v8kid
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 04:25 PM |
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Anyone tried overdriving fluorescent lights
Like it says - Anyone tried overdriving fluorescent lights? Would you recommend it?
I'm not interested in the efficiency or running costs I just want it brighter.
I've got 15 existing 6 foot switchstart singles and I need more light and can't decide if I should just replace them with modern twin
fittings and get 2x the light or rewire them to overdrive with electronic ballasts and get 1.7x the light?
Suspect just replacing would be easier but costly at £450 ish whilst electronic ballasts would only cost £150. Then again new fittings would have new
tubes which would be brighter than the existing 10 year old ones and its £90 to replace tubes - Ho Hum! its a bugger to be mean but £450 could go a
long way to throttle bodies 
Cheers!
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
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Slimy38
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 05:04 PM |
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Not done the overdrive bit, but I've seen the effects of replacing decade old tubes, it's likely you'd get the boost in brightness
just from that even without going to twin tube fittings. If you use them daily you don't notice how much they fade over time.
I'd be tempted to go for the £90 for new tubes (if I understood your post correctly). Or you could just replace one to see the difference before
taking the plunge?
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dave r
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 05:20 PM |
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new tubes make a lot of difference
I'd love to give my imaginary friend a great big hug,
but this jacket makes it impossible.
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Dooey99
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 05:24 PM |
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They do led tubes that fit in fluorescent units and they are amazingly good, my mate put some in his garage and they made the world of difference, do
not know how much they were though
Less weight more speed, more power more speed
If in doubt, give it a clout
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britishtrident
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 05:33 PM |
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I re-tubed my kitchen after 12 years the difference was significant..
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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big-vee-twin
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 06:11 PM |
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Lamps loose a significant proportion of their output after a year- they have already lost 20% ,ten year old lamps will be well out of spec.
Relamping will improve things significantly.
Duratec Engine is fitted, MS2 Extra V3 is assembled and tested, engine running, car now built. IVA passed 26/02/2016
http://www.triangleltd.com
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adithorp
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 06:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Dooey99
They do led tubes that fit in fluorescent units and they are amazingly good, my mate put some in his garage and they made the world of difference, do
not know how much they were though
I know a local dealership who've had the latest LED ones fitted to replace their old tubes/fittings and all the mechanics are busy buying
halogen flood lights on tripods as, although it looks bright, they are having trouble seeing what they're doing.
New tubes will help but have you tried just cleaning them. Soapy warm water on a rag, wipe them, dry and refit. You'll be surprised at the
amount of crap that builds up on the tubes.
"A witty saying proves nothing" Voltaire
http://jpsc.org.uk/forum/
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owelly
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 06:29 PM |
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At work, we change all 'long tubes' every year and the 600mm 'short tubes' every two years. You can certainly tell if
there's an old one left in! We also choose the colour of tube to suit the location. Cool white for offices. Warm white for rest rooms. Ultra
white for conferance, etc.
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk
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coozer
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 07:28 PM |
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Led is the way, nice a bright and they pay off in a couple of months, last for donkeys years as well apparently...
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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quinnj3
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 08:24 PM |
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Definitely change tubes. Also if changing tubes, change the starters as well. I learned this the hard way when working in maintenance. I'd
find myself at the same fitting within 3 months of changing the tube and would need to change both the tube and starter again due to weak starting.
For the kind of quantities your looking at with a bit if bartering you should be able to achieve a significant discount as well. If you suffer
headaches or sore eyes in this place then you may find electronic ballasts help eye strain but they won't last the same 10 years as your old
ballasts. Electronic units don't tend to be much brighter and replacing starters and tubes only will reduce eye strain significantly anyway.
As a previous post pointed out LEDs aren't the way to go just yet. If you replace the tubes now in 5 years time you could consider changing to
LEDs as the technology will be well advanced and proven by then.
my aim is to build my own locost wether it takes me a week or 10 years to get started, i'm sure i will sometime
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johnwilders
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 08:57 PM |
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I drove over one just the other day, didn't work at all after that.
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BenB
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| posted on 12/10/14 at 09:29 PM |
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I put some 16w bulbs in a 28w unit. Gave good light given the bulb rating but they failed v quickly- prob about a third the expectancy of the 28w
bulbs.
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v8kid
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| posted on 13/10/14 at 05:25 AM |
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Thanks chaps new tubes it is then. Think I'll go for daylight tubes and if that's not enough selectively overdrive. Meanwhile I'll
clean them cos right enough they are mankey!
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
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DW100
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| posted on 13/10/14 at 10:00 AM |
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Try an electrical factors
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lamps_and_Tubes_Index/Fluorescent_Trisphosphor/index.html
10+ is £3.25 + VAT each
Thats about £58 for 15 inc VAT
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v8kid
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| posted on 13/10/14 at 03:58 PM |
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Thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately TCL do not have a branch in Scotland but Toolstation sell for slightly cheaper and I can pick them up from the
counter.
I'll do a before and after Lumens measurement out of interest
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
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v8kid
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| posted on 25/11/15 at 10:22 PM |
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Well bless me its a year since I was going to relamp - finally did it and what a difference !
No need for a lightmeter its like night and day, ta for the tip about the starters they now strike almost at once.
Cheers!
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
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