Electronic ballast for 2- pin PL-S CFL lamp

[bijaypaudel]

I have got a 2 pin 9 W UV lamp. In order to turn-on the lamp i need an electronic ballast. The ballast unlike CFL must give two pin outputs. And I have got ballast from my CFL lamp and it has got 4 output pins. Are there ant ways so that i can use 4 output ballast for 2 pin lamp.


Thanx in advance !!

 

[Audioguru]

Didn't I answer this on another website forum?

A compact fluorescent light bulb with 4 pins has a filament at each end.
One with only 2 pins does not use a filament.

Look at Compact Fluorescent Light bulb Circuit in Google Images where there are many schematics.

 

[pinout]

Hi, as Audioguru said the difference is the heater which heats the cathodes.
Primarily if the a tube is to be switched on and off frequently a heater is used as this reduces cathode stripping and makes the tube last longer.
For a tube that's left running the cathode wear is not so significant so they save cost by not putting in a heater.

The old inductor, capacitor ballasts often could drive both types of tubes, simply by leaving one side of the heater wiring disconnected. BUT there was a difference in the proper balast designs in that the two pin tubes needs a higher striking voltage (as the cathodes emit less at non-heated temperature) AND it was the heater current through the started that when it switched out caused the inductive kick to start the tube (which repeats if tube doesn't strike). Without a heater you can be lucky with small tubes that just switching them on generates the ionising voltage spike and it fires up, or you need to switch off and on to strike the lamp.

So where does that leave you? I have not tried it with an electronic ballast, but you may get away with just leaving the heater not connected, or you may not! With the high voltage and spikes around who knows what might happen?
As a closing note, I did see during my browsing, that someone had extracted the electronics out of a compact fluorescent (failed tube) lamp and wired in their own tube. That may be a low cost experimental route. Finally do be very careful with UV lamps and exposure, you need your eyes a long, long time and be-careful of the lethal voltages around.....