Retro-fitted Control gear in a crappy Defender work light

Here you see inside the control gear compartment of a slightly crappy Defender branded work light that recently turned up in the weeeeeeeeeeee skip. It came with a non-working LED tube fitted (OEM) and this comartment just empy. I initially replaced the LED tube but found light output dissapointing.

As you can see here, inside it still has all the mounting tabs for a HF ballast & holes for extra lamp cables etc so naturally that's what I've now fitted along with a proper T8 840 tube and now it's much brighter!

Retro-fitted Control gear in a crappy Defender work light


Here you see inside the control gear compartment of a slightly crappy Defender branded work light that recently turned up in the weeeeeeeeeeee skip. It came with a non-working LED tube fitted (OEM) and this comartment just empy. I initially replaced the LED tube but found light output dissapointing.

As you can see here, inside it still has all the mounting tabs for a HF ballast & holes for extra lamp cables etc so naturally that's what I've now fitted along with a proper T8 840 tube and now it's much brighter!

IMG_20240525_202640692.jpg IMG_20260215_212907643.jpg IMG_20260401_194707082.jpg IMG_9911.JPG IMG_9913.JPG
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Filename:IMG_20260401_194707082.jpg
Album name:fluorescent / Control Gear
Manufacturer:Defender
Wattage:36
Filesize:5655 KiB
Date added:08 Apr, 2026
Dimensions:3640 x 2048 pixels
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URL:http://80.229.24.59:9232/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=24390
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Slyspark   [08 Apr, 2026 at 03:16 AM]
Definitely an upgrade from LED. I wonder how long the Arlen ballast will last tho...
Kev   [08 Apr, 2026 at 07:29 AM]
Ha ha looks OEM you would never know!
fluorescent   [08 Apr, 2026 at 07:34 PM]
It wouldn't surprise me if this Arlen ballast is the same one they fitted back when these were sold with fluorscent tubes as 1) it lines up millimetre perfect with the mounting tabs and B- it operates on any input voltage from 100 to 277vac (this was originally 110v)
Slyspark   [08 Apr, 2026 at 10:37 PM]
Ah, entirely possible then I guess...

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