12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver


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A number of people have been unable to find the transformer needed for the Black Light project, so I looked around to see if I could find a fluorescent lamp driver that does not require any special components. I finally found one in Electronics Now. Here it is. It uses a normal 120 to 6V stepdown transformer in reverse to step 12V to about 350V to drive a lamp without the need to warm the filaments.

Schematic

Schematic for lamp driver

Parts

Part
Total Qty.
Description
Substitutions
C11100uf 25V Electrolytic Capacitor
C2,C320.01uf 25V Ceramic Disc Capacitor
C410.01uf 1KV Ceramic Disc Capacitor
R111K 1/4W Resistor
R212.7K 1/4W Resistor
Q11IRF510 MOSFET
U11TLC555 Timer IC
T116V 300mA Transformer
LAMP14W Fluorescent Lamp
MISC1Board, Wire, Heatsink For Q1

Notes

  1. Q1 must be installed on a heat sink.
  2. A 240V to 10V transformer will work better then the one in the parts list. The problem is that they are hard to find.
  3. This circuit can give a nasty (but not too dangerous) shock. Be careful around the output leads.

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Comments

anonymous
12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 10:58:09 PM
the design was good, but what if I'll use a 1 amp. transformer, whould it still function well?
anonymous
12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver
Thursday, August 28, 2008 10:50:11 AM
somebody can explain the purpose of each components for this circuit???thx for help.. n any idea for making this circuit greater??
anonymous
12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver
Thursday, August 14, 2008 1:34:18 AM
HOW TO MAKE TRAFO
anonymous
12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver
Friday, June 06, 2008 3:34:19 AM
what about a 240v to 9v transformer, would that work?
Jimmy Ye
12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver
Friday, May 02, 2008 3:53:07 AM
I am a ballast designer,I want to upload ballast electronic circuit for metal valid lamp.How can I upload the pictures?
kram17
12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 3:37:35 AM
this is great!!!!i would like to ask if how much power can this deliver???can this drive other appliances???
vidhubalu.n
i need 12VDC CFL Light Driver
Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:48:57 PM
i am from india i need to built a 12VDC CFL Light Driver using MOSFET and a farite core transformer
anonymous
12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 2:12:13 PM
can you run a 40w with this fluorescent driver
Govindarajan NGovindarajan onymous
12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver
Friday, January 04, 2008 8:43:39 AM
Thanks for a very illustrative circuit.People like you are carriers of knowledge.Keep up the good work.With regards NGovindarajan
G.nishanth kumar
12VDC Fluorescent Lamp Driver
Friday, December 21, 2007 4:31:26 AM
what is the need of TLC555 timerIC.and what is meant by "Q1 must be installed on a heat sink"
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