Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!samsung!uunet!peregrine!ccicpg!cci632!rdi
From: rdi@cci632.UUCP (Rick Inzero)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Powering small Fluor. bulb from batteries
Summary: How to do it?
Message-ID: <31745@cci632.UUCP>
Date: 10 Nov 89 16:36:14 GMT
Reply-To: rdi@ccird3.UUCP (Rick Inzero)
Distribution: na
Organization: CCI, Communications Systems Division, Rochester, NY
Lines: 42

I have a Raytech ultraviolet (fluorescent) lamp (used for mineral
collecting) that consists of two ~6" long bulbs, each turned on/off 
by its own push-button switch that must be held in until the bulb 
"starts", and then released.  It runs off of 120VAC *OR* you can plug 
it into its "battery adapter", which is two "B" cell (45 volt) batteries 
in series.  At the time this unit was made (early 1970s), this was good 
technology for the battery adapter.  Now-a-days, I see similar (small) 
single-tube white-light fluorescent units powered by 4 AA batteries or 
two 6V lantern batteries (camping lights).  These 45 volt batteries are 
available special-order, and are pretty expensive, at least $20 a pair, 
and I can't see buying them when I don't use the lamp on battery power 
too often.  Also, I don't have a need to power it for a long duration by 
battery, so the relatively massive storage provided by the B cells 
(something like 20 hours on-time) is overkill; I'd be happy with an hour 
or 2.  Running only 1 bulb at a time is fine as well.

The entire lamp is rated at 0.35 Amps (AC), and I actually measured 
this with a DMM and it's right on.  Each bulb measures 0.17 amps each.  
The only components inside the lamp assembly are two "starter" switches 
made by Leviton, two transformers (~2" wide), and the two bulbs.  I took 
apart the battery adapter, and the only thing inside is a couple of 2 Watt 
current limiting resistors that can be manually switched out when you have 
weak/old batteries.  There is *no* converter circuitry inside this box, 
so the lamps really are running off ~90V *DC*.  What I'd like to do is 
build a circuit that will power the unit off batteries that I already 
use around the house- the AAs or 6V lanterns, or maybe D cells.

Anybody out there have a working circuit hanging around that will 
accomplish this?  Anybody taken one of these camping lights apart to find 
out the circuit?  I think all I might need is a DC-AC or DC-DC converter 
that can handle this current, and work from 6-12V batteries, right?.  
Thanx in advance!

---
Rick Inzero					rochester!cci632!rdi
Computer Consoles Inc. (CCI)			uunet!ccicpg!cci632!rdi
Rochester, NY					uunet!rlgvax!cci632!rdi


"Your grandmother never, ever called me stupid.  
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								commercial.