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Author Topic: So that's another category in the collection! MBT Mercury blended now too!  (Read 16915 times)

Offline Zelandeth

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Why do I do this to myself?!?? Was looking for a link for someone else here...and came across BLT Direct.? Needless to say, I had a good poke around...and ascertained that I could indeed spend a HUGE amount of money on that site!

Had been after a blended lamp for a long while, so snagged me a 160W one off there for less than a tenner.? Got a coloured CFL too (which there will be a page for too, probably tomorrow).

So, my latest acquisition:?

Is quite interesting how this lamp behaves...is the first one I've ever encountered which actually starts out brighter than it is when running at full temperature for one thing!? Plus the first proper mercury vapour lamp I've been able to see running properly.

So, who else has these lamps?? Anyone here got a soft spot for MBT lamps?? Or even one of the really early MAT lamps?

Offline Chris W. Millinship

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Thanks to your link, I ordered a couple of these too, one Philips ML 160 watt (B22 base option) and one of the 250 watt ones which are Narva BL, with E40/GES base in ED bulb shape (has the dimple in the top to support the insides). Havn`t lit that one yet as I don`t remember where my stash of E40 lampholders are. The other one, as you pointed out, seems to start out brighter and dims a bit as the mercury tube runs up. Not sure if that`s the case or if it just appears so.

Also acquired another Philips ML, 100 watt, from another collector some time ago, also in E shape glass. Still no clear ones though, or the rare low pressure kind but they are on the list.

And I did pick up some of those coloured CFLs as well, three different wattages/colours. The red 15 watt one is "Impact" brand and has a red coloured base and genuine red glass spiral tube. The blue 18 watt one is the same as your Pro-Lite SCR lamps, white base and white tube when off but lights bright blue. The green 25 watt one is still on back-order so I will wait and see how that turns out.

Hot tip. NEVER get a credit card *and* an Internet connection!

Offline Mónico González

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Hi,
About clear MBT's, a good source to get them are LUXMAN, an Australian brand that has his own factories in China.
They makes all kind of CFL and HID lamps, including clear mercury (GGY) and blended (GYZ) in clear glass too.
One year ago, I bought a huge quantity of 80 and 125 w clear mercury ones, also clear GGY's 160 w mixed lamps, not only to preserve some units of them to my collection, but mainly for use in my outside fixtures, because I like too much the pure mercury light.
Despite the fact that I did must to wait about 15 months! to receive these lamps from the ordering date on, at last I was surprised by the low prices of them.
These lamps (both types) looks like if it were hand-made, because not two lamps of the same type looks exactly the same one to another.
Despite this fact, these lamps does work pretty well, at least those 80 watts ones that I have actually at service at my countryside street-lanterns.
Another particular oddity of these lamps are that its arc tubes are shorter than their counterparts from another brands for a given power. Why? I don't know, but it seems that this doesn't have any influence on the luminous flux output.
I hope to have some spare time on next days to prepare a complete photo-session with some samples of these lamps and after, to include pics of them at my website for you can see it.
Regards.

Offline Chris W. Millinship

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Well would you believe it. A few minutes was all that lamp lasted, shortly after taking that photo it went out and after it cooled, I tried it again, nothing. Went to take it out of that lampholder and the bulb came away from the neck completely. I suspect either shipping damage or a manufacturing degect. Just sent BLTD an e-mither, hopefully they`ll replace it. Don`t think it will survive being sent back though, the bulb part is pretty delicate now.

Might at least let us all see what`s inside in more detail, but I`ll wait and find out if they need it back first. It wont come out without cracking the bulb open further.

Grr!

Offline Zelandeth

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The yellow CFLs are the same as the red ones, coloured tube (though I think it may actually be coated), coloured base.? Pretty bright though.?

What's happened with yours?? The tube actually detatched from the base, or has the top part actually come off the part the ballast is housed in?? If they don't want it back, and the tube's intact, you might want to see if it's repairable.

Would be nice to see all of the coloured ones made the same as they appear on the site though, could get the whole set to match then.? Still, is an interesting thing.

Right now, just trying to resist the mercury blended reflector lamp there...

Still, more random photos of my purchases, of the yellow CFL this time.






Offline Chris W. Millinship

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What's happened with yours?

Ah, I meant the Philips ML, the bulb cracked around the neck by the base. The red CFL`s just fine, if a bit bright for this room after dark (it`s lit in low level blue/turquoise in here usually) so has gone back in its box for now.

