Think there's some thing missing, fluorescent lamp 'A' level.

[Harry Bloomfield]

I recall that the resistive lead was use between distributor and spark plugs to add some filtering to reduce the radio interference ciase by the spark ignition.

I also recall some cars had a resistor fitted in series with the ignition coil primary. This was shorted out when starting the engine to provide fatter sparks in the cold cylinders

You could buy resistive plug caps or resistive plug leads and inline resistors for the king lead. Common problems were when both were used on the same vehicle, it reduced the spark intensity. The resistive leads used nylon (?) threads, coated in carbon which after a few years would deteriorate, spark would become poor and they would need to be replaced.

I never quite understood quite how adding the resistors helped, by reducing RF interference. You could also buy, at great expense, screened ignition leads so the screen could be grounded. I fitted a set of those, in my attempts to reduce the interference to my transceiver many years ago.

 

[aptsys]

The lamp would never strike in the first place.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The lamp would never strike in the first place.

Why not?

 

[ericmark]

Now this would work, but no longer a fluorescent tube.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

The lamp would never strike in the first place.

Apparently a voltage spike is not required if there is an earthed metal strip running along the tube to propagate the glow.

 

[AdrianUK]

Have a google for the Mazda Netaline fluorescent fitting from the 1960s.

This was a slimline fitting that didn't use a ballast (no space) instead it used a length of resistance wire as a current limiting device. Plenty of videos around on YouTube

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Have a google for the Mazda Netaline fluorescent fitting from the 1960s.

This was a slimline fitting that didn't use a ballast (no space) instead it used a length of resistance wire as a current limiting device. Plenty of videos around on YouTube

Was that the one which fixed in place of a ceiling rose and hung down balancing on a cantilevered arm?

 

[AdrianUK]

Was that the one which fixed in place of a ceiling rose and hung down balancing on a cantilevered arm?

Yeap, that's the beastie.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Apparently a voltage spike is not required if there is an earthed metal strip running along the tube to propagate the glow.

Many years since I have seen the earth strip on a tube.

A trick with a reluctant to strike ordinary fitting when first installed, was to wet your fingers and with the other hand on the metal of the fitting, to run your wet fingers along the tube. Once struck the first time, they would be fine subsequently - I guess the first strike ionised the mercury in the tube(?)

 

[aptsys]

Why not?

The ballast is used to strike the arc when the rapidly collapsing magnetic field is created by the opening of the starter

 

[aptsys]

Apparently a voltage spike is not required if there is an earthed metal strip running along the tube to propagate the glow.

The earth strip is to help in cold conditions. They still required a starter and inductive ballast.

 

[SUNRAY]

Reminds me of valve radios which used a three core cable to the mains plugs, Live and Neutral were flexible copper and the third was a resistive wire connected to Live in the plug.

To save me typing more details can be found HERE

Yep and I remember people replacing the cable 'because it gets warm'...

 

[SUNRAY]

The units I refer to looked something like this:

The metal arm was maybe 1/2" square and the box in the middle maybe 3 to 4" square and just thick enough to take the starter and connecter. As has been pointed out to me by my sister our original kitchen fluo was the same design but mounted on a bayonet plug and it was never square with the kitchen or level.

 

[JohnW2]

The ballast is used to strike the arc when the rapidly collapsing magnetic field is created by the opening of the starter

The earth strip is to help in cold conditions. They still required a starter and inductive ballast.

Whilst that is the traditional teaching, as has been said, fluorescent tubes with only resistive current limiting did (and presumably still would) work.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The ballast is used to strike the arc when the rapidly collapsing magnetic field is created by the opening of the starter

You are right, I had forgotten about the striking.