The Lamp Room

I'm a complete novice when mix-matching lamps and ballast specs. I have a few 18W SOX lamps but cock all to operate them on. What are peoples suggestions on more common gear that can run the 18s?
I've heard 18 and 20W fluorescent ballasts run them fine but do they need an ignitor?
Could I run one on a HF 18W T8 / PL ballast with two wires connected?
Any other suggestions?

I'd just run one on an 18W T8 choke (something like a Tridonic EC18, Helvar L18 etc.) and a normal Philips SX26 in parallel with the lamp. They will often self start from the mains without an ignitor and just a series choke when new too but I don't think that is reliable as they age.

You might be able to get away with using only two wires on some HF ballasts (some of the professional grade programmed start HF ballasts are capable of striking and running a tube with one or both cathodes snapped, which would be the same as connecting only 2 wires) but it is not guaranteed to work and some ballasts will simply refuse to attempt to light a lamp with a missing connection or broken cathode so you are likely better off sticking with magnetic.

Cheers, a Tridonic shouldn't be too hard to source. I have a couple of different HF ballasts, I'll have a play to see if they fire an 18W PLL on two wires before trying the SOX. Philips SX26 ignitor? not seen any of those before. Did you mean SX72 for 26 / 35W lamps?

Yeah they should still be about, any brand will do, just Tridonic was the first to come to mind! Worth giving the HF a go if you have some spares you don't mind experimenting on, which brand & model ones have you got?

SX 26 ignitors are another variant, made specifically for 18/26W lamps, but can also light 35W lamps. Occasionally seen in the 26W SOX-E versions of the MI26 etc, but I think the SX72 was a lot more common.

I’ve successfully ran them with a Parmar PXE070255 in conjunction with a two foot choke before

I've had a play with some electronic drivers, and I do have some that can run an 18W PL-L with just two wires connected. Putting that to a B22 socket and they run the 18W SOX very well. I think they're slightly underdriven, with my energy monitor showing 17.6W at full power, but they definitely do the trick. I'll be on the lookout for any SX26 ignitors so I can make a magnetic gear board as well at some point.