BULBS PAGE

WELCOME TO THIS PAGE ,  IT IS ALL ABOUT BULBS.

In streetlights they used to use FLUORESCENT, SLI/H , GLS , MERCURY , SOX AND GAS.

Now days they use SONT , SOX , Metal Halide and Compact Fluorescent Bulbs .

The modern trend now is to use SONT bulbs instead of SOX.

Sodium Lamp Classification

As with mercury lamps, a letter classification system has been developed to assist lamp identification .

Classification Meaning

S or SQ Sodium

LI Linear lamp with cap at each end

X Standard single ended low pressure

N High pressure

T Tubular single ended lamp

TD Tubular double ended lamp

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SON is a

S or SQ Sodium

N High pressure

I do not know what the O means? in SON.

SOX is a

S or SQ Sodium

X Standard single ended low pressure

I do not know what the O means? in SOX.

SLI/H is a

S or SQ Sodium

LI Linear lamp with cap at each end

I do not know what the H means? In SLI/H

This is a single ended bulb,with low pressure sodium with neon and gives of poor monochromatic light.

when the bulb starts  up ,the current passes through the neon gas( red light) which in turn heats up the solid sodium  which changes it  in to a gas ,then the current goes through the sodium gas which the light changes  to  an yellow light . It take between 2-7 mins to warm up depending on the wattage of the bulb used.

MOUNTING HEIGHT FOR BULBS

		5 M	6 M	8 M	10 M	12 M
SOX	18W	35W	55W	90W	135W	180W
SOXE	18W	26W	36W	66W	91W	131W

All the lamp caps are BC

This is the most efficient bulbs you can buy.

This needs  control gear to run the bulb.

These two charts showing the nominal output of these bulbs and the colour of them .

SOX	10W	18W	35W	55W	90W	135W	180W
Light output ( Lumens at 100hrs)	1000	1800	4500	7400	13000	22500	33000
Colour Temp (K)	2000	2000	2000	2000	1800	1800	1750
Nominal bulb voltage		57V	70V	109V	112V	164V	240V
Nominal bulb current		0.35V	0.6A	0.6A	0.94A	0.95A	0.91A
Run up time			7min	7min	9min	10min	12min

 

SOXE	18W	26W	36W	66W	91W	131W
Light output ( Lumens at 100hrs)	1800	3500	5700	19700	17500	26000
Colour Temp (K)	2000	2000	2000	1800	1800	1750

 This chart showing the nominal size of these bulbs .  

SOX , SOXE	10W	18W	26W-35W	36W-55W	66W-90W	91W-135W	131W-180W
Length of bulb	150mm	216mm	310mm	425mm	528mm	775mm	1120mm
Diameter of bulb	41mm	54mm	54mm	54mm	68mm	68mm	68mm

This is a Double ended bulb,with low pressure sodium with neon and gives of poor monochromatic light.

when the bulb starts the current passes through the neon gas( red light) which in turn heats up the solid sodium in to a gas ,then the current goes through the sodium gas which the light changes to an yellow light . It take between 2-7 mins to warm up depending on the wattage of the bulb used.

You used to buy these bulbs in these wattages 140-200W .

The  Bulb has a Bi-pin cap

A LOT of councils replaced these bulbs in 87-90 with either SOX or SONT lanterns.

In Bucks they used SOX and Berks SONT .

I seen some of these bulbs still working in 93 in Essex with thorn alpha 6 lanterns.

I seen some more  working in 1999 in Luton ( near the airport) with THORN ALPHA 6 lanterns.

This needs  control gear to run the bulb.

This chart showing the nominal output of these bulbs , the colour of them and the size of them .

SLI/H	140W	200W	200W High output
Light output ( Lumens at 2000hrs)	20000	25000	27500
Colour Temp (K)	1700	1700	1700
Length of bulb	909mm	909mm	909mm
Diameter of bulb	39.5mm	39.5mm	39.5mm
Nominal bulb voltage	175V	145V	145V
Nominal bulb current	0.9A	1.6A	1.6A

This is a single ended bulb,with  high pressure sodium with mercury and gives good golden white light.

The bulb shape is Elliptical Hard glass (outer envelope ),with white internal coating.

When the bulb starts  up ,the current passes through the mercury gas( blue light) which in turn heats up the solid sodium  which changes it  in to a gas ,then the current goes through the sodium gas which the light changes  to  an golden white light.

It take between 2-7 mins to warm up  depending on the wattage of the bulb used.

The  Bulb has a ES/GES cap depending on the wattage of the bulb used.