I tried to scratch the red tube on mine in one place, to see if it was a coating and it probably isn`t as it didn`t leave a mark and certainly felt like solid glass. There is also a portion of the tube where it is folded that the red colour is paler, you would expect to see the glass a bit thinner at the folds so if the colour is throughout the glass, it follows that it would also get a bit paler here. Interesting that the yellow one might be coated. I might have to get one and see for myself. Whole matching set you say, now that`s tempting.

They have blended reflector lamps too? Now you`ve done it! I`ll definately have to go back and see what I missed sometime soon. Was trying not to....

:o

Offline Zelandeth

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Well that's not good!  Sounds like there might have been a defect there from the start.

As for coatings, will have another look at the yellow CF in a minute, just about to go make its page on my site.  You said the 18W blue appeard to be an SCR-18 from Pro-Lite....hmm....sounds like we may have found its elusive yellow version then if all the 18W ones are (sounds likely to me that the 15W ones are the Impact ones like my yellow and your red, and that the 18W may be the SCR-18, who knows about the 25W ones...).

And yep, they have a 160W Blended reflector lamp.  Right Here...

Hmm...maybe I shouldn't have put that link there...
(reason you probably missed it is that it was hidden away in the wrong section.  Was listed under Mercury Reflector).

Offline Chris W. Millinship

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Unfortunately the site lists 18 and 25 watt coloured in just red (pink?), blue or green, only the 15 watt ones also list yellow. Which presumably is the one you have there. Most likely, Pro-Lite branded lamps were not made in yellow. If I remember from seeing "neon" cold cathode sign displays when off (probably uses a similar phosphor/glass construction), to achieve yellow requires yellow glass tubes. Most other simple colours can be generated with different gas fills and/or phosphors that otherwise appear white/clear, but I do not ever recall seeing a yellow display that has anything other than yellow colour tubes when off. To use yellow glass would probably cost more than standard clear, meaning yellow coloured CFLs might be less likely to be produced due to the higher price. The one you have there could be quite unusual in the CFL world.

Appreciate the link to that reflector lamp. Something tells me I need one of those, but don`t know why.

Offline Zelandeth

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Why do you need one?  Simple!  Exactly the same reason as I do, because you don't have one!  That and the fact that blended mercury lamps are strange mysterious things we don't see nearly often enough.  And the reflector one with its clear front is the next best thing to a proper clear lamp.

Had another look at my yellow CFL too, and examined it more closely, and it appears that despite the slightly odd feel to it, that it might indeed be proper yellow glass, I certainly can't scratch it anyway!  It is slightly paler in colour at the bends and on the "dimple" at the top of the tube too...guess you're right, Chris!

Definitely need to get me the green, blue and red ones to go with it though.  Would be a really impressive display having all four on in a window or something, provided the blue and green have as vivid colours as the yellow and red have been proven to be.

(Could be interesting additions to your Christmas arrangements too I imagine...hehe...)

And as for the green coloured Pro-Lite lamps, you're going to want your sunglasses if it's the same as the SCR-18 green I have, that sucker is BRIGHT.  Not to mention a really unusual colour.

Think this little yellow one's going to have to find somewhere visible to be even when not used though, is just so nicely unique.  Might even get another one and use this one...


Offline Chris W. Millinship

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Out of the misfortune of the damage to that ML lamp comes something potentially useful. Seeing as though the lamp had cracked right around the neck, and although very fragile, was otherwise intact, I had an idea. Careful manouvering got the bulb free of the delicate insides without cracking it further or damaging anything. Then, with lots of water and the nearest cleaning fluid spray I could find, as well as a lot of toilet paper, I managed to clean off all the white phosphor from within the severed bulb and wipe it clean as if it were clear to begin with. And then superglue it back together (all I had) to make a still delicate but otherwise quite solid, demonstration-only, clear ML. I bent one of the tungsten filament supports trying to get the top back on but it was otherwise pretty authentic looking.

Unfortunately, in the same way they expose hidden fingerprints on evidence in CSI episodes, the cyanoacrolate fumes from the superglue showed up all the dried water droplets leaving the glass less than clear. In person it doesn`t display too well and the glue/cracks around the neck are all too clear to see, so it will probably stay in its sleeve. And of course it can`t be lit any more. But against a white backdrop it photographs reasonably well, so here for the interest of anyone who wonders....

