How to wire fluorescent light fixture?

[Magnet_Eye]

I want to wire up my cabs light fixture to a plug. It has a green, a black, and a white wire.

I have a 3 pronged plug that says 15v, 125v, and the ground.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[wj2k3]

From my limited knowledge of wiring, you want the wide prong to be neutral (white), and the narrow one hot (black) and the prong to be ground (green).

[Gideon]

Voila!  I save the day.

[StephenH]

Assuming the fixture is the proper voltage for your area (see below), and the ballast (and possibly a starter) are present, you can wire it to a plug.  

Black (Hot) - Narrow Prong
White (Neutral) - Wide Prong
Green  (Ground) - Buttom Prong

AC Line Voltages:

100V - Japan
120V - USA, Canada, Mexico
220V - Europe and Australia

Other locations vary

[Magnet_Eye]

Thanks for the replies fellas!

i'll try this out tomorrow...need to hit the hardware store for a few items.

 

[JustMichael]

You may also want to look at under-cabinet fluorescent lights.  I replaced both of the lights on my cab for less than the cost of getting just 1 of them working again.  The new lights were $7 each and have regular wall plugs.  If you go this route, make sure to get lights that have a switch you can set so it is always on.

[SirPoonga]

Yeah, my cabinet has an 18" flourescent light from Fleet Farm (a midwest store like home depot).  I spliced in a toggle switch for the top of my cab and plugged it intot he power strip in the cabinet.

[Stingray]

On a related note, has anyone sucessfully wired a fluorescent light fixture into their computer's power supply so that the light comes on when the cab powers up?

I have a battery powered fluorescent lantern. It uses two six volt lantern batteries. I was thinking of taking it apart to see if I can hack it into my PS.

-S

[RandyT]

On a related note, has anyone sucessfully wired a fluorescent light fixture into their computer's power supply so that the light comes on when the cab powers up?

I have a battery powered fluorescent lantern. It uses two six volt lantern batteries. I was thinking of taking it apart to see if I can hack it into my PS.

-S

You are going to want to try to see how much current the thing draws.  If it's using the 6 volt batteries in series to get 12v, you might be ok (if you have a big supply).  If it's using them in parallel to get 6v with a pantload of current, it won't work.

You could look at a couple of CCFT tubes with appropriate transformers (caution, high voltage).  They are pretty cheap now and last a long time.  They run on 12v and are dinky (less than 1/4" thick), but you might need more than one.

Under the counter lamps are really the way to go.  You can get them at any home store, they all seem to have normal on/off (starterless) switches nowadays, and for 7 or 8 dollars, they are a steal.

RandyT

[AlexC]

Or buy one of these :
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00924031000&vertical=TOOL&com.broadvision.session.new=Yes

computer off and the other 2 plugs turn off as well, computer on , well you get the picture  

[bluGill]

The florescent bulb itself doesn't care about voltage.  If you replace the ballest and starter (other parts too?) with 12 volt parts you can run a florescent bulb on 12 volts.  Assuming your power supply can deal with the load that should be all you need.

I'd try a camping (RV, not backcountry) store if I wanted to try this.  They are most likely to have the parts.   I wouldn't be surprised if they had the right size florescent fixture in stock.  

[Stormy151]

Just FYI, I got an 18" flourescent light fixture from Wal Mart a couple weeks ago for about 7 dollars.  All you have to do is plug it in and flip the switch.  Just leave it on and plug it into your power strip.

Beats messing with wires when you don't have to.

[StephenH]

Flourescents DO use high voltage.  The ballast is essentially a transformer, or in the 12VDC case, an inverter board.

[Stingray]

Randyt- I'm not sure what you're refering to as under the counter lamps. **caution, bad pun coming** Care to enlighten me?

-S

[RandyT]

Randyt- I'm not sure what you're refering to as under the counter lamps. **caution, bad pun coming** Care to enlighten me?

-S

Heh, not sure if that was a real question or a just a set-up for the "bad pun" .

But I was referring to the 15" to 18" fluorescent fixtures like the one Stormy151 got at Wal-Mart.  They are just too inexpensive and easy to use to really consider anything else for the job.  If you turn your system on with a power strip, they just plug right in without any other real considerations.

I liked them so much in the arcade cabinet that I even bought one for my kitchen

RandyT

[Stingray]

Thanks again Randy. That was a real question, the pun was just an added bonus. My cab is running totally off the computer's power supply, so I'm still in search of a marquee lighting solution that will allow me to power it from the PS, so it still powers everything up with one button.

I'm thinking about using some kind of automotive neon, but I still need to check into this further.

-S

[jerryjanis]

I did all the research.  I had my parts list in-hand.  I was going to build my own flourescent light for my cabinet.  I went to Home Depot to do it up, where I walked past a $4.00 complete flourescant light fixture (like the under-the-counter ones you guys are talking about).  It made my shopping list look a little bit silly.

[Stormy151]

I wired a 12VDC relay into a cheapo power strip and plugged it (the relay) into the computer power supply- then when I switch the PC on, it triggers the relay- turning on the power strip.

Then I plugged the 7 dollar Wal-Mart light into that, as well as the speakers.

Here's a website describing the concept.  He uses an outlet and a junction box, whereas I just put the relay in a power strip.

http://home.bendcable.com/werstlein/

[andrewbean90]

how do i hook mine up to a plug it has a ballast and a starter

[Ed_McCarron]

how do i hook mine up to a plug it has a ballast and a starter

[andrewbean90]

this didnt work ethier I think I got a bad ballast

[lilshawn]

your ballast might be done for.

[andrewbean90]

I just bought a new light from arcadeemulator.net

[mvsfan]

I want to wire up my cabs light fixture to a plug. It has a green, a black, and a white wire.

I have a 3 pronged plug that says 15v, 125v, and the ground.

Any help is appreciated!

 Green wire (ground) = green screw. Black wire (hot) = Gold screw. White wire (neutral) = Silver screw.

although i will point out that some cheap chinese made electrical stuff will have all of the screws the same color. If you look, and thats what youve got, get a decent one its only about a dollar or two more.

also, if you want to go another route, just whack the female end off of a grounded outdoor extention cord, and use it. in that case, the wires inside will be the same color as the wires in the light.