Hello, I am doing an art installation, and I am going to wire eight 4'
T8 fluorescent fixtures(with bulbs) to a power source. Each bulb will
need its own switch.

Do I get a large ballast that can handle all eight, and then wire the
switches after the ballast??

OR

Do I have to use a separate ballast for EACH bulb, and put the switch
before the ballast?

Thanks SO much for your help!

-My name is Yes Duffy

"Yes Duffy MCP/M.Arch" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, I am doing an art installation, and I am going to wire eight 4'
T8 fluorescent fixtures(with bulbs) to a power source. Each bulb will
need its own switch.

Do I get a large ballast that can handle all eight, and then wire the
switches after the ballast??

OR

Do I have to use a separate ballast for EACH bulb, and put the switch
before the ballast?

Thanks SO much for your help!

If you have to ask this question, I don't know that you are qualified to do
the wiring. Keep safe and get professional help.

On Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:50:12 -0700, "Yes Duffy MCP/M.Arch"
wrote:

Hello, I am doing an art installation, and I am going to wire eight 4'
T8 fluorescent fixtures(with bulbs) to a power source. Each bulb will
need its own switch.

Do I get a large ballast that can handle all eight, and then wire the
switches after the ballast??

OR

Do I have to use a separate ballast for EACH bulb, and put the switch
before the ballast?

Thanks SO much for your help!

-My name is Yes Duffy

You can not switch after the ballast, period.....
You need a separate ballast for each bulb (usually for each TWO bulbs,
or each fixture). Single bulb fixtures seem to be a thing of the past
except for portable or (under 2 foot bulbs).

Do you say "YES" to everything? ? ? ? ?
Will you give me ten million dollars? (Just say "YES") LOL

Yes Duffy,

I've had excellent results with this company and their ballasts, and have
installed 24 of them so far. The ballast below handles 4 tubes of the T8
style, and you could use two of these to handle your project for about $30.
The wiring is quite simple, and the spec sheet is available on the web site.
You switch power to the primary side of the ballasts with a simple single
pole switch, thus turning all 8 tubes on or off.

http://www.ballastwise.com/item.asp?...FID=13&level=1

Good luck,

Smarty


"Yes Duffy MCP/M.Arch" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, I am doing an art installation, and I am going to wire eight 4'
T8 fluorescent fixtures(with bulbs) to a power source. Each bulb will
need its own switch.

Do I get a large ballast that can handle all eight, and then wire the
switches after the ballast??

OR

Do I have to use a separate ballast for EACH bulb, and put the switch
before the ballast?

Thanks SO much for your help!

-My name is Yes Duffy

Forgot to add, if you need to switch each of the 8 tubes independently, you
must use 8 ballasts, and the cost and complexity would increase. Each of the
8 ballasts would again have its' primary (110 volt) input switched with a
single pole switch.

Smarty


"Smarty" wrote in message
news:hnVPi.239$GM2.38@trndny02...
Yes Duffy,

I've had excellent results with this company and their ballasts, and have
installed 24 of them so far. The ballast below handles 4 tubes of the T8
style, and you could use two of these to handle your project for about
$30. The wiring is quite simple, and the spec sheet is available on the
web site. You switch power to the primary side of the ballasts with a
simple single pole switch, thus turning all 8 tubes on or off.

http://www.ballastwise.com/item.asp?...FID=13&level=1

Good luck,

Smarty


"Yes Duffy MCP/M.Arch" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, I am doing an art installation, and I am going to wire eight 4'
T8 fluorescent fixtures(with bulbs) to a power source. Each bulb will
need its own switch.

Do I get a large ballast that can handle all eight, and then wire the
switches after the ballast??

OR

Do I have to use a separate ballast for EACH bulb, and put the switch
before the ballast?

Thanks SO much for your help!

-My name is Yes Duffy

For what you intend to do, you would buy eight, individual F32T8 strips.
Each will have an integral ballast and you can wire eight individual single
pole switches, one for each fixture to a common power source



"Yes Duffy MCP/M.Arch" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, I am doing an art installation, and I am going to wire eight 4'
T8 fluorescent fixtures(with bulbs) to a power source. Each bulb will
need its own switch.

Do I get a large ballast that can handle all eight, and then wire the
switches after the ballast??

OR

Do I have to use a separate ballast for EACH bulb, and put the switch
before the ballast?

Thanks SO much for your help!

-My name is Yes Duffy