Today repaired a couple of two tube fluorescent fixtures for neighbour.
Along with some physical items, missing ground screw, improper cable anchor
and a couple of loose and/or broken fluorescent lamp sockets, one fixture
required a new ballast.
Neighbour proffered two unused ballasts that someone had given them. (Both
120 volt 60 hz.)
One was a 'conventional' two 40 watt tube ballast, which worked fine. The
numbers of recognizable 40 watt and similar tubes were listed on the
replacement ballast.
Both fixtures worked fine and neighbour took them away to install in his
garage.
The other ballast is marked electronic and lists tubes that I do not
recognise.
All my spare bits and pieces and a stock of used 48 inch fluorescent tubes
are for conventional non-electronic ballasted fixtures.
And not that I'm short of spare used ballasts and even a few new ones; but
for practical information and as a general question? Must that electronic
ballast only be used with special tubes etc. and/or any use to me?
In any case I'll keep it around cos. with my luck, if I chuck it out, three
weeks later someone will ask me to repair a fixture that will turn out to be
electronic!
Isn't that always the way?
BTW my neighbours son came home for a visit and "helped his dad clean up the
garage". Neighbour now can't find anything useful including the spare gas
tank he had to put in his old truck! Lucky he had those ballasts!