The AM Forum

OK, got rid of CFLs. 
Going back to filaments.

AH, check this out !

looks like they copied the centennial bulb still burning at Livermore:

http://www.centennialbulb.org/images/cb11.jpg

Early 1900's linear tungsten filament Mazda 250 Watter, from the hotel Del Coronado in San Diego.

Here's another one.

http://fp.vendaria.com/vpop/VpopViewer.html?uid=100661879&iid=AddpfzvImumvmKvJJIIKfwKILumLKv&bg=FFFFFF&nm=BZOpener&err=0&title=&pf=t&fr=t

Since the Chinese produce vintage transmitting tubes, no reason not to produce vintage light bulbs. Maybe even at the same factory.

Does this mean that you can only use the Chinese vintage light bubs vertically? If made at same factory, probably is the case.

more importantly, this chinese vintage lamp eats 60W to produce only 275 lumens...

I think these lamps assume you've won the lottery !

I use these. 6 for $3.97, roughly $.66 each; 60 watts, 780 lumens
I don't make the big bucks.

(http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/28/2878d45b-2972-416d-adb9-6f8a1b18eda3_300.jpg)

Last weekend home cheapo had a pack of 8 for $3.99. I bought 32. we use about 6 bulbs a year.

They are probably about on par with the original turn of the 20th century carbon filament bulbs. I have a few of those that I  have accumulated over  the years, and they light up to a reddish orange glow on the filament, not much brighter than the heating element in a "quartz" electric heater, and less bright than a typical transmitting tube filament. But they supposedly lasted for ever.  There are stories about bulbs running non-stop for over a half century.  Unfortunately, many of those bulbs were deliberately destroyed in the mid 50s because they tended to self-oscillate at VHF due to some kind of weird negative resistance effect and cause TVI.  I remember ads in magazines like Radio and Television News that offered to trade even a new light bulb for any carbon filament filament lamp turned in, with the promise that all those carbon filament bulbs would be destroyed in a crusher so they "would never interfere with another TV ever again".

The Mazda bulbs had tungsten filaments.   They were shorter lived, but burnt brighter, although the filament was heavier than modern day incandescents and lasted longer, but with lower efficiency. Probably on par with modern "long life" bulbs.

Some of the "long-life" bulbs sold here were actually normal bulbs from somewhere in eastern Europe, that were  lower in efficiency but more rugged.  An outfit called the Handicapped Workers of America used to sell them by phone solicitation.  They used to bug me with junk phone calls.  I finally told them I didn't need any more because the last ones I bought from them were so good that none of them had burnt out and I didn't need any replacements. I used them in mechanic's lamps for working on the car because I could drop the thing on the concrete floor and not crap out the bulb.  The filaments in regular incandescents are so delicate that they will hardly withstand even a mild tap while lit.

I think the appropriate phrase here is dim bulb.

The Edison bulb shelves are not heavily stocked at Lowes'......cheap prices for 1 yr bulbs.
Nice retro look Paul.
At our age, we need more lumens. ha!

A good retro look for a retro radio station.

But can you use 'em for dummy loads? ;D

Really good bulbs are the ones used for sidelights on radio sticks (not the top beacons) and traffic lights.

Clear glass, 116 watts @ 120 or 130 volts, maybe four or five circular 'whiskers' supporting a thick filament. Some are even filled with Argon and will last a lifetime. Beautiful construction. Why 116 watts, I don't know.

Get them from Grainger or other electric goods suppliers.

Bill

Side light lamps are designed to have a guaranteed lumen output at a specified voltage, and run usually at less voltage than rated for the increased lifespan.
 
Beacon lamps are 620 Watt, prefocus base.  There are two in a standard beacon.

Hazard marking service fixtures and the lamps used are mandated by the FAA.

Jeez, I've changed a bunch of those lamps over the years come to think of it.  I'm really glad I don't climb anymore.

LED beacons & side lights were the rage for a bit, but they are very expensive and a lot of them have problems in high RF environments, like on a radio tower. 

They do save on the kWh, but many have not lived up to the overall reliability of incandescent lamps.


73DG

All of the marker lights we have changed lately have 8,000 hours marked on them as the operating life. We had some on a tower that the owner has chosen to not replace the relay from the photocell on. They are wired on all of the time. We traced the approximate date they were placed into 24/7 service and found that they had burned out at almost 8,000 hours or so. Pretty good life for an incandescent.

Shane KI4M

Got some surplus /used traffic light bulbs a few years ago....they were 150 volt but running on 120 volts.....makes them last longer......standard screw base

I am still using the floodlight bulbs I installed when I built my house in 1973.   They were 130V bulbs.    Since that time, a new substation nearby caused our voltage to be higher at 125V, so maybe they won't last much longer.

I think those carbon lamps may make a good dummy load if the resistance didn't go too high when lit.