Well not only did yesterday result in restoration work, it also had some "play" time for SLI lamps.
60W SLI warming up:
I also powered up the 200W SLI lamps and after a bit of a "senior moment" realising that a starter switch is required as the ballast is a single coil type and not a Leak Transformer used for 140W SLI, we achieved this:
Near to full power (excuse my string of terminal blocks...)
I used an electronic fluorescent starter switch which heated the electrodes causing them to glow yellow and then as it starts the tube "ping" the violet discharge starts.
There was none of the dramatic light show and flickering of the 140W SLI - I’m not sure if this was because the electrodes were pre-warmed compared with the "cold strike" resonant start of the Leak gear for 140W SLI, or the design of the GEC arc tube which is a different cross section.
I will sometime try the 140W SLI on a simple ignitor ballast and fluorescent starter and see if that gives the same "softer" start.
Run up time was much reduced compared to 140W SLI (or even 135/180W SOX). I got an operating current of around 1.2A using an ac clamp meter which is slightly under the ideal of 1.5A. I believe Chris M got around 2A a few weeks back when he tried his on the same type of ballast.