Author Topic: Mercury vapor exit sign???  (Read 4028 times)
Lumex120
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Mercury vapor exit sign??? « on: May 24, 2017, 02:01:53 PM » Author: Lumex120
I actually saw this around August last year, but I completely forgot about it until I was watching urbex videos.
So, I was in a University building for a class on showing animals at the State Fair, and in the classroom there were 2 exit signs by the doors on both sides. These weren't normal exit signs, they were entirely white, vertical cuboid shaped (looked to be about 8" x 8" x 12" or close to that) and they had the word "EXIT" in black letters, and the text was diagonal. What's weird about these is that they were glowing the EXACT same color as a /DX mercury vapor lamp. They even had the same flash patterns. The top of it was open (I could see the light shining up the wall) but there was no way for me to see inside it. It is possible that these could have just been incandescent and someone stuck an LED corn cob in it, but it doesn't explain why the light  coming out of the top was soft and diffused. Another thing that makes me suspect these had mercury vapor lamps in them is the fact that there was a slightly dark circle on the bottom part where the dimple of an ED shaped lamp could have been. There was also a line that could have been the arc tube wire. The building had TONS of cool mercury vapor lighting (100w mercury wall cylinder lights, track lights, etc) and so I think there is a good chance that these were also mercury vapor, probably 50w. Has anyone ever heard of these before? I didn't have my camera on me at the time but I might go there again in a few months and so maybe I can take some pictures.
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Ash
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Re: Mercury vapor exit sign??? « Reply #1 on: May 24, 2017, 02:31:05 PM » Author: Ash
Many places have awesome and at the same time senseless looking lighting installations

First thing that comes to mind is - Why use a lamp with long hot restrike time in emergency application ?

But if you think of it, there is sense : Back in the 60s 70s there werent many small Cool White/Daylight sources. The sign was intended to look Cool White. The only options were Mercury, 4/6/8W T5, and filtered Incandescents. The small T5's might have been considered too dim, the Incandescents too dim, too short lasting, special item (not easily available), and maybe still wrong color. So this left only the Mercury choice



The shadow from the wire or frame would not be visible on the shade with a DX lamp. The shadow is sharp on the lamp's Phosphor, but from the Phosphor the light is diffused. The shadow would be diffused into nothing before it reaches the shade

A Stick CFL would put out still soft light, and it does cast dark lines as the number of sticks i.e. 6 for most CFLs. (the dark line is in the direction from which you see through the center of the lamp, through 2 spaces between the sticks)

If the shade is made of PMMA, it may be the Alola in its own right. Some types of PMMA that look perfectly White on the outside, do change very significantly the light that goes through them. They absolutely can make a Daylight lamp (modern CFL, ..) look like something else

Some PMMA shades are Vacuum formed from sheet. The sheet is heated up, and pulled with Vacuum into a form, creating a jar of the intended shape. The resulting jar is thinnest on the side walls and especially in the corners, and thickest in the center of the base, which would sometimes make a darker area there

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Re: Mercury vapor exit sign??? « Reply #2 on: May 25, 2017, 12:06:56 PM » Author: mdcastle
Is it possible someone got tired of replacing incandescent lamps burning out from being run 24/7 and stuck a self-ballasted mercury lamp in there?
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Ash
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Re: Mercury vapor exit sign??? « Reply #3 on: May 25, 2017, 03:37:43 PM » Author: Ash
The light would look warmer with a MBFT in it vs a standard Merc lamp. And if the luminaire is a Plastic cube, being 8 inch wide and enclosed, i think it would have hard time withstanding the heat of an MBFT

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Lumex120
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Re: Mercury vapor exit sign??? « Reply #4 on: May 25, 2017, 03:45:04 PM » Author: Lumex120
No, I don't think that is what happened because they weren't very bright (about the proper brightness as a 50w merc, though it could have been a 100w SBMV) but there was no incandescent glow coming from them.
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Ash
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Re: Mercury vapor exit sign??? « Reply #5 on: May 25, 2017, 03:58:26 PM » Author: Ash
50W Merc puts out a bit more light than 4 8W T5 tubes. Thats quite bright - The sign would really shine

And it is possible that a 50W Merc would be a conversion - As Mdcastle suggests, except a 50W Merc + ballasrt above the ceiling were added instead of the MBFT

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Re: Mercury vapor exit sign??? « Reply #6 on: May 25, 2017, 04:22:24 PM » Author: Lumex120
50W Merc puts out a bit more light than 4 8W T5 tubes. Thats quite bright - The sign would really shine

And it is possible that a 50W Merc would be a conversion - As Mdcastle suggests, except a 50W Merc + ballasrt above the ceiling were added instead of the MBFT


The lamps in the signs could have been slightly dim...
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Re: Mercury vapor exit sign??? « Reply #7 on: June 26, 2017, 05:12:59 PM » Author: Steele1992
If I am thinking about the same thing you are describing, those are 1940's/1950's milk glass exit signs. They were incandescent only and have a normal A19 base socket. So it likely has a fluorescent CFL bulb in there.  https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/26/a3/cb/26a3cb988406a4109450121f257833c5.jpg

The dimple on the bottom is just the way the glass forms in the mold when it is shaped and its flared out for decorative effect. It is not code to have black letters, so it was either a deep red or the light shining from behind made it seem black.
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I collect exit signs, preferably vintage ones.

I also have a little bit of a thing for light bulbs, too. Of course, hoarding them due to the incandescent bulb ban.

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Re: Mercury vapor exit sign??? « Reply #8 on: June 26, 2017, 05:15:34 PM » Author: Lumex120
If I am thinking about the same thing you are describing, those are 1940's/1950's milk glass exit signs. They were incandescent only and have a normal A19 base socket. So it likely has a fluorescent CFL bulb in there.  https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/26/a3/cb/26a3cb988406a4109450121f257833c5.jpg

The dimple on the bottom is just the way the glass forms in the mold when it is shaped and its flared out for decorative effect. It is not code to have black letters, so it was either a deep red or the light shining from behind made it seem black.
No, it wasn't one of those, it was wall mounted, quite large, and appeared to be made of acrylic.
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