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PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 1:13 am 
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I have obtained an Eleco Way, the ballast has two wires, one is red, the other is yellow. Which one is live which one is neutral? (It will be 5 weeks since its last full operation).

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 2:43 pm 
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Mercury or SOX?

If mercury, it doesn't matter which way round you connect the 2 terminals of the ballast. One terminal of ballast to line, other connection goes to one terminal of lamp. Other terminal of lamp to neutral. No neutral connection to ballast.

If SOX, does ballast have 2 terminals or 4?

If 2, connect as per mercury. You will also need a SOX ignitor connected across the lamp.

If 4, L and N are one pair of terminals, lamp the other. No ignitor as this is a leak ballast.


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 2:57 pm 
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It's the ballast I gave him or the Eleco Way. 80w MBF.

Phosco is correct as it doesn't matter which terminal on the ballast you connect live in and out to.

Neutral does go to the bulb directly and the capacitor across live in and neutral though It will work without a capacitor, it'll use more power and cost more in the long term.

Easiest way is to use 2 pieces of chockblock. Connect the capacitor and live wire to one terminal of the ballast, run a small wire from the ballast to the chockblock and also use the chockblock to terminate the neurtal with the capacitor. You can run a length of wire from the lantern and connect it to the chockblock.

That is temporary as the lantern or ballast will not be earthed.


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:18 pm 
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I'll have a go getting it going tommorow, would the ballast need the capacitor or is it safer with both? Since the lamp is mercury i don't want to cause any damage to both, because this is how I though of wiring it up, Mains > Ballast > Lantern (bypassing the capacitor). Then hopefully the lantern will illuminate.

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:59 pm 
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The capacitor goes across live and neutral.

All it does is correct the power factor. It will work without it but obviously it'll use more electric.


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 11:56 pm 
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Something like Mains > Capacitor > Ballast > Lantern or is it Mains > Ballast > Capacitor > Lantern?

Once I 've got the 'Way' fully referbished then I'll see if I can get hold of a section of column then fix it up onto a display unit.

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PostPosted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 1:31 am 
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Live goes into either terminal on the ballast (it's one of the green ones isn't it) - the other terminal on the ballast goes to lamp. Neutral goes straight to the other lamp terminal. That's the basic mercury wiring... but you can upgrade 1 stage by adding a PF capacitor - in which case use a terminal block for live and neutral supply, the basic wiring stays the same but you then add a live and a neutral to the capacitor.
Upgrading another stage would be wiring in a P42 controller, but that's for another time!

Anyway, that Eleco Way got removed on Thursday and was last lit Wednesday into Thursday. It was fortunate to get one without pellet holes in it!

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 12:28 am 
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Well after having a closer gander at it the wires are red and yellow on the ballast with the capacitor, white.

Mazeteam / Stelmer, if you could draw me a wiring diagram as I fear that I may blow the power supply  :oops: .

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:49 pm 
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it's soooooooooo easy. Ignore colours, they're irrelevant. I will take a picture of my ballast and wiring.

It goes:

LIVE-BALLAST-LAMP-NEUTRAL. That will get it working.

The capacitor goes across the LIVE IN & NEUTRAL. Caution is advised as we are talking mains electricity.


Last edited by Stelmer on Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 28, 2010 3:58 pm 
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I got it going - Sadly no photo's


not for the Eleco Way but for my GEC Z??13 Post Top lantern, I am currently going to manufacture myself a movable gear tray so that I can have the B+C as a sort of testing station for any MBF lamps that I obtain.

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