I posted this in bench racing, but may get better response here....
How do you test the ballast on a typical single bulb flourescent light fixture? 120 VAC in to the ballast, what voltage shouild be on the pair of blue wires on one end of the bulb and the pair of red wires on the other end?
This is in a worktruck that has a flouresect fixture inside of it. 12vdc switched goes to what looks like an inverter (says bodine electric on it). That feeds the ballast.
Maybe it was just wired up wrong to begin with?? How do you guys recommend hooking up a normal 40w flouresecent light fixture that you would get at home depot off of 12VDC system?

Found out that the truck had this inverter/ballast unit supplying the voltage to the fixture. 12F24-36E inverter/ballast (http://www.goodmart.com/products/541349.htm#)
According to it's spec, if operates on 12-13.2VDC and is an invertor and ballast all in one. Says it is for use for F48 T12 type bulbs. Those are the single pin on each end bulb. No need for another ballast. But what kind of T12 fixture does not come with a ballast? The guy who had the truck before had this inverter output going to the input of the ballast in the flourescent light fixture. Sounds wrong to me.