On Mon, 18 May 2009 10:25:59 -0500, Ignoramus24574
wrote:

Bruce, some of the cheap fluorescent lights in my garage are going
out. I want to replace them with something relatively decent, would
you have any suggestions? 120v only.

Charles has it right - you can buy replacement electronic ballasts
that bolt up to the same fasteners, and change over to F32T8 as a
drop-in. Be sure to label the fixture clearly so they use the right
replacement lamps.

Eventually they want to discontinue T-12 lamps and magnetic ballasts
totally. Get them out of the retail channel and make them 'wholesale
house only' and I'll have to sign an affidavit to justify why I can't
change the fixtiure over to electronic before they sell me one.

Change the whole strip if you can, since the reflectors really do
help - plain strips waste a lot of light on the ceiling. "Shop Light"
reflectors do help put the light down where you want it, and a good
model costs about the same as a good replacement ballast.

Or better yet the new "T-5 Fluorescent Low-Bay" lights with
individual reflectors on each lamp.

And the lamp color and Color Rendering Index (CRI) make a huge
difference in a room. I run Spec50 lamps (5000K) with a 92 CRI where
it matters, and cheap Cool White where it doesn't.

-- Bruce --