Can Tube-light work in DC ?

@[Prototype] • 20 Oct, 2012 • 1 like Yes, tube lights can work on DC, but the control circuitry will consume as much power as the light itself, so its 2X consumption. Besides, to avoid accumulation of mercury on one side, the polarity of the supply is required reversed than the previous time, every time you start it. So this will require another piece of circuitry.

If you're constrained with the DC supply, why not use inverter and then give it to traditional tube light setup? In fact, the new "electronic tube lights" or electronic ballast to be more specific, that starts instantly, employs the same thing.

@Kaustubh Katdare • 20 Oct, 2012 Can someone do a quick circuit diagram for tube-light connected to a DC source?

@[Prototype] • 20 Oct, 2012

The_Big_K

Can someone do a quick circuit diagram for tube-light connected to a DC source?

Requires different ballast (control circuitry) whose circuit diagram is to be made as well. Other work around is, open the electronic ballast, and tap it from the stage just after the rectification circuitry and apply the DC there. But the tube light will still run on DC because the the ballast will invert it to AC before applying to the tube light.

@Abhishek Rawal • 20 Oct, 2012 Thanks prototype I am basically trying to make power saving tube-light.
Cheap & savvy.
But unfortunately it turning out to be more power consuming & costly.

Gotta read a lot on DC tube-lights.

@vinod1993 • 20 Oct, 2012 Why are you particularly interested in making a power saving tube light using DC? I am not sure but I suppose a DC consumes lot of power than our conventional Tube lights. CFL bulbs and LED bulbs are power saving types. Why don't you study about them and bring your innovation into the Materials/components used instead of pondering over the supply.! 😀

@Abhishek Rawal • 20 Oct, 2012 • 1 like Sir, don't judge my idea from the question I ask.
I am just trying to clear out all question that's popping my mind before I get into real thing.

@vinod1993 • 20 Oct, 2012 I just presumed myself..! My bad..! 😀

@[Prototype] • 20 Oct, 2012 If you are making something that directly consumes electricity like bulbs, tube lights, using dc will never be affordable as DC cannot be generated. It will be required to convert it, and conversion will never be 1:1.

@Harshad Italiya • 21 Oct, 2012 It should work as in train there is DC supply only (no doubt now a days inverter is available) so Tube-light can work on DC supply. I will study about the circuits.

@Jeffrey Arulraj • 21 Oct, 2012 Instead of exactly going for DC go for pulsed square waves that is easy to generate and easy to modulate also Don't know on efficiency

@arunchary • 30 Oct, 2012 i got the clear idea what all the CEions discussing but actually tube light is type of florescent tube with ballast circuit.why we are not going design the ballast circuit which will operate on dc supply the come to load across that circuit...here it simple idea to implement , it can be replaced by inverter circuitry also