Lighting-Gallery.net
Lamps => Modern => Topic started by: Bamaslamma1003 on January 06, 2010, 12:18:03 AM
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What are everybody's favorite fluorescent tubes? My favorites are GE and Sylvania F40T12's. GE's because they have good startup flicker and Sylvania because they are still full mercury. All mine are linear. I don't have any circlines or U-bents.
My Collection: T12 (all are pairs)
Feit Electric (Sylvania-made) F40CW deluxe 4100K
GE F40CW deluxe 4100K
Sylvania F40CW plus 4100K
Philips Alto F40 Daylight Deluxe 6500K
Sylvania F20CW 4100K
Sylvania GTE F20CW (one lamp)4100K
GE F15T12CW 4100K
My Collection: T8
GE F15T8CW 4100K
GE Starcoat F17T8CW (one lamp) 4100K
GE F32T8D 6500K
GE F32T8CW deluxe 4100K
GE F32T8 "Office & Professional" 3500K
GE F32T8 "Sunshine" 5000 K
Sylvania Octron F32T8CW 4100K
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I love the older Philips and Osram linear and circular tubes, mostly the 38mm versions. I don't care much for the newer costdown and low-mercury lamps (boring, less lifetime performance uninspired sleeve design). But I suffer from a certain degree of nostalgia... ;)
A few Philips and Osram favorites in my collection:
Philips TLM 65W/82 RS
Philips TLF 40W/34 De Luxe
Philips TL 20W/27 De Luxe
Philips TLFM 40W/33 RS (this lamp has it all: reflector, ignition strip and silicone treatment)
Philips TLE 40W/34 De Luxe
Philips TL40W/08 BLB (fat T12 blacklight blue tube)
Philips TLW 25W/32 De Luxe (W shaped, quickly discontinued)
Philips TLD 36W/92
Philips TLU65W/33 (U bent)
Philips TLH65W/84 (amalgam lamp, quickly discontinued)
Osram L20W/39 Interna
Osram L13W/41 Lumilux Interna
Osram L6W/930 Lumilux De Luxe
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My favorites are all the Westinghouse black-enders and all the old GEs
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Favorite for use:
F58T8/827
F36T8/827
F18T8/830
F15T8/830
FC6T9/830
PL-S 11W
PL-S 7W
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My favorite for use:
GE "3" preheat-Rapid start F40T12 4,100K
Lustra F40T12 blackender 4,500K
Champion F40T12 (GE?) 4,100K
Lifeline Sylvania any color
Phillips/Noreclco non-Altos W/cathode guard,
Still purchasable everyday use favorites
Ge Ecolux F40T12 3,500K
Phillips Alto F32T8 (no end blackening looks good in my basement lights with the transparent cover) Any color
Ge Ecolux Starcoat F32T8 ,NOT CHEAP residential ecolux version 3,500K
Fake westy
Then no preference
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My favourites for everyday use:
GE ecolux F20T12 4100K and 5000K (good startup flicker, pretty reliable)
Phillps F32T8 Alto 5000K (less end blackening on IS ballasts and still pretty nice startup flicker)
Sylvania F40T12 premium cool white 4100K (full wattage and full mercury higher CRI is also a bonus)
Sylvania F32T8 4100K
GE ecolux F32T8 any colour (I mostly use them on RS ballasts)
Then any other lamp(s) I can get locally.
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Got some new tubes I like a lot. Philips Alto F32T8/TL850 5000K full spectrum. Nice color and nice startup flicker on my rapid start magnetic F32T8 ballast.
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My favorites are the older Westinghouse F40s with the black end caps. I also love the F40T10 lamps. I picked up two cases (of 30/case) of the Daymar brand a few years ago. I have them in my center row of lights in my shop. They get used nearly every day and are flawless. Almost all my 4' fixtures are preheat and the F40T10s work well. My favorite color temp is Daylight (daylight deluxe, 6500K)
I have hundreds of old F40 lamps, many of which are the older GE "Mainlighter", of various colors. I have quite a few of the old Sylvana "Lifeline" lamps too. Of the newer lamps, the Philips Alto F40s seem to work well, as do the Alto F32T8s, but the 8' Alto lamps SUCK!!
For CFL lamps, I like the PL13s, with the push in 2-pin lamp. The ballasts last nearly forever if you do not leave a bad lamp installed. These are more reliable, long lasting and environmentally friendly than the "twister" type where you throw the whole thing away when it takes a dump.
