Remove the flicker from these CF lamps
Fluorescent May 10th, 2007I have found a problem with the CF lamps and the digital scanning back I am using so I thought to ask your advice first.
The CF lights are producing a repeated (raster) pattern of very pale thin lines parallel to the scan direction (I only noticed them when processing delicate artwork like drawings – they’re there but not so noticeable with high contrast paintings).
I did some searching on the web and it seems that there is an interaction between the high frequency of the CF and the digital scanning back. So I was wondering if you know of any way (electronically, etc.) to remove the flicker from these CF lamps? Is there a special power supply one can use?
May 10th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
There is nothing you can do with CFL fluros to fix flicker but they should be flicker free anyway. You get flicker on normal fluro tubes which is caused by the iron core magnetic ballasts used in most fluro fittings.
When you transfer these to new electronic ballasts (same as what is in CFL) the flicker goes away. When you change the ballast you also get significant energy savings by utililising electronic ballasts as well but that is a different story.
This is the first report I have had about flickering CFL fluros but then again the average eye can’t pick it up and it is just the delicate work that you are doing that caught it?
Perhaps a power filter may remove some of the electro magnetic interference on the power circuit. It would certainly be worth a try.
Let me know how you get on.