Blacklight Bulb Mystery

[Caracul]

Hi guys,

I have been trying to find a strip light bulb for my light.  The light itself says not to use anothying other than a 21" FL15TB - BLB bulb.  I can find lots of 15 watt ones, but they are ALL 18".  Anyone know where I can find one for cheap, which will ship to the UK as well?

[Alan Franzman]

quote:Originally posted by Caracul:
Hi guys,

I have been trying to find a strip light bulb for my light.  The light itself says not to use anothying other than a 21" FL15TB - BLB bulb.  I can find lots of 15 watt ones, but they are ALL 18".  Anyone know where I can find one for cheap, which will ship to the UK as well?

It seems to me that there's a typo or a misread of the lamp type here somewhere.  The first "B" in the number you gave should probably be an "8", which designates the lamp diameter as a "T8" size.  Also, very few makers/sellers of fluorescent tubes use "FL##" for fluorescent lamps, try dropping the "L".

After all that, I come up with F15T8 BLB which is by definition an 18" size bulb.  Have you measured the actual length of the bulb (including contact pins) that your fixture requires?  I suspect that there is probably another error lurking here somewhere.  The closest thing I can come up with in a 21" bulb is F13T5.

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Alan "A.J." Franzman

Email: a.j.franzman at verizon dot net

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[This message has been edited by Alan Franzman (edited November 30, 2002).]

[hdude77]

what element gas is in a blacklight? I need to know for chemistry. Thanks  

[Max]

Hi,

In conventional black light bulb, you have two gasses: argon and mercury.
Of course you have different kinds of black light lamps. Can you be more precise?

Max

[Alan Franzman]

I hear alot about G.E. AR-1's being used as indicators albeit they are big for that I'd say. I do know of a lead on its use though. I have a old device that has 39 of these bulbs in rows of 5 and 6, closely spaced, all in sockets, 4 NE-30's, and 2 golf ball size white bulbs also. All of them within a 14' x 14' square metal box with one side full of rows of switches-- I would guess that there is one sw per light. Plus switches for "argon" ?"safe lights" ?and "view lights". There's a wiring diagram and everything. I havent even begun to pick over this thing. I was told it was part of an old time copy machine, possibly MIL, the way it looks. It was supposed to be a 3 part manual system, where you would some how expose a copy, and then toner it and then burn it in? This is what I was told. The other 2 sections of this device are history. Any comments?.

(Yeah, I know this thread is a bit stale...)

I acquired a similar device, slightly different in details: 25 AR-1 (or W1A) bulbs in 5 x 5 grid, front panel w/ individual switches for each, plus a few more switches whose function I'm not sure of since they're broken. The safelights in mine were red C-7 Christmas bulbs, but I saw a near-identical one with neon bulbs. One set of lights (can't remember if red or white) can be mechanically moved up toward the top glass as a group. The construction is wood. Mine has no wiring diagram or labels for the switches, and three of the switches are broken internally. One of the broken ones is 3-terminal (I suspect SPDT).

The seller told me it's an "Argon Printer" used for making contact prints from large-format roll film negatives used in aerial reconaissance photography. This fits with the metal plate identifying the maker as Fairchild Aircraft Company, and from its appearance I would not be surprised if it is circa WWII vintage. Unfortunately most of the argon bulbs were dead (or nearly so), and it has taken me a lot of time and money to get a full working set. Also, the switches are very difficult to find too; ball-handled toggle style.  Once I get it functionally restored it will be for sale; I only hope I can at least get back what I've spent on it.