The Lamp Room

Right, so ballasts for 2' 40w T12 singles seem to be harder than hard to find. I have control gear to run a pair of these lamps in various forms, from an 80w 5' ballast wired in series, to the proper old Thorn 2x40w quickstart unit. Problem is, everything I have will only run a pair of these tubes. No-one makes the control gear for a single version of this lamp and anywhere that did ever stock it has long since run out. I'd love to be able to light a single 2' T12 40w lamp, so does anyone know if there's another ballast out there which has properties similar enough so as to be able to run one of these without overheating or burning out the lamp? There must be something out there that's close enough? Anyone?

You could always put two 20w chokes in parallel.

Oh right, they won't mind that then? Spose I'll have to see if I've got 2 exactly the same....

Anyone got any other suggestions, especially for a SINGLE ballast that will fir in a 2' single batten? Just thinking space here.....

Either that or you need the propper tridonic EC40/59 ballast for 2'40w tubes. This ballast in in a single grey ended crompack I converted to 2ft 40w

Well, one of those would be ideal, except Tridonic no longer make magnetic gear and I can't find anyone who has stock of those any more.

Stupid question time.. What about a 4ft 40w ballast? How far off from the 2ft 40w spec?

Was once told that this will just kill the lamp......

The electrical specs are miles apart actually nick!
Osram even recommended on their website at one time to use 2 2' 20W in parallel! Ballasts must be identical
Or I'm sure Eliot once said a PC170HF is a good match. The proper 2' 40W Ec40/59 is the same size as an 8' 100W!!!!

Just run up a lamp on 2x 20w in parallel, lamp has got fucking hot tho, much hotter than I'd expect it to get, also getting a shit load of flicker from both cathodes.......