DC/DK shape lamps are back, with a twist

[Chris W. Millinship]

...that is, if they ever went away. Remember the Sylvania lamps of the 70s/80s with that odd angular shape (I think DK shape, they are both very similar)? Not really being old enough, or born in the right country, I don`t personally but do know them from Ebay auctions, etc. There were also one or two others in the angular DC shape produced at a similar time. I believed it to be an obsolete shape like General Electric`s GA (the "Deco" ones with yellow or pink glazed dome shape tops) as to this date I had never seen them available asides old ones on Ebay. However I spotted a new one from Osram in our local supermarket recently.

They call it "Active" and it would appear to be their answer to GE`s Reveal series, being a pale blue colour to give a more "natural" daylight-ish tint to the light. In this country we don`t get GE Reveal so perhaps Osram are marketing these here to fill that gap in the market. Daylight-blue tungsten lamps are by no means a new idea, Philips and some speciality suppliers have sold some in the past for the craft/hobby market with a darker blue glass colour, but these seem to be a new twist. The obvious thing is that shape, I think it`s the DC shape rather than DK and is probably used just to make it stand out from normal bulbs and get people to notice them (worked for me). Also, rather than use neodymium/coloured glass like GE, this one has an internal coating of "Daywhite Micro Particles". Looks like the same stuff they make Soft White coatings from, but with that blue tint, of course it could be some kind of revolutionary coating with special properties I don`t know about. I don`t use incandescent lamps for indoor lighting any more if I can help it (ironic perhaps, considering the vast amount of them here) so they all look pretty yellow to me, but this one is definately whiter than normal ones.

Anyone else seen these? Or others in this DC/DK shape? Also isn`t it about time *someone* made a modern reproduction of the GA lamp, seeing as though they are still sought after by quite a few people judging by the e-mithers I used to get on a fairly regular basis from Bulb Museum site visitors. As far as I know, no-one has made those since the 50s/60s.

[Chris W. Millinship]

Don`t think I have the white balance quite right but here it is illuminated...

[Zelandeth]

Interesting, very interesting.  Lamps like this, technologically ordinary but produced in an odd shape, seem likely to be made - as you say - to catch people's eye.  Wouldn't be surprised if they redesigned it to the normal GLS shape after a while.

Might have to pick one of these up I think.  Or more likely two...one to play with, and one for the collection to stay safely in its packaging.

The one drawback to these things coming in packs like that - you have no choice but to buy two if you want the packaging intact!

Out of interest, which supermarket did you find these in, and how much did it set you back?  I might just have to go for a drive tomorrow if it's one we have locally...

[James]

Hi Chris,

These lamps were launched end of 2004 by Osram, attempting to sell "light" rather than lamps to retail customers - of course at inflated prices!

The lamp you have seen is part of a large family which includes similarly shaped replacements for 35mm candles and 45mm round lamps, and a line of retail fluorescent products.  The new marketing strategy centres around selling lamps of different colour for different environments.  "Active" is a lamp having reduced yellow output and is intended for reading, task lighting or kitchens etc.  It is joined by another colour called "Relax" which is an extra-yellow colour designed for living rooms etc for use in the evening.  Osram is hoping to increase the apparent value of retail lamps and they are backed up at least in Europe by a strong marketing campaign to sell the mood of lighting required and not simply a lamp.  Owing to the rarity of the lamps even over here I think its not so popular!  You can get the same thing many times cheaper with the existing "Softone" style lamps.  Osram makes a big thing about its microparticle coatings and certainly these do have more efficieint light transmission than ordinary powder coatings, but nothing the customer would ever notice.   More details at http://www.osram.de/cgi-bin/presse/archiv.pl?id=304 and http://www.osram.de/pdf/produkte/allgemein/active_relax.pdf