Offline Zelandeth

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Re: So that's another category in the collection! MBT Mercury blended now too!
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2005, 09:57:24 pm »
Nice work that!  You certainly have a lot of patience!  I did something similar a couple of years back with a GLS style Marathon branded CFL where the outer bulb had cracked and detatched itself.  It was internally coated with a white powder, and I decided to make it clear for the sake of demonstrating how a GLS style CFL was just a normal one in disguise.  The cracks are still pretty visible on mine, but it's interesting all the same.

In the photos though, that lamp looks like it was originally clear!  Wonder why it went out though?  The filament I would have thought would be the first thing to have gone, oxidising rapidly when the gasfill was contaminated by the air rushing in through the crack.  Unless there's a fusable link of some kind hidden down by the base where I can't see it of course?

Offline Max

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Re: So that's another category in the collection! MBT Mercury blended now too!
« Reply #11 on: October 30, 2005, 04:05:19 am »
Hi Chris,

you found a good use of a dead lamp here! That's just a pity that you cannot light it as the filament will burn out instantly. However, since the bulb is cracked open at the base and you can acces to the internal component, I think that you can manage to remove the filament and replace it by a main-voltage compact halogen lamp. The lamp will work this way, but not for a long time due to the oxidation of the arc tube moly seals.

Max

Offline Chris W. Millinship

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Re: So that's another category in the collection! MBT Mercury blended now too!
« Reply #12 on: October 30, 2005, 06:15:32 am »
Interesting suggestion to use a halogen capsule lamp. Unfortunately I have it glued back together and don`t want to try seperating it again incase the outer globe shatters. There are a few hairline cracks down by the neck as it is. For now I`m going to leave this one as a (photographic only) "demonstration" lamp. I should be able to get some decent closeups of the electrodes, etc.

No idea why it went out, perhaps as it cracked and the Nitrogen atmosphere was slowly lost, the filament started to oxidise and its resistance inscreased, therefore not supplying enough current to sustain the mercury arc, before it had the chance to fully oxidise and leave that yellow coating of tungsten oxide all over the glass? Just a guess.

Genuine orginal, specially-made clear 160 watt ML and some more information about them here: http://www.lamptech.co.uk/Spec%20Sheets/Philips%20ML160.htm (where else?). Interestingly the information on that page suggests it can burn horizontally, while my lamp`s packaging says vertical, up or down +/-30 degrees. I keep the replacement standing upright if I light it just to be careful.

:)
« Last Edit: October 30, 2005, 06:17:04 am by Chris W. Millinship »

Offline Zelandeth

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Re: So that's another category in the collection! MBT Mercury blended now too!
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2005, 05:54:56 pm »
And yep, I knew exactly where that lamp was...was gonna link to it too, but you beat me to it.

And as we both seem to have turned this into a "my new lamp" thread (is my thread...so guess I can de topicify it a bit!), here's my newest one.

And Chris, you're just got one that's filtered light blue, and I got one that's slightly less light red.? And cheaper.

Our local Morrison's Supermarket has started to amass quite a substantial lighting aisle now, much to my surprise though, EVERY product there is of their own brand (Aside from one cooker hood bulb by Bell, but that's on the other side of the aisle, and I don't think is related to the main selection).? They've a rather substantial selection of CFL's (D'OH!? There goes the bank balance...), and a fair number of incandescents in a variety of styles, all relatively cheap (for supermarket prices anyway).

And for ?0.69, figured this was worth investigating.? I was bored, okay!? And my collection tends to accumulate on the basis of "If I don't have one, why don't I have one?...and I should have one, immediately."? Hey, makes me happy, so I don't argue!

I'd be really interested to know who the OEM that Morrison's get their lamps from is.? Quality seems to be okay for the most part - I especially like their CFL range for the fact that they're like a Lamp enthusiasts Lego set.? The bases are generally identical, with screw on diffusers, reflectors, globes and such.? Means you can build your own lamp to an extent!

Still, here's a rather simple red incandescent.? First one I've seen in a while actually.



(Yes, and I know the thumbnail for the text takes you to the wrong image, will fix it tomorrow).

Now should have been in bed an hour ago...but started poking around Lamptech and forgot...why does this always happen?!?

Offline Chris W. Millinship

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Re: So that's another category in the collection! MBT Mercury blended now too!
« Reply #14 on: November 05, 2005, 08:24:15 am »
A lot of those vacuum internal-coated GLS are made in Hungary if I remember correctly, no idea who though but I`m sure someone will know.

-

25 watt coloured CFL arrived this week. It is another Pro-Lite lamp, a large version of your SCR-18 one called "SRI-25W", and yes it is *very* bright. Same unusual pale green colour as a little globe-shaped Philex branded one I got from Maplins ages ago.