Ballast repl. with Resistor and 1L6 Sub. Zen TO

When replacing a ballast tube in a radio or TV set remember the ballast does more than drop the voltage. It also REGULATES the current.

There was a guy making a "replacement" for the ballast tube in the Zenith Transoceanic radios. When I was servicing, the shop ordered one and to my horror, it was just a 600 ohm 10-15 Watt resistor soldered to an old broken off miniature tube base- (Not fibbing! Looked like crap.) with a test tube slipped down over it. VERY pixx poor sub and to rub salt into that wound, the idiot didn't even solder it to the correct pins on the base, and the solder was poor on the connections he made, PLUS the test tube was broken when received! The resistor did work, but I was not pleased with no current regulation. We tossed the broken test tube in the garbage to allow the resistor better cooling.  Yes, the resistor would have dropped the voltage, but not regulated the current.

Long after, I found a there is a good circuit on the internet you can find that uses an IC and a few parts as a ballast replacement for the T.O. and regulates both voltage AND current. I have some of the IC's but have not had time to build the circuit yet.


Then adding to this, we had ordered at the same time from the same guy an adaptor for subbing in a 1LA6 in place of the 1L6 tube. It arrived with bare wires between the socket and base all twisted and shorted together. PLUS the tube was totally flat. Wouldn't even budge the T/T meter- even after cleaning the pins. He did supply us with a new tube, but we never again did business with him.
 When I did get the 1LA6 adaptor properly fixed, it did work quite well.

 Cost for the resistor, broken off tube base and the kluged up adaptor? $50.00 for the pair.  Ripoff? You decide.