The 60mm type you have is in fact a direct copy of the DC60 "Cristal" bulbs made by both GE and SLI Lighting in Brazil. The smaller DC35 and DC45 types are new glass shapes.  The DK "doorknob" shape you referred to was only briefly used, mainly in UK.  During the late 1960s up to early 1980s it was made in the DK65 and DK75 sizes for Thorn EMI's Double Life GLS lamps, and also for their Mazda "Purlux" lamp, a decorative shape Pearl finish GLS.  There were also small DK45 and very large DK95 shapes to replace globe lamps in decor applications.  There was also a very long DC70 cone shaped lamp, the Mazda Decor Cone.  I will try to do you some photos if you are interested.  A huge variety of different shapes and colour finishes were trialled by Thorn/Mazda in the 1960s but few survived the test of being suitable for mass production!

James.

[Chris W. Millinship]

Very interesting, many thanks for the information. Might I have seen these advertised in LEN in the past and not noticed - seems like the sort of place Osram may try to advetise them? I`ll have to check the back issues some time.

Certainly I would be interested to see the other styles if you can do it. Even though they are often not technically different to "regular" lamps, I still am very fond of the unusual and uncommon shapes that were made. It`s probably what got me collecting lamps seriously to begin with all those years ago. Only after amassing many different shapes and colour finishes did I start to pay attention to what goes on inside them, and so the collecting bug bit deeper.....

-

Z - it came from Sainsburys. I don`t visit there too often so don`t know how long they`ve been available, and don`t recall seeing any other styles. It caught my eye while I was after a lunchtime snack and I had to get one. If you find somewhere that has the candles, rounds, and the warm tinted "relax" series, please let me know! And James` reference to "inflated prices" is right - that one bulb cost me all of ?1.70. At a time when regular PS60 GLS are going for less than 10 pence each in some stores. Not surprising they are not very popular.

If you`re careful you can open the pack to get the lamp out, and still be able to stick it back together to display afterwards. The seal is on the back of the card unlike a regular clamshell - more marketing work to make it stand out from others.

[Mónico González]

If you are interested about samples of DC lamps from past years, take a look of my "Rombo" collection, a four decorative bulb series produced about mid 80's by LAES, a Barcelona (Spain) based factory:

http://www.mis-bombillas.com/Mis-Bombi-Web/Laes_Rombo-1.htm

http://www.mis-bombillas.com/Mis-Bombi-Web/Laes_Rombo-2.htm

http://www.mis-bombillas.com/Mis-Bombi-Web/Laes_Rombo-3.htm

http://www.mis-bombillas.com/Mis-Bombi-Web/Laes_Rombo-4.htm

Note that the second lamp's shape does not exactly match the right "DC", being nearer to "door know" shape due to its grooved or wavy surface profile.

Regrettably, these lamps are not being produced anymore from latter eighties, so, I was very lucky when I can purchase these complete series of four ones, three years ago as a retail strore from two different local suppliers.

These "Rombos" has a standard silica dust internal coating instead the new micro-particles layer.

Regards.

[Zelandeth]

Seems that Osram have used the DK shape on a couple of lamps.? Just found one in Sainsbury's in Milton Keynes which is part of their "Relax" range - exactly the same thing - but with a warm white coating rather than the blueish one.? Will have to wait until I get home (Wednesday evening) before I snap pics of it as I'm at a friend's place right now (Hence having been in the MK Sainsbury's when I live 30miles north-west of Aberdeen!).? Obviously, i grabbed two so that I can keep one safely wrapped up, and use the other one for testing.

Sheesh I'm gonna be busy this Thursday...

EDIT: Here's the Warm White version.






As for GE daylight lamps here - Found a 100W GE lamp with Neodynium glass in Maplin the other day.? Crown of the lamp's marked "Lux Solaris".? Want me to grab a couple of photos (Will anyway for its page, but it's in the queue for that at the moment!).

[Zelandeth]

Update.? Just got the page for this lamp up.? The thumbnail below takes you to its page.



aaaand the GE Daylight one...just because it's a good reason to randomly plug another page...