arc in the lamp. If this was successful, the current continues to floe trough the lamp, so the heater is kept heated, so the contact remain open. If the ignition was not successful, the circuit current disappear, the heater and bimetal cool down, the contact close and the cycle repeat, till the lamp ignite successfully.

An option would be to replace the starter socket with the 2-pin one (store the original) and reconnect it accordingly.
Other option would be to create an adaptor: Find a nonworking 4-pin starter, what have usable base plate, but the mechanism is not possible to repair (smashed, fully burned out heater,...). Figure out, where is connected the contact and connect there the new glowbottle starter rated for the tubes you are using there.
At first try to connect there a mechanical switch, assemble the unit and try it with "manual" preheat (close the switch for 1..2second and then open it, after few trials the lamp should light). If you see no response (no glowing from the ends,...), try to connect the two remaining pins, where the heater was connected and repeat the test.
In what setup the lamp light up, you keep that, only replace the mechanical switch with the glowbottle (regular 2 pin) starter.

But the question is, if it would not be better to keep everything original (to maintain it's historical value) and use some another fixture for the actual daily work, because these setups are very rare these days...

It is hard to explain in more specific way, as I do not know the exact configuration, you even didn't published, if you are from 230V/50Hz or 120V/60V region...

I guess many members here would really appreciate, if you would share some photos of it... :-)

Hi and Wellcome !

If you post where you are located you might even get an assistance visit from some member. (Not me though, as 4 pin starters dont exist here so i know you are very far from me)

I would recommend to install a new starter socket in the fixture and use with modern 2-pin starter. (You can hide the new one inside the fixture, leaving the old one to be visible)

Great on your part for continuing to use great old fluorescent fixtures, which are made many times better than most of the new ones

you could temporarly disconect the 4 pin starter and hid the glow bottle starter until
you can find a suitable replacment to keep the fixture orginal form. or you can try themal
time relay. that uses to warm up tubes in electronics before high voltage applied. it would have to
be a  NC tube delay relay. i would think that would work at 4 terminal replacment starters but
it would be large and depending want what siturations of tube placment.

I did forget to put i'm from the UK so its a 240v system
I had thought about changing the socket too but i was unsure of the best place to get one from or what starter to use once i did that.
I've taken some pictures if they would help should i put them in this thread or the gallery?

Pictures to the gallery and here put only links...

Whenever you like

The gallery is meant for images which are of value for us (that includes you, so your feeling) in general, besides solving a specific issue. As those fixtures are of interest for at least some here, i think they totally justify being in the gallery

The forum is meant for images relevant for 1 thread only, which have little or no use outside it. If you need a comment on an image which shows nothing especially interesting, it can be placed in the thread



If not obvious from the images, a drawing of the electrical schematic (or at least : how much wires are coming out of the ballast) would help too. This will help to decide whether you need to connect 2 of the wires together shorted to keep the circuit closed, or isolate them to keep a secondary circuit open so that the ballast works correctly - in case you try to use a modern starter

Also you can try to use electronic starters (not electronic ballasts !) - Some of them have the exact same behavior as original thermal 4-pin starters - preheat and then light up at the 1st try, without flashing like normal starters do - up to your choice

I know were to get some 4 pin starters for you