Re: [VAL] 12 Volt Flourescent Fixtures?

[root <geraldj@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

No way will the gas fire in a fluorescent lamp at 12 volts. It takes
some sort of inverter to get higher voltage. It takes about 60 to 70
volts drop for the gas. That's running voltage, it takes maybe twice
that for starting. The filaments take only 4 or 5 volts when hooked in
series (common connection for trigger start lamps) and will glow for a
long time. These days a rope light made for 12 volt operation would be a
far better bargain. And wouldn't contain irritating phosphors and
mercury to make a mess when the lamp got broken in travel. Low voltage
ballasts have been around for ages, I remember them in use in buses in
St. Louis in the early 60s.

When choosing fluorescent fixtures, look for those that use modern lamps
like compact fluorescent lamps rather than those that have been around
for ages using T5 lamps. The color quality of the modern lamps is
considerably better than the straight or circular lamps from decades
ago. The fixtures using the modern lamps do unfortunately tend to be far
more costly than the old designs.

Gerald J., WBCCI #5623, VAC