Outer Limits 4x4 Board

> Somebody must have tried this!

Two bulbs, One ballast. In series. Take 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jxNFLz2n7k

Two bulbs, One ballast. In series. Take 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1kboF8coQ8

Two bulbs, One ballast. In parallel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YeiIkztOG8
Not sure why I said "2 ballast in parallel...". Me is useless....

Stuff used:
2x 35watt 6000k H3 bulbs.
1x 45watt ballast.
1x fluke multimeter
1x jaycar special multimeter

Poor little 45 watt ballast trying to attempt to produce 70 watts to fire and run the two bulbs. Cant do it.
* Only one ballast was killed during this experiment *

like your work mate, so the two globes off one ballast will just keep cooking ballasts ay?

I have actually tried it..... as I had a single ballast and 2 lamps.

Much to my surprise the single ballast fired the tubes connected in parallel but wouldn't maintain the arc. A bit more exploration revealed that the starting circuitry is designed to "force" ignition under quite unfavorable circumstances, but once fired the discharge current is closely controlled.

So they would strike but not run. This was with a BOSCH ballast they are pretty well engineered but a cheaper one might not be so "carefull" with operating conditions... - however thats speculation.

Its a bugger having no quite enough of a good thing.