You can get these in different types ,ones with ignitors in them and ones with out.

This needs  control gear to run the bulb.

Same as SON,except for the bulb it is made of clear glass  and it is tubular.

You can get these in different types ,ones with ignitors in them and ones with out.

This needs  control gear to run the bulb.

This is a rough guide on the mounting height for SONT bulbs .

	4 M	5 M	6 M	8 M	10 M	12 M	15 M	HIGH MAST
SONT	50W	50W-70W- 100W	70W- 100W	150W- 250W	150W- 250W	250W- 400W	400W- 600W	400W- 600W-1000W

This chart showing the nominal output of normal SONT bulbs and the colour of them .

SONT	50W	70W	100W	150W	250W	400W	1000W
Light output ( Lumens at 100hrs)	3800	5850	10000	14500	25000	48000	130000
Colour Temp (K)	1900	1900	1900	1900	2000	2100	2100

MERCURY BULBS

MBF ( HPL )  This is the type of  MERCURY BULB

This bulb has got mercury in it which this gives of a blue -white light.

It take between 2-7 mins to warm up  depending on the wattage of the bulb used.

This needs  control gear to run the bulb,you can buy them in ES/GES caps and in the 80W TYPE they do them in 3pin BC cap .

You can get these in different types

This chart showing the nominal output of normal MBF ( HPL ) bulbs and the colour of them .

MBF ( HPL )	50W	80W	125W	250W	400W	700W	1000W	2000W
Light output ( Lumens at 100hrs)	1800	3700	6300	13000	22000	40000	58000	125000
Colour Temp (K)	4300	4050	3850	3700	3800	3900	3750	3750

This is a double ended tube,with low pressure mercury gas in the tube .

When the bulb starts it flash about 2 or 3 times ,then stay on if it is a switch start type . You can get these in QUICK START TYPE and these come on straight away . You don't need starter switches in the circuit.

The bulb gives out is a white light.

The  Bulb has a Bi-pin cap

THIS IS A NORMAL HOUSEHOLD FLUORESCENT TUBE.

This needs  control gear to run the bulb.

You can get these in all type of colours . Here is a few of them.

 

Type of colour	Colour Temp (K) KELVIN
WARM WHITE	2700	Colour of a GLS bulb
WARM WHITE	3000
WHITE	3500	Standard colour for offices ,etc .
COOL WHITE	4000-4100
DAYLIGHT	6000
COOL DAYLIGHT	6500

Natural sunlight ( morning , afternoon ) is between 2500-3000K range and  at highnoon it is very near 6000K .

Light is measured in (K) KELVIN  ( BULBS COLOUR TEMPERTURE ) .

Compact Fluorescent Bulb

This is a small version of the Fluorescent  tube and it is a single ended tube,with low pressure mercury gas in the tube . The bulb gives out is a white light.

This needs  control gear to run the bulb and with some types they don't need it .

You can get these in all type of colours . Here is a few of them.

Type of colour	Colour Temp (K)
WARM WHITE	2700	Colour of a GLS bulb
COOL WHITE	5000-5550

Metal Halide    MBI

This is the same as the MBF ( MERCURY ) bulbs , and they also contain metal halides in a quartz discharge tube and they give more light and better light.

It take between 2-7 mins to warm up  depending on the wattage of the bulb used.

This needs  control gear to run the bulb.

GLS ( GENERAL LIGHTING SERVICE )

This bulb has got a tungsten filament in it which current passes through.This goes white hot and this produces the light.

This is a normal household LIGHT BULB.You can buy them in ES/GES /BC caps .

This bulb is not energy efficient and you don't need control gear for them .

This chart showing the nominal output of normal GLS ( pearl ) bulbs and the colour of them .

GLS ( pearl )	15W	25W	40W	60W	75W	100W	150W	200W	3OOW	500W	1000W
Light output ( Lumens)	115	225	420	710	940	1360	2180	2900	4650	8300	1840
Colour Temp (K)	2750	2750	2750	2750	2750	2750	2750	2750	2750	2750	2750

GAS

Along time ago when they first starting to have street lights along the roads , they had used gas to light them . Every day the gas lighter man used to turn the lights on in the night and turn them of in the morning .

There is still allot of gas lights in LONDON , CAMBRIDGE and BOURNEMOUTH . In LONDON  the gas lights has got switches in them . The old timeswiches are clockwork and the new timeswiches run from batteries. In some parts of LONDON they got photocells in the gas light lanterns which are run from batteries . In 1999 in LONDON I seen some with photocells on them.

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THANKS FOR LOOKING

UPDATED 28 2 2005

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