Angry Sounding Thorn Vivatronic Ballast Startup

(Apologies for the blank space at the start and end - Having issues with my video editor at the moment...so you can have blank space or serious audio glitching...figured you'd rather have the blank space).

Couldn't leave without grabbing a recording of this for you lot.

Found during my most recent two stays at the Mercure Livingston Hotel (when by pure chance I ended up with the same room), was this noise greeting you when you first open the door and turn the lights on.

Aside from a few spot replacements, everything here seems to be magnetic geared and mostly Philips/Thorn. The light over the desk still had what I assume was the original Thorn-EMI 30W tube in it. Elsewhere is all Philips/Sylvania. Surely a rare sight these days!

Be back up there in November, just crossing my fingers that they've not refitted the place. I'll *try* to get a few more lighting shots this time. I'd hoped I would last time but I just ran out of time in the end!

IMG_20171025_083533.jpg sli200_startup_electrode.jpg GEC_SLI-H_60W_Electrode_Working.JPG VID_20160912_001133.mp4 IMG_20170810_152357.jpg
File information
Filename:VID_20160912_001133.mp4
Album name:Zelandeth / Fluorescent Lamps/Fittings
Keywords:thorn / philips / magnetic / startup / video
Manufacturer:Fitting: Thorn. Tubes: Philips
Type/Model:Not known
Wattage:36W x 2
Date manufactured:Guessing 1980s.
Filesize:46906 KiB
Date added:22 Sep, 2017
Dimensions:666.66666666667 x 500 pixels
Displayed:36 times
URL:http://80.229.24.59:9232/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=6878
Favourites:Add to Favourites
Direct Link:Play the file in your standard application

Comment 1 to 5 of 5
Page: 1

Lightbulbfun   [22 Sep, 2017 at 01:24 PM]
those are Philips fixtures? they almost look like 80s thorn PPs to me, I dont think they are SRS (I dont think SRS would be able to strike T8 tubes that reliably) Im thinking it might be a form of electronic starter, one of the ones that pulls half wave rectified mains through the choke. (I have a vivatronic like that makes a right racket LOL)
Zelandeth   [22 Sep, 2017 at 07:26 PM]
The only label I could see on any of them had Philips written on it - sadly it had been half painted over so I couldn't read it. No sign of starter sockets anywhere on them, so whatever the starting arrangements it's fully internal.
fluorescent   [23 Sep, 2017 at 02:29 AM]
What Lightbulbfun said, these are almost certainly Thorn Popular Pack’s with Vivatronic electronic starters
Zelandeth   [24 Sep, 2017 at 12:26 PM]
Makes sense as most of the other fittings in the place are Thorn. Just the random Philips label on one threw me!
Zelandeth   [27 Sep, 2017 at 10:21 PM]
Thanks for the advice on the correct ID for this thing. I've updated the title etc to reflect this.

Comment 1 to 5 of 5
Page: 1

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