I have two (at one point 4) magnetically-ballasted Slimline fixtures in my basement. I run 75W lamps on both; one 5000K, the other 4100K. Both are Altos but one is CW Supreme (one of the final production runs of USA-made F96T12s...) Great video. Subscribed.
If you ever need a ballast for one, just shout... both ballasts were kept (lead wires cut short though) after the two fixtures were scrapped. One fixture unfortunately was scrapped because of a failed socket. The other one was scrapped for good measure...this was all back before I knew anything about lighting.
Nice fixture, slimline lamps are easiest to install, and are fun to watch at EOL, since the open circuit voltage on these ballasts is so great the lamps continue to operate until a hole melts into the glass or the socket melts and lamp falls out. I have yet to see other slimlines besides the 6 and 8 footers, since other rare sizes are also (or used to be) available: F24T12, F36T12, F42T12, F48T12, F60T12, F64T12, and F84T12, I'd feel like I hit the jackpot if I could only hold one of those oddball slimline lengths and even more lucky if I found a working fixture for them.
I always thought that slimlines were interesting lights, with their unique characteristics and high efficiency, I believe a triphosphor F96T12 could be around 7,000 lumens. I had no idea that slimlines could fail that violently, but it makes sense given their voltage. I think HO lamps were also available in the same sizes that slimlines were, at least mostly.
@@850lights6 yes slimlines when one catohde runs out of emission coating the lamp begins to flicker madly with spiraling effect, the end with the bad electrode has a bright red orange glow and blackens rapidly. At the K-Mart near Pontiac Michigan back in 2016 or '17 just before closing, I went to the men's room and in one of the stalls was a shattered lamp over the john, the socket appeared blackened and melted, was a 6 footer if I'm not mistaken. I suppose if you were constipated and straining to pass a 💩💩having a flickering lamp suddenly fall and break over your head should be enough to make you let loose, at least for me it would and then some🤣😂
This fixture is huge I wouldn’t be able to add it in my collection but if I ever found one I’ll just have only one and rest of my collection is 48 in or shorter units.
24, 36, 42 and 48 inch slimlines are also available or at least until recently, F24T12, F36T12, F42T12 and F48T12 are all listed in my 2016 GE lamp and ballast catalog, and speaking of instant start lamps, many years ago Bi-pin instant start lamps were available, in my 1993 GE catalog in addition to the slimline lamps are F40T12/CW/IS, 48 inch 40 watt, and F40T17/CW/IS, 40 watt 60 inch, these oddball instant start lamps have the filaments internally shorted so they won't start if mistakenly placed in a rapid start or preheat fixture. The F40T12/IS and F40T17/IS lamps are actually interchangeable with the slimline F48T12 lamp and ballast, the F40T17 lamp is designed as a low surface brightness lamp and was somewhat commonly used in the 1950s and 60s in libraries, classrooms and nurseries and similar locations where the lamp are exposed and a soft, relaxing glow is desired while still providing enough light for the tasks.
@@850lights6 I think the only advantage was they were slightly more energy efficient, by eliminating the filament heating they saved about a watt or two per lamp, lamp life is shorter for a given number of starts vs rapid start, but in an application where lamps are run for long periods such would be the case for stand-by lights in a commercial building this isn't an issue. Interestingly enough the instant start F40T12 & F40T17 have the same operating current as a rapid start F40T12, so in theory you could take a standard F40T12 lamp and run it on a slimline F48T12 ballast using shunted sockets or wiring a jumper between the pins and the lamp will work fine. If you don't shunt them the lamp will still work but fail prematurely due to the discharge concentrating on one side of the filament.
I want to find a slimline fixture someday. The magnetic slimline instant start ballasts are the heaviest because they have to have a very big transformer to produce a high open circuit voltage.
Sorry for the late reply, but F48T12 fixtures are extremely difficult to find. Your best bet would be to find an F40T12 fixture with reversible socket brackets to accomodate the plunger sockets. I actually plan on converting one of my F40T12 strips to F48T12HO by reversing the brackets
@@850lights6 I found 3 2 lamp 4ft fluorescent striplights, but I only have 2 HO sockets lying around. Another one of my plans would be to maybe cut one in half and make an F24T12HO fixture out of it because F24T12HO fixtures are incredibly rare.
I will try full wattage bulbs in the future to see if they help. That said, this ballast is rated for 60 watt lamps and isn't completely full power, so the energy savers might not be too bad on this ballast
I have two (at one point 4) magnetically-ballasted Slimline fixtures in my basement. I run 75W lamps on both; one 5000K, the other 4100K. Both are Altos but one is CW Supreme (one of the final production runs of USA-made F96T12s...)
Great video. Subscribed.
If you ever need a ballast for one, just shout... both ballasts were kept (lead wires cut short though) after the two fixtures were scrapped.
One fixture unfortunately was scrapped because of a failed socket. The other one was scrapped for good measure...this was all back before I knew anything about lighting.
