ODNO lighting question

[Skyrmir]

I've been reading through some ODNO DIY stuff and was starting to wonder. Since the ballast is the limiting factor in an NO setup, keeping the bulb from going 'boom' or otherwise burning out from the short circuit created by current moving through the gas. Couldn't a small resistor be used to allow more power to go through before the ballast cycled to prevent shorting?

I know I'm probably missing something very obvious as to why it wouldn't work. I was just hoping someone could point it out.

 

[greenmaji]

Ok.. Ive done alot of reading about ODNO.. The magnetic ballasts that come with NO fixtures are designed to drive a certain configuration of bulbs and thats it, thats the only reason why you cant use them from the best of my knowledge.. if for some reason you are a EE and can take it apart and redesign it to deliver more power to the bulbs.. well more power to you.. LOL.. The ODNO projects involve purchasing an electronic ballast that has the ability to drive multiple lamps usually 4 and wire one bulb as if it was 4 bulbs.. the ballast will detect 4 bulbs of that length and apply the power needed for 4 bulbs.. its more tricking the ballast, then re-engineering the ballast.

 

[Skyrmir]

That's why I was thinking a resistor or two might be able to do the same thing. The only way the ballast knows how many bulbs are on it is by the resistance on the line. Thus my thinking was add the resistor so it thinks there are more bulbs, get more power for the ones already there.

 

[greenmaji]

the magnetic ballasts that come with the fixtures are not able to supply a different amount of power, thats just how they are designed.. and the electronic ones will only put out as much power as the biggest bulb that it will handle to one power lead (wich in most cases is only 32 watts).. not as much as it will with multiple power leads (up to 128 watts).. and to fool it to think there is a bigger bulb configuration and using multiple power leads will likely give you a dangerous setup.. like a 12inch bulb receiving 128 watts, that would just be a fire hazard or a setup that would instanly blow bulbs..