I've "aquired" 2 40w PL-L lamps and sockets from a conversion I did on a video machine this morning. Was a briliant idea using 2 slimline 6w link lights and neatly tapping into the 240 mains going to the transformer. Didn't chop the wires, just beared them and used 15a connector block.

Anyhow, I wanna test these old tubes to make sure the 120v electronic ballast was the cause, not the lamps. Can I put them in series using an 80w MBF ballast or are the PL-L lamps different in their current requirements?

Try it and see, you are unlikely to damage them, gas discharge tubes are fairly tolerant of abuse. If the tubes heat up more than normal then it will indicate too much current. PL lamps tend to run warmer than T8 tubes.

If use use glow starters you may find there is insufficient voltage across them with the 2 tubes in series for the tubes to strike. If the voltage drop across the ballast is too much the lamps may not stay alight.

Didn't work on an 80w MBF ballast. However, they work really well on a 35w SOX ballast.

Unfortunately the 80w ballast caused some electrode splutter and both tubes are now noticably black at the electrodes.

Wilkinsons now sell PL-T lamps sadly I didn't see the price but the base looks a fraction small to fit inside an Urbis Opallo. Shame that they didn't sell PL-L lamps as if i go a Residum then it be brilliant.

Boyes sell something quite different, a standard GLS lamp with a halogen capusle this costs £5.

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From streetlighting to radio, dance through the night whilst the streetlights are glowing outside.

Those bulbs with halogen capsules are also made by Phillips, I think they're called HaloStar or something like that, but Homebase sell them too. In fact more and more places are selling them as they start to phase out normal bulbs. Rembering that CFL and LED cannot be dimmed normally using a leading or trailing edge dimmer switch, the HaloStars will eventually become the only mainstream domestic light source that can effectively be dimmed.

As for Wilko's PL-T's - I haven't seen them yet myself, But my guess is they go up to 26w. My Opalo uses 42w, which are sold in B&Q and somewhere else too (I can't remember if it was Wickes, Claus Ohlson, or somewhere else)

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So sometime after 2015 there'll be someting like:
- CFL
- LED
- HaloStar (Halogen GLS lamp)
- Halogen
- PL-T / PL-L
- SON
- MH

Whereas MBH, SOX, GLS, Flo Tubes and older CFL scrapped altogether. Someone did ask me about 150w lamps in Wilko's when I was getting some tape, I said to them if you go to Boyes t'other end o'town you can get a Halogen GLS which is moreoless a replacement for the 150w job the only thing is is that they cost a fiver.

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From streetlighting to radio, dance through the night whilst the streetlights are glowing outside.

SOX and some flu tubes will still be made after 2015 - though I can't remember whether T8 is included in that or just T5's. Halogen floodlights should be provided with CFL retrofits already included in the box.

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