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Re: Shoplights; too good to be true?



Copied from the newsgroups:

> >I have no idea what the bf of those Lights of America brand shop lights
>  >are or even what they use for a ballast exactly, but I suspect they are
>  >not all that high. Also the cheap ballast method those types of fixtures
>  >use could indeed damage your lamps because many times they do indeed
>  limit the average current to normal or below normal levels, but still
>  >allow through large voltage spikes which can end up damaging the ends/
>  >filaments of the lamps causing them to burn out sooner. Cheap ballasting
>  >techniques could range from just a capacitor, to maybe a cap and
>  >resistor, or even a cap or resistor with a (way undersized) coil of some
>  >sort.

There was a discussion about these light ballasts last summer on this list.  
I've been running mine since July without a problem.  It's super light, I can 
fit two of them on top of my 55-gal by bending them in a little, even with 
only one two-bulb fixture the tank looks great, and it was Cheap!!!! . (did I 
mention the  price?)

Bob Dixon