Help finding the correct light ballast.

Thread Starter

Nick De Baerdemaeker

Joined Jun 18, 2018
22
Hi,

I need some assistance to what I'm doing wrong.

For a jukebox restoration project I have replaced the following light ballasts
2 x GE 89G525 (4T5 lamp 118V 60CY .125AMP) with 2 x ROBERTSON SP79P (120V 60Hz 0.18A).
Connected are these two tubes; TL-4W/33-640. (which I assume are F4T5 ?)

IMG_5067[1].JPG

4 x GE 89G457 (14-15-20watt 118V 60CY .38 AMP) were replaced with 4 x ROBERTSON CC1420 (120V 60Hz 0.35A).
Connected are an L18W20, a 14watt F14T12 and two 20 watt F20T12.

The replacement parts were recommended by a jukebox parts seller.
It was quickly apparant that there is likely something wrong, since the *new* smell from the light ballasts keeps like that, months after replacing them.
Also, sometimes one of these two bulbs tends to shut off temporarily, which made me think this ballast gets too hot. Sure enough, it feels like that.

So here's where I hope you can help me.
Can it be that this ballast isn't the correct one, which causes the trouble ?

The original GE 89G525, replaced with a ROBERTSON SP79P;
Upon looking up the supported lamps of this ballast, the F4T5 (which I think is the type of lamp pictured) isn't mentioned.
(CFQ9W/G23, CFT5W/G23, CFT7W/G23, CFT9W/G23, F6T5, F8T5 are)
https://robertsonlighting.com/sp79p-a-v1

This one does, so I was wondering if this would be the correct ballast in your opinion.
https://robertsonlighting.com/sp48-a-v1.html
(F4T5, F6T5, F8T5, G4T5, G6T5, G8T5)

The GE 89G457, replaced with Robertson CC1420 seems to have the correct bulbs listed, although the L18W20 isn't in the list, the other two are.
https://robertsonlighting.com/cc1420-a-v1.html

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

MisterBill2

Joined Jan 23, 2018
18,167
One more question is how do you know that the old ballasts had failed? Lights that use a 2-wire ballast also use a starter, and if the starter does not open adequately things will get far too hot. And most starters have a capacitor across the glass module and that capacitor often becomes short-circuited. The solution is to remove the capacitor. That may solve both problems.
 

Thread Starter

Nick De Baerdemaeker

Joined Jun 18, 2018
22
Well, they were original from 1958. The cables were rope instead of plastic and falling apart, exposing the electric wire underneath. Plus they were humming so badly it would sometimes be louder than the music. Not really a situation I like to have.

Update:
I removed the starters that were newly placed together with said light ballasts, and opened them up.
I don't know if it is supposed to be this blackened, but something tells me it shouldn't.

The are brand surelite, FS5. The juke states FS5 4 watt.

IMG_5068[1].JPG
 
Last edited:

Thread Starter

Nick De Baerdemaeker

Joined Jun 18, 2018
22
Hi,

I need some assistance to what I'm doing wrong.

For a jukebox restoration project I have replaced the following light ballasts
2 x GE 89G525 (4T5 lamp 118V 60CY .125AMP) with 2 x ROBERTSON SP79P (120V 60Hz 0.18A).
Connected are these two tubes; TL-4W/33-640. (which I assume are F4T5 ?)

IMG_5067[1].JPG



4 x GE 89G457 (14-15-20watt 118V 60CY .38 AMP) were replaced with 4 x ROBERTSON CC1420 (120V 60Hz 0.35A).
Connected are an L18W20, a 14watt F14T12 and two 20 watt F20T12.

The replacement parts were recommended by a jukebox parts seller.
It was quickly apparant that there is likely something wrong, since the *new* smell from the light ballasts keeps like that, months after replacing them.
Also, sometimes one of these two bulbs tends to shut off temporarily, which made me think this ballast gets too hot. Sure enough, it feels like that.

So here's where I hope you can help me.
Can it be that this ballast isn't the correct one, which causes the trouble ?

The original GE 89G525, replaced with a ROBERTSON SP79P;
Upon looking up the supported lamps of this ballast, the F4T5 (which I think is the type of lamp pictured) isn't mentioned.
(CFQ9W/G23, CFT5W/G23, CFT7W/G23, CFT9W/G23, F6T5, F8T5 are)
https://robertsonlighting.com/sp79p-a-v1

This one does, so I was wondering if this would be the correct ballast in your opinion.
https://robertsonlighting.com/sp48-a-v1.html
(F4T5, F6T5, F8T5, G4T5, G6T5, G8T5)

The GE 89G457, replaced with Robertson CC1420 seems to have the correct bulbs listed, although the L18W20 isn't in the list, the other two are.
https://robertsonlighting.com/cc1420-a-v1.html

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also,
I removed the starters that were newly placed together with said light ballasts, and opened them up.
I don't know if it is supposed to be this blackened, but something tells me it shouldn't.

They are brand surelite, FS5. The juke states FS5 4 watt.

IMG_5068.JPG
 
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