Glad you liked it, it sounds like you have some cool fixtures as well.
@@850lights6 indeed! :) Thanks for your kind reply. I'm debating whether or not I should start my own lighting TH-cam channel...!
Nice fixture, slimline lamps are easiest to install, and are fun to watch at EOL, since the open circuit voltage on these ballasts is so great the lamps continue to operate until a hole melts into the glass or the socket melts and lamp falls out. I have yet to see other slimlines besides the 6 and 8 footers, since other rare sizes are also (or used to be) available: F24T12, F36T12, F42T12, F48T12, F60T12, F64T12, and F84T12, I'd feel like I hit the jackpot if I could only hold one of those oddball slimline lengths and even more lucky if I found a working fixture for them.
I always thought that slimlines were interesting lights, with their unique characteristics and high efficiency, I believe a triphosphor F96T12 could be around 7,000 lumens. I had no idea that slimlines could fail that violently, but it makes sense given their voltage. I think HO lamps were also available in the same sizes that slimlines were, at least mostly.
@@850lights6 yes slimlines when one catohde runs out of emission coating the lamp begins to flicker madly with spiraling effect, the end with the bad electrode has a bright red orange glow and blackens rapidly. At the K-Mart near Pontiac Michigan back in 2016 or '17 just before closing, I went to the men's room and in one of the stalls was a shattered lamp over the john, the socket appeared blackened and melted, was a 6 footer if I'm not mistaken. I suppose if you were constipated and straining to pass a 💩💩having a flickering lamp suddenly fall and break over your head should be enough to make you let loose, at least for me it would and then some🤣😂
Thats the longest fluorescent tube i ever seen
Man that thing is loud! Cool fixture though, 8-footers are pretty neat!
Thanks, yeah the ballast is very loud, especially by fluorescent standards
I miss T12 lights.
Same, T8's and LED's are just not the same, especially since T12's were low glare and more reliable
This fixture is huge I wouldn’t be able to add it in my collection but if I ever found one I’ll just have only one and rest of my collection is 48 in or shorter units.
24, 36, 42 and 48 inch slimlines are also available or at least until recently, F24T12, F36T12, F42T12 and F48T12 are all listed in my 2016 GE lamp and ballast catalog, and speaking of instant start lamps, many years ago Bi-pin instant start lamps were available, in my 1993 GE catalog in addition to the slimline lamps are F40T12/CW/IS, 48 inch 40 watt, and F40T17/CW/IS, 40 watt 60 inch, these oddball instant start lamps have the filaments internally shorted so they won't start if mistakenly placed in a rapid start or preheat fixture. The F40T12/IS and F40T17/IS lamps are actually interchangeable with the slimline F48T12 lamp and ballast, the F40T17 lamp is designed as a low surface brightness lamp and was somewhat commonly used in the 1950s and 60s in libraries, classrooms and nurseries and similar locations where the lamp are exposed and a soft, relaxing glow is desired while still providing enough light for the tasks.
I never knew there was an instant start F40T12, do they have any advantages over traditional preheat or rapid start lamps?
@@850lights6 I think the only advantage was they were slightly more energy efficient, by eliminating the filament heating they saved about a watt or two per lamp, lamp life is shorter for a given number of starts vs rapid start, but in an application where lamps are run for long periods such would be the case for stand-by lights in a commercial building this isn't an issue. Interestingly enough the instant start F40T12 & F40T17 have the same operating current as a rapid start F40T12, so in theory you could take a standard F40T12 lamp and run it on a slimline F48T12 ballast using shunted sockets or wiring a jumper between the pins and the lamp will work fine. If you don't shunt them the lamp will still work but fail prematurely due to the discharge concentrating on one side of the filament.
I want to find a slimline fixture someday. The magnetic slimline instant start ballasts are the heaviest because they have to have a very big transformer to produce a high open circuit voltage.
Slimlines are routinely listed on Facebook Marketplace for reasonable prices, so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to acquire one.
@@850lights6 Are the 4 foot ones common?
Sorry for the late reply, but F48T12 fixtures are extremely difficult to find. Your best bet would be to find an F40T12 fixture with reversible socket brackets to accomodate the plunger sockets. I actually plan on converting one of my F40T12 strips to F48T12HO by reversing the brackets
@@850lights6 I found 3 2 lamp 4ft fluorescent striplights, but I only have 2 HO sockets lying around.
Another one of my plans would be to maybe cut one in half and make an F24T12HO fixture out of it because F24T12HO fixtures are incredibly rare.
@@HIDLad001 then F18T12/HO lamps and fixtures must be about as rare as a unicorn. Yes, 18 inch HO lamps are (or were) made.
If you use 75 watt bulbs, it should make the ballast quieter. Those 60 watt es bulbs are hard on the ballast.
I will try full wattage bulbs in the future to see if they help. That said, this ballast is rated for 60 watt lamps and isn't completely full power, so the energy savers might not be too bad on this ballast