Availability of Japanese fluorescent lamps in America

Hi,

I need an FSL-520-D Japanese style fluorescent lamp. It is unlike an American style lamp in that it only has one electrode at each end. An American style lamp flickers and overheats when plugged into this Japanese style fixture. Does anyone know where I might be able to procure these FSL-520-D Japanese style fluorescent lamps?

The AC voltage across this Japanese fluorescent fixture when plugged into a 110-120 American socket is about 600 volts measured with a standard American multimeter. Just for my own edification, does anyone know how this kind of fixture differs in its operation from an American style fluorescent fixture?

Reply to
Major Debacle
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Do you have a picture of the lamp? If it has 600V then it uses an electronic ballast. The -D suffix just indicates Daylight (6500K) color temperature phosphor. Shouldn't be too hard to find something that'll work.

Reply to
James Sweet

If you like the lamp very much, what you can do is buy a new lamp, new sockets, and a new ballast. You take the lamp apart and re-work in the new parts.

If you do not feel qualified to customize the lamp, there are appliance service shops that can do this type of work. The labour would be a bit expensive, but worth it for a good lamp that you like.

Jerry G.

Reply to
Jerry G.

Perhaps I should have used the word "bulb" instead of "lamp", for it is the fluorescent bulb which has burned out and needs replacing. The fixture is in good shape. This omission on my part may or may not have caused confusion. The fixture itself is built into a cabinet and the electrical guts are inside a cavity. The back of the cabinet would have to be removed to get to them.

The fluorescent bulb which has burned out looks like any American style bulb except that it has just one nubby electrode at each end instead of two pins. A standard 21 inch, American style, two pin fluorescent bulb will fit in this fixture, but it flickers and gets extremely hot at the ends. I've called a couple of light bulb suppliers in the area and neither was able to help. I have an email in to Technico Marine,

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and I'm waiting for a reply. If you have any suggestions on where else to go for this bulb, please post.

Thanks...

Reply to
Major Debacle

It's called an "Instant Start" bulb.

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Page down to the starting section or search the page for "instant start".

Here's an example of one, found with a quick web search:

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&Store_Code=kwh&Product_Code=SYL-22403

(sorry for the split link).

You could call them and ask.

Or just take the bulb to any lighting supply company and ask for an "instant start bulb" that fits.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm@mendelson.com  N3OWJ/4X1GM
Reply to
Geoffrey S. Mendelson

No, "Lamp" is a correct term for a fluorescent "bulb", it's not really a bulb afterall, but a tube.

That sounds like a slimline, I know I've seen fairly short slimline lamps (tubes) at McLendon hardware near me, I can look next time I go there. What is the diameter? I believe I've seen both T8 and T6.

This is the wrong length, but otherwise the sort I'm thinking

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Reply to
James Sweet

GE has this bulb in their catalog. Is it like the one in your fixture? Available at TopBulb on the WWW.

SPECIAL APPLICATION LAMPS COVRGUARD® SHATTER RESISTANT T12 INSTANT START LAMPS T12 Single Pin (Fa8) 20 Watts, 24" Nominal Length, 47342 Order Code, F24T12/CW/CVG

Reply to
Silver Surfer

Thanks, Jeff. The link worked out okay. From what I have learned so far, I need a T6 base with a nominal length of 21', which I don't expect to find. A nominal length of 24" could be made to work, but I can't seem to find that either. My options seem to be limited to changing the fixture, which means disassembling the cabinet.

--

Tie Bush to a post and shoot him
Reply to
Major Debacle

That picture looks exactly like the one I need to change. The diameter of the tube is probably 3/4", so it would be a T6. I don't have it here with me. Definitely not a T8. As for length, a two-pin slender style tube of nominal size 21 inches fits this fixture.

I have run all this by several merchants who specialize in light bulbs and none have even been able to come close.

I am probably going to have to change the fixtures.

Reply to
Major Debacle

I am assuming you are in the USA, altho it would help if you had stated that in your original post as we have a lot of very good UK contributors here.

It would make a lot of sense if you told us what the fixture was that the bulb is plugged into. If it was originally a Japanese fixture, it was meant probably for 100 V AC and when you use it at 120 V AC which is the standard nowadays for USA voltage, you are probably going to shorten the life of the bulb. Did you ever see if the original bulb got very hot at the ends???

H. R.(Bob) Hofmann (USA)

Reply to
hrhofmann

Does it list the wattage? I'll look around and see what I can find.

Reply to
James Sweet

Sorry about the omission of country of origin. I must be one of those Americans who think if you speak slowly enough, anyone can understand you.

Yes I am in America. The fixture was hand-wired in Japan inside a cabinet using individual components.

Here is what the tube looks like at the end:

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Here is what the socket looks like:

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The only thing legible to me on the original tube is FSL-520-D. The rest is Japanese characters.

I believe the '520' refers to the nominal size of 520mm.

The cabinet has been in use in the states for over four years. There are three fluorescent fixtures wired into this cabinet. One burned out two years ago. The tubes in the other two fixtures are working fine. They are not running overly hot to the touch.

Reply to
Major Debacle

It does not list the wattage, at least not in western characters. There are some Japanese characters which I do not understand. The only designation is FSL-520-D, and I believe the '520' refers to the nominal length in millimeters. I would bet that this tube is hard to find, even in Japan. I will probably change the electrical guts to accept a standard two-pin 21 inch tube.

Reply to
Major Debacle

That would be easy enough to do. You can get electronic ballasts now which are very compact. All you need is a ballast and suitable sockets, probably easiest to buy a whole fixture.

Reply to
James Sweet

Not the one. At most, this tube is a T6, which would be 3/4 inch diameter. A T12 would be 1 1/2 inch diameter.

Same style, though... single pin, instant start

Reply to
Major Debacle

s/easiest/less expensive/

But, in any case, it'll no doubt be Made In China crap.

Jonesy

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Reply to
Allodoxaphobia

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