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Motorola 3xF32T8 Electronic Ballast

A Motorola electronic 3-lamp ballast for 32w T8's (will also light T12's...at around 25w. I haven't tried 36w T8's)

All 3 lamps are ran in series, so if any one of them is removed, all 3 go out...
What's cool about these is they will do mercury migration with a EOL lamp, and not just on the EOL, but the 2 good lamps too.

LOL Kev needs one of these someday to show off at one of those meetups!

File information
Filename:	_M_3X277.jpg
Album name:	XmasLightGuy / Fluorescent Gear
Manufacturer:	Motorola
Type/Model:	M3-RN-T8-1LL-277
Wattage:	3x32
Filesize:	127 KiB
Date added:	23 Mar, 2016
Dimensions:	1024 x 340 pixels
Displayed:	33 times
URL:	http://80.229.24.59:9232/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=3429
Favourites:	Add to Favourites

Comment 1 to 17 of 17

Page: 1

Kev

[23 Mar, 2016 at 09:28 AM]

I agree how much would it cost to get one over to me?

Kev

[23 Mar, 2016 at 09:29 AM]

Wonder if we could get one before the meet up?

XmasLightGuy

[23 Mar, 2016 at 04:01 PM]

I'll have to see if I can find this (I put it away somewhere to keep it safe & get it out of the way Laughing

) I'd just just give it to you no charge since afterall you did send me those various SS ballasts. Do you have a standard magnetic rapid-start ballast (can't remember for sure, but I think Dieselnut might have sent one already? )

Kev

[23 Mar, 2016 at 05:39 PM]

Yes John did send me one it didn't work all that well on the 240V I think the electronic one would compensate and work a bit better!

AngryHorse

[23 Mar, 2016 at 07:38 PM]

Interesting, you wouldn`t expect Motorola to make control gear.

XmasLightGuy

[24 Mar, 2016 at 01:14 AM]

@Kev: Kinda surprized by that, I've tested those 277v RS on 240v & they work just fine. Maybe its a thing with the 50/60hz. Try it with a pair of 30w T12s! I do agree that the electronic may compensate/work better...
..I went & found/dug this out today too Smile

@AngryHorse:
Well they do make all sorts of electronic things Laughing

Maybe fluorescent gear was a US-only thing?

Not sure if they still do ballasts or not, but I've got 1 of a newer generation than this one, and I've seen others out there too.

Danny

[24 Mar, 2016 at 11:48 AM]

So would these give our tubes a real good send off at EOL?

XmasLightGuy

[25 Mar, 2016 at 12:38 AM]

@Danny: These are actually very gentle on EOL tubes (especially the 1 & 2 lamp versions, they'll just run close to normal brightness with an occasional flicker...and if left on overnight witll do mercury migration) The 3-lamper shown here will sometimes cause vacuum loss of the EOL tube, but more likely will just do migration. The 4-lamper will always cause vacuum loss though. Its the 'instant start' type that give tubes a real good send off.

Danny

[25 Mar, 2016 at 08:22 AM]

So do you guys have any ballasts at all with EOL protection? Our ballasts would more than likely blow up before the tube if they had no EOL protection and were allowed to fry the tubes.

Funkybulb

[25 Mar, 2016 at 08:10 PM]

Yes we called them Electronic Rapid start or program start. Those tend to have EOL protection. I see them as worse performing HF ballast. But these motorola ballast in a exception as Xmaslight said.

XmasLightGuy

[25 Mar, 2016 at 09:29 PM]

Yep as Funkybulb says programed start ballasts commonly have EOL protection (especially those for T5's). There a few instant start T8 ballasts that have EOL protection too.

XmasLightGuy

[26 Mar, 2016 at 08:15 PM]

Picked up a 2nd one of these today for $3.75 ... its been mounted on a board & is test-running right now Laughing

---
@Kev: PM me on here or LG with your address & I'll see if I can get one of these headed your way...

XmasLightGuy

[27 Mar, 2016 at 07:37 PM]

Just gave an EOL lamp a good send-off with one of these Laughing

totally shattered the internal filament support glass Shocked

usually they don't do that, but sometimes....

Danny

[27 Mar, 2016 at 07:44 PM]

Interesting stuff guys. Do these not blow when they fry tubes right to EOL then? They sound like a good solid ballast

Andy

[27 Mar, 2016 at 07:49 PM]

I think these ballasts roast the tubes without roasting themselves, but then they are made in the USA not China!

XmasLightGuy

[27 Mar, 2016 at 08:16 PM]

@Danny: Nope they don't normally blow when frying tubes at EOL (someone on LG blew one with EOL, but that doesn't normally happen)

@Andy: Yep, that and also an older ballast, probably better quality electronic parts inside too!

------
I have it up & running again - like before with one of the 3 tubes being EOL ... lets see if it frys that one or does migration! Laughing

Danny

[27 Mar, 2016 at 09:08 PM]

so these are pretty good ballasts by the sounds of it then

Comment 1 to 17 of 17

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