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I always liked the PL13 type cfl's too. I wanted to find a few of the screw-in ballast adapters for them. My dad had a desk lamp that used a PL13 and had the ballast in a "wall wart" plug box. I loved that light! It was VERY blink-happy on startup. Most of the PL13's I've seen seem to be pretty blink-happy.
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I always liked the PL13 type cfl's too. I wanted to find a few of the screw-in ballast adapters for them. My dad had a desk lamp that used a PL13 and had the ballast in a "wall wart" plug box. I loved that light! It was VERY blink-happy on startup. Most of the PL13's I've seen seem to be pretty blink-happy.
A company called "Enertron" still makes the PL screw in fittings. I am going to order some from them. They also have preheat "PL" wall and ceiling fixtures.
http://www.enertron.com/
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GE Power Groove's are my favorite. I have 7 48" daylight lamps.
My second favorite would be U-Bent lamps (The big U shape, not the tight ones)
Favorite Color is warm white
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And my VERY favorite is the F90T17!
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The ones I`m aggresively looking for are F100T17`s F90T17`s & F40T12`s made in the early 1940`s Dead or alive.
Looking to buy the bulbs listed above .
I pretty much have a passion for vintage fluorescent bulbs in general & if I see them I`ll persue them.
While driving down streets , Westinghouse blackenders are easey to spot sticking out of trash cans , So I`ll pull over & get them , Yes, Even if they are dead.
Luckily you guys understand where I`m coming from.
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Vintage, I will collect anything fluorescent related from the dump and have found MANY working lamps in the trash as you mention. Many times, most of them still work. Lots of places change out the whole office or warehouse's lamps and many are still good.
I must admit, I have never collected blown lamps, but my first will be these Westinghouse F90T17s. I would LOVE to just SEE a working fixture with F100T17s!
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Vintage, I will collect anything fluorescent related from the dump and have found MANY working lamps in the trash as you mention. Many times, most of them still work. Lots of places change out the whole office or warehouse's lamps and many are still good.
I must admit, I have never collected blown lamps, but my first will be these Westinghouse F90T17s. I would LOVE to just SEE a working fixture with F90T100s!
T100? That would be a foot wide! Naw, just kidding. It's supposed to be T17 right?
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oops. Typo. Sorry! I fixed it. Thanks!
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Of my collection, my favourites are:
-F48PG17 GE Cool White Power Grooves
-F48T12 Duro-Test Vita Lite (awesome colour & CRI, great startup flicker too)
-F20T12/BL GE blacklight (not BLB) - beautiful blue colour
-F20T12 Cool Greens (Service Long Life Guaranteed)
-F54T5 6500K Daylight High Output 4' T5
-F40T12 GE Cool White Mainlighter from the 80's
-F40T12 GE 40w Shop-Lights from the 90's (full wattage, full mercury)
-F40T12 U-Bent GE Super Cool White, one of the last with the GE endcaps
-F40T12 GE Plant & Aquarium (basically a Natural White)
-F34T12 GE Watt Misers (full mercury, have awesome startup flicker)
-F96T12 Sylvania Deluxe Cool White Slimlines
-F48T12 GE Watt-Miser slimline, 30w with red etch
-Chinese-made 13w PL-S lamps of 6500K daylight colour (I have two)
-Philips 13w PL-C and PL-S 4100K two-pin CFL's
-F15T8 Sylvania Designer Cool Whites (2)
-LOA quad 18w 4-pin CFL's made by Panasonic
-LOA circline 22w Warm White (the colour grew on me)
-The many Sylvania Sunshine 5000K F40T12s and GE Residential Light 4100K F40T12's
Almost all of these lamps are in regular use...why have it if you aren't going to burn it?
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Almost all of these lamps are in regular use...why have it if you aren't going to burn it?
I gotta agree! I use as many of mine as I can also! 98% or more of what I have in regular use is preheat fluorescent.
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My favorites are the Westinghouse variety, with older GE and Sylvania not too far behind. Also like the Duro-Test fluorescent lamps, especially the power twists. Of the modern lamps, at least GE and Sylvania F40T12s are decent.
Here are what I have in use in my fluorescent lights:
Ott-Lite F40T10 2x
GE F40CW Mainlighter 2x
Westinghouse F40CW 2x
Sylvania F40CW Lifeline 1x
Sylvania F40 Cool White Plus 1x
Sylvania F40DX 4x
Philips F40 Cool White Plus 2x (alto crap but I'm using em up)
GE F15T12/CW 2x
GE F14T12/CW 2x
Sylvania FC12T9/WW 1x
GE F20T12/CW 2x
Sylvania F20T12/CW 1x
Westinghouse F20T12/CWX 1x
Sylvania F30T12/WWX/RS 2x
Plus lots more stored in my fluorescent lamp boxes.
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I currently use:
- A pair of modern Sylvania F20T12/CW on an Advance ballast, which I seriously think to change, way too dim... :-\
- A pair of mid-90s GE F20T12/D on preheat chokes, much brighter than the Sylvanias
- A pair of Sylvania F32T8/CW, one 741 and one 841. By chance these have found an useful application in my workshop with that shoplight I got a while ago. Otherwise they would collect dust LOL.
- A GE F15T8/CW (from Indonesia) in my closet, here again another tube that would collect dust if not used.
I also have a GE F40D Mainlighter and a Sylvania F96T12/CW/SS that wait to be used.
My favorites are definitely CGEs. Otherwise I don't have "favorites", I like fluorescents in general, but as a Canadian, CGE fluorescents have a special place in my collection 8)
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My new favorites are Sylvania Cool White Plus F40T12/CWP 4' lamps. I just bought a ten pack of them because the specs are pretty close to the "real" F40T12 cool white lamps. From what I can tell, these are regular cool white lamps with just enough "good" phosphor to bring the CRI up to 70 to meet federal regulations. I'm not sure exactly what the difference is in the phosphor, though. If I get a chance, I will light one of these up next to a regular cool white and take a picture.
I would use these any day over 34 watt lamps and I bought these for the same price as a 34 watt lamp.
-Nelson
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Those are still full mercury too.
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@nogden:
I guess it would be mix of halophosphates and rare earth "tri-phosphor". The reason would not be the CRI, but the efficacy - Triphosphors are ~20% more efficient in lumens (in radiated energy even more, as triphosphors radiate relatively more in the red and blue, where the eye is not as sensitive)
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A few favorites:
Philips F40T12/50U (5000k Ultralume) -- clean white color & bright
GE F40G (F40T12 Green) -- Green phosphor (looks white when off), these have awesome color & brightness.
GE F40CG (F40T12 Cool Green) -- nice color
GE F40C75 (F40T12 Chroma 75) -- 7500k color temp, slightly more 'blue' than than a "daylight" lamp
Philips TL 40W/03 RS (F40T12 Actinic 03) -- blue/uv saltwater aquarium bulb
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A few faves from collection.
Philips TL20W/17 (green 2' bought in Brussels in July 1981, made June 1979)
Metrovick 3' T8 warm white 29 (Made in UK, 1960s - date code "75") given to me by a cafe owner in Charing Cross Rd London, early 90s in exchange for a Thorn of same size and colour after I spotted the lamp in use in a window display!
Philips TL8W/35 (Made Oct 1974, first of these found in the autumn of 1977) that has been "perfectly worn" with thick off-cathode bands on each end, neatly-formed anode spots, etc but still lights perfectly on magnetic choke and Multipulse electronic starter.
Airam L20W/3XX "Lammin de Luxe" (appears to match Philips colour 32, made in Finland Jan 1978).
Irisfluor (UK-imported French Mazda/French Philips) TF20W/29, well-used but healthy, made Jan 1976, found in 1978 or 1979 at Royal Free Hosp London after they'd been relamping. No 2D's, CFL's or LED's then!
Canadian GE F17T8/835. Works perfectly on standard UK 20w control gear, bought @ Canadian Tire while on hol in Toronto, June 2008. No cathode shields. I'm more of a nostalgic Halophosphate man myself, but rather like 835. Certainly DON'T like the scourge of 860 cold blue daylight lamps creeping their way into every shop on the high street these days. Those tubes make the whole shop look cold and less inviting than in the days of the good old Warm White 29 that was once everywere - rant over!
Circular Dutch Philips 32W DELUXE WW 32, made April 1964, found in Brighton in July 1986, and managed to survive the train journey back in one piece. Almost everything the cathodes could give is on the tube wall, and it works and starts reliably, but with about as much light as a T5 6W the same colour. It's the earliest Philips lamp I have with the alphanumeric M/Y coding on it.
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I've never noticed this thread before.
My favourite brand is Atlas which was made by Thorn. Some of the tubes used to use special braided cathodes made of 8 thin tungsten wires braided together to form a mesh cylinder. They used to hold ridiculously high amounts of emitter and would last ages!
Thorn tubes in general are another favