Feeler Post.  Not sure why until now it never occurred to me to post this in the Lighting Gallery classifieds!

Looking for a 2X40 preheat shop light. Or 3 or 4 lamp.  Or even 1 lamp.   Preferably not a 'bathtub' reflector unit, but if that's what I get I'm happy.  But looking for more of a '50s era unit with a good solid reflector and minimal rust.  (but whatever, it's a 60+ year old fixture I'm asking for, what do I expect?)

Still-preheat preferred, though I could always change that back I suppose.  Anybody willing to part with one, or know of any?  More importantly, shipping to ALASKA? I know, you might be laughing at me, and I don't blame you at all.

Anybody?  Anything? 

What about rapidstart?
I have always wanted a F40(T12?) preheat light, too.
But all I have is a semi-modern 2-lamp F40 rapidstart fixture.
And it would take a lot to send a big & heavy metal thing several thousand miles.

I already have several vintage (1970s) F40/RS shop lights, with proper HPF full power magnetic rapid start ballasts and F40CW lamps to boot!  If I find any locally you bet they'd be my desk light in a heartbeat but I wouldn't get one from far away unless it was completely NOS, never used. 

Specifically looking for preheat.

It seems like these are rare, but it would sound like there are actually a lot of them.

It seems like these are rare, but it would sound like there are actually a lot of them.

They do exist, but they aren't as common as the RS versions. They do pop up at my local Restore from time to time, usually $15-20.

I have a sugestion for a Preheat F40 fixture  using Rapid start ballast.  Just disconect both cathode
Heater from both end of tube. Wire in a starter block
And FS 4 starter. U can make a F40 preheater unit that
Way.  Hopefully that will get ya going for now.  Hope fully that will give u a cheap "F40 preheat fix."

I have a sugestion for a Preheat F40 fixture  using Rapid start ballast.  Just disconect both cathode
Heater from both end of tube. Wire in a starter block
And FS 4 starter. U can make a F40 preheater unit that
Way.  Hopefully that will get ya going for now.  Hope fully that will give u a cheap "F40 preheat fix."

Does that actually work? I need to try it if it does...

All it is it a Autotransforner choke with two heating transformer coiis.  For singe lamp ballast

In UK there something called quick start
Basically a choke with added dual heating transformer
To keep cathode heated.  And a PFC cap. The componets are seperatly wired in

But with american rapid start all this wired in one
Ballast F can.

If I was doing that I'd buy some NOS preheat gear, there's always vintage ballasts on eBay it seems. 

I understand that totally...it's generally more satisfying to have the real thing than a homemade replica. It can be pretty difficult to find F40 preheat fixtures in the wild, especially ones that are still preheat. I have two 2x40 PH industrials and two 3x40 PH troffers but I'm not about to part with any of them. I might be able to be talked out of one of the troffers...maybe...

How much would you want for one, and also shipping to, yeah, I know, ALASKA?  I have places a troffer could be used back home, some ceilings that are still unfinished anyway where one might fit.  How deep are they? (2X6 floor joists)

I'll PM you.