Hi!

Did you know that fluorescent tube don't actually die? They might get all black from sides because of the heated tungsten filament.Even the tungsten filament might burn out but the fluorescence never dies.

In this video, you will learn how to reuse a dead tube light or CFL by constructing your own ballast circuit and it will run as good as new.The circuit used for this project is a high voltage ballast circuit with a maximum output voltage of 50,000 Volts AC.

Circuit Construction --> Video Link

You can also use solar panel as the input power supply source since the input voltage range is 12V to 20V DC.

Step 1: Important Parts:

List :-

1) Switching Circuit

2) The Transformer

3) Bike Ignition Coil

4) Power transistors 13009 NPN -> 2

5) 1 K-ohm resistors 1W -> 2

6) Wires

7) Fluorescent Tubes

The ignition coil produces really high voltage (upto 50KV) and the transformer produces low voltage of around 2KV.

The transformer has been used in the circuit to increase the output current flow because the ignition coil output current is really small.

CFL tubes successfully operate even with a 3.6V li-ion 18650 Batteries.The circuit is really efficient.

It produces more than 220V with just an I/P supply of 1.5V

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Step 2: Circuit Diagram:

The power transistors used here are 13009.Connect them as shown in the image.

Now take the 1 kilo ohm resistors.Connect one terminal of the resistor to the base of one power transistor while the other terminal of the resistor to the collector of the other power transistor.

Do the same with the other resistor.Take two similar colored wires and connect them to the collectors of both the power transistors 13009 as shown. Now take the ignition coil and connect one of the High Tension wires from the Transformer to the earth terminal of the ignition coil as shown in the picture. Take one of the low tension wires from the Transformer and connected to the LT terminal of the ignition coil.This is the tapping point where the positive input supply will be given from the DC source to activate the circuit. After you have done that, take the 2 collector wires from the power transistor and connect one wire to the left open low voltage wire of the transformer and the other to the earth wire of the ignition coil.

Step 3: Testing the Circuit With a 50W Load:

The circuit is ready and now its time to test it.

First connect the high voltage wires directly to the tube light.

After doing that simply take a 12V to 20 volts DC supply and connected it to the input side of the circuit.Make sure that the polarity of the circuit connection is right.

As soon as you will connect the the input DC supply, tube-light should start glowing brightly.

The circuit is really efficient and can be used for both low power and high power fluorescent tubes.

So guys, that's all for this instructable.

Thank you for your time :)

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