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Manual starter for BC tubes..!

I must have had this old pushbutton for the best part of 60 years..! The kid who lived next door to me (whose dad was a sparky) found an old abandoned bus on some waste ground, so we went and had a look. It had been burnt out, and sadly the only thing salvageable was this bell-push button. I found it again in a box of bits not long ago, and decided to make a manual starter box for our 5ft 65/80W BC-capped T12 tubes..! The 5A BS546 plug fits straight into the socket on the ballast board we use for 80/125W MV lamps, as these tubes run from the same ballast. All you have to do is hold it down until the cathodes start to glow (around 2 or 3 seconds) and then release. Who needs glowbottle starters..?!
Keywords: Miscellaneous

Manual starter for BC tubes..!


I must have had this old pushbutton for the best part of 60 years..! The kid who lived next door to me (whose dad was a sparky) found an old abandoned bus on some waste ground, so we went and had a look. It had been burnt out, and sadly the only thing salvageable was this bell-push button. I found it again in a box of bits not long ago, and decided to make a manual starter box for our 5ft 65/80W BC-capped T12 tubes..! The 5A BS546 plug fits straight into the socket on the ballast board we use for 80/125W MV lamps, as these tubes run from the same ballast. All you have to do is hold it down until the cathodes start to glow (around 2 or 3 seconds) and then release. Who needs glowbottle starters..?!

WC-C150S55-D-40-1.jpg WC-C150S55-1.jpg DSC05858.JPG DSC02544.JPG Cyclim_ANF_Test_Lamp.jpg
Lamp/Fixture Information
Manufacturer:Us..!
Model Reference:Manual starter box
Lamp
Lamp Type:Fluorescent tubes
Base:BC (B22d)
Shape/Finish:T12
Fixture
Ballast Type:80W MV Ballast
Socket Type:BC (B22d)
Physical/Production
Application/Use:Starting fluorescent tubes
File information
Filename:DSC05858.JPG
Album name:Ria / Miscellaneous
Keywords:Miscellaneous
Filesize:656 KiB
Date added:29 May 2026
Dimensions:3072 x 2304 pixels
Displayed:90 times
DateTime Original:2021:11:19 15:26:14
Exposure Time:1/20 sec
FNumber:f/2.8
File Source:Digital Still Camera
Flash:No Flash
Focal length:5.35 mm
ISO:400
Model:DSC-W120
White Balance:0
URL:https://trad-lighting.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=1289
Favourites:Add to Favourites

Comment 1 to 4 of 4
Page: 1

Sammi   [Fri 29 May 2026 at 23:55]
As it says, you push the button once and the lamp lights.! Fluorescent Lamp Cool
Drew   [Sat 30 May 2026 at 13:48]
Interesting use of that round-pin plug! That setup looks great, manual preheat is definitely very cool
AgentHalogen_87   [Sat 30 May 2026 at 19:19]
Very cool device!
Sammi   [Sun 31 May 2026 at 00:18]
We use the corresponding sockets on our ballast boards, it means that we don't have to have lamp holders on all of them. Cool

Comment 1 to 4 of 4
Page: 1