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Hi guys,
I'm writing from Italy.
I'm restoring a Vendo 81B.
I've a problem on rewiring light and light switch.
I've bought a new ballast and a new switch, but I don't understand how to connect them.
The ballast has 2 wires in input (one black and one white) and 4 in output (2 red and 2 blue). http://www.sodajerkworks.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=154&cat=11&page=1 (http://www.sodajerkworks.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=154&cat=11&page=1)
The switch has 4 wires (2 black and 2 blue, one for each side of square base of switch). http://www.fun-tronicsllc.com/store.php?crn=317&rn=650&action=show_detail (http://www.fun-tronicsllc.com/store.php?crn=317&rn=650&action=show_detail)
Could you please halp me?

Thanks a lot,
Marco.

Sounds like you may have the wrong type of Ballast for your machine, most Early machines use a two-wire style ballast in series with the lamp, if you search under "starter switch" you will see how it should be wired, the 6-wire ballast you have is possibly a "rapid-start" type that will not require the traditional starter device...Most ballasts have a picture on the front label showing the correct wiring diagram. 

The Switch you have bought is an early manual start type, it is used in place of the typical little silver or white "tin-can" starter device, ( usually marked as an F2 or F5, etc. on the starter) you will be required to "Push & hold" it until ends of the florescent lamp start to glow, then you will release it and then the lamp should stay lit,

I found my earlier posting's picture regarding the starter swich...hope it help you.  Here is a link back to that original post...

http://soda-machines.com/discussions/index.php/topic,10150.0.html (http://soda-machines.com/discussions/index.php/topic,10150.0.html)

johnieG , thanks for the reply.
The ballast is in the catalog of SodaJerkWorks as 'EP13 Ballast-Ballast for flourescent lamp on all Vendo V-81, V-110 & Vendorlator VMC-81, VMC-110. ', so I hope&believe it is right for my machine.
The picture on the front label indicates the 2 red wires connectes to a side of lamp and the 2 blue wires connected to the other side. That's all. It seems a very simple connection. No starter or switch is showed in that label.
Could the ballast be an electronic model? In that case I'd need only a normal on-off switch and I should connect it before the input of ballast, isn't it?

The switch is this:
http://www.sodajerkworks.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=152&cat=11&page=1 (http://www.sodajerkworks.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=152&cat=11&page=1)

Unfortunatly your picture doesn't help me.  :down:

please ....  :help:

I bought one from them last year with zero luck on getting it to work, I ended up using the original and never looked back.

Joey

If it's a Rapid-start type ballast, then this should be the correct wiring diagram...

John,

This may be a dumb question, but here it goes..  I just bought the same ballast from Soda Jerk Works.  It is a rapid start ballast.  The on/off switch is 4 wires - 2 blue and 2 black.  How is the switch hooked up in the circuit you drew above?  Do the 2 black wires connect to 1 of the incoming power wires and do the 2 blue wires connect to the 1 wire going to the ballast?

you'll need to go to radio shack & pickup a plain old push type on/off switch, you can't use the 4-wire switch in the circuit I drew. you can also find push style on/off switches at Lowes/HomeDepot, etc.

Wayne,
you need to connect only the black wires from switch.
The blue wires must be unplugged.

Bye, Marco.

Thanks, guys.  I'll terminate the blue wires with some wire nuts.

Success!  The lighting (to include the original bulb) works fine.  I guess it's good for all of us to know if you buy the ballast from Soda Jerk Works, you don't need to buy a new switch from them.  If you need a new switch, just go to Home Depot with $4 and get one with 2 wires.