ballast output voltage

[brother]

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Had a buddy of mine that was measuring voltage on a common ballast and it was putting out 556 volts! That seemed high even for a ballast. But the light fixture was working fine! I do not recall t-8 type ballast putting out that high of voltage. Does this mean it is going bad

 

[kbsparky]

Many of the newer electronic ballasts rely on RF output to light up the fluorescent bulbs. Not sure how that affects the actual voltage present, but it requires that the lead length be limited when remote mounting the ballasts.