Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!uw-june!june.cs.washington.edu!tod
From: tod@june.cs.washington.edu (Tod Amon)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re:  Dimming Flourescent Lamps
Message-ID: <15143@june.cs.washington.edu>
Date: 20 Feb 91 21:54:26 GMT
Sender: tod@cs.washington.edu
Reply-To: tod@june.cs.washington.edu (Tod Amon)
Organization: U of Washington, Computer Science, Seattle
Lines: 11


->>Heretofore we have been using a special dimming ballast...
->on a side note, just how does a dimming ballast work?

I'll jump in with an even simpler question:  How does a ballast work?  What
does it do?  You can buy electronic ballasts, supposedly they help save energy
and/or reduce the heat.  How do they work?  Does anyone have any pointers on
where I could get this information?  I'd like to build my own fixtures and
possibly assemble the ballasts myself if it makes any sense.  Is there a 
good definitive source for how flourescents work?
-tod