Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!emory!hubcap!rbrink
From: rbrink@hubcap.clemson.edu (Rick Brink)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Flouro with a mind of its own!!
Message-ID: <12543@hubcap.clemson.edu>
Date: 9 Jan 91 17:43:32 GMT
References: <1991Jan8.044340.11045@athena.cs.uga.edu>
Distribution: sci.electronics
Organization: Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Lines: 19

I've had similar experiences with a Leud flourescent desk lamp I keep at 
bed side.  I used to sleep on an Electrically heated sheet (I quit when
ELM research started appearing).  The similarity to the flouro with it's 
own mind....When I touched the bulb in the lamp, it glowed at nearly full
brightness.  It also did the turn it's self on later trick.  This lamp is
the starterless heater type, but many times, touching the bulb, while lying
on the sheet (on) would start the bulb, and only unpluging the lamp would
turn it off.

As I said, I ditched the electric sheet...  I disassembled the lamp and
found no grounded connections, but when I re-assembled it, the problem
disappeared.  I suspect a grounded connection, or the combination of bad
ground and an incorrectly wired outlet (hot/neutral reversed) was the
problem.  As the rework was done just after I moved to a new place.

I'd check the wiring on the fixture you have though.  If you are breaking
the neutral, not the hot, leakage in the transformer might let it arc to
the safty ground and pop back on.  But I'd say you have a bad transformer
in the light as well now.