Re: Instant Start

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Instant Start
From: "G.Tong" <gtong at sirius_com>
Date: 1 Dec 96 15:26:24 -0800

>No, I meant Instant Start.  That's what it says on the ballast, at least.
>T-8 ballasts are hooked up totally different than Rapid Start NO's... BOTH
>pins are tied together at each end, so there is no separate starter wire.
>I don't know they start exactly, but I followed the directions.

Instant start ballasts can shorten your lamp life depending on how you use
your lamps. The preferred, energy-efficient combo is T8s with rapid start
electronic ballasts. 

However, it's interesting that the decrease in lamp life does not apply
when the lamp is on for an 11-12 hour period whenever it's turned on. 

"Instant-start mode electronic ballsts can decrease rated lamp life by
about 25% to 15,000 hours at three hours per start. Life at 12 hours per
start or more, however, is equal to the rated life for a rapid start
electronic ballast."--Craig DiLouie, "The Lighting Management Handbook".

---------------------------------------------------

Greg. Tong
gtong at sirius_com (delivered by Cyberdog)
San Francisco, CA, USA

"Every infinity is composed of only two halves."