XPost: alt.home.repair, uk.d-i-y   
   From: Gothberg"@internet.co.is   
      
   On Wed, 19 Dec 2018 14:26:21 -0000, Snicker  wrote:   
      
   > In article , "William   
   > Gothberg"@internet.co.is says...   
   >>   
   >> On Wed, 19 Dec 2018 12:51:53 -0000, Art Todesco  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On 12/19/2018 7:35 AM, William Gothberg wrote:   
   >>>> On Wed, 19 Dec 2018 12:18:54 -0000, Rod Speed    
   >>>> wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>>> William Gothberg <"William Gothberg"@internet.co.is> wrote   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>> Those fake starters people put into fluorescent fittings when they   
   >>>>>> put in   
   >>>>>> an LED tube.... what's inside?   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> A bit of wire between the pins.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>> An LED tube draws power from the two ends, I looked inside one of my   
   >>>>>> tubes   
   >>>>>> and the two pins at each end are shorted together.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> They don't all do it the same way.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>> The LED PSU takes power from both ends if you see what I mean, it   
   >>>>>> expects   
   >>>>>> live at one end and neutral at the other.  So why on earth would you   
   >>>>>> need   
   >>>>>> anything in the starter, even if you left the ballast in?   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Because the simple bimetallic strip starters have the pins   
   >>>>> on the starter connected initially and not connected   
   >>>>> when it warms up due to the current between the pins.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>> Surely it's best to have the starter open circuit, i.e. just remove it.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Some do work like that.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>> Does it perhaps in some way negate the inductive nature of the   
   >>>>>> ballast to   
   >>>>>> be nicer to the LED PSU?   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> No it does not. So its better, but not as easy, to disconnect the   
   >>>>> ballast as   
   >>>>> well.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> The properly made LED tubes are connected live at one end and neutral at   
   >>>> the other.  You just remove the starter, and the LEDs operate in series   
   >>>> with the ballast (or directly to the mains if you can be bothered   
   >>>> opening the casing and shorting/removing the ballast).   
   >>>>   
   >>>> So the tubes where they have live and neutral on the same end, require   
   >>>> supplying a fake starter instead of just removing it, surely an   
   >>>> unnecessary extra expense.  The only reason I can find for making them   
   >>>> like this is some daft safety regulation about having live and neutral   
   >>>> at opposite ends.  Better insulation required to meet safety standards   
   >>>> incase you grab live and neutral with your two hands?  Surely either the   
   >>>> casing of the LED tube is metal, which means you can't get a different   
   >>>> voltage on each hand, or plastic, which means it won't conduct power to   
   >>>> you.   
   >>> I just bought some LED 4' tubes that can be wired any way you want.  I   
   >>> don't know the internal circuitry, but I do plan to dissect one to find   
   >>> out.  These can be powered from one end (either one), both ends and,   
   >>> when powering from both ends, the pins can be shunted or not.  There   
   >>> seems to be no combination that doesn't work!   
   >>   
   >> I can think of a way it might be connected, but please look inside to   
   satisfy our curiosity!   
   >>   
   >> Kinda like a bridge rectifier but with 4 inputs instead of 2 - any pin of   
   the tube being positive goes through a positive diode, any pin being negative   
   goes through a negative diode (as in connected backwards).   
   >>   
   >> You know, a diagram would be easier: https://www.dropbox.com/   
   /clfblkmb6pyqyl8/tube.jpg?dl=0   
   >   
   > PLease don't respond if you don't know what you're talking about.   
      
   Please don't attempt to make fun of me without explaining what you think I   
   said wrong.   
      
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