Hi all, very easy question, can i turn a fluorescent light on and off with a standed relay?. i am tring to do this now, but it not working (conntroller is locking up), and what i can see using google is that i should be using mosfets.
markdem,
A standard relay will work. Remember that the power factor of older style fluorescent lamps with inductive type ballasts is very low (around 0.4). This means that the current will be more than 2.5 times the current that you would calculate from the wattage rating of the fixutre (taking into account the PF and the fact that the ballast is not 100% efficient). Also the load for the older fixtures is highly inductive (because of the ballast), so the relay contacts will experience arcing when the lamp is turned off.
Regards,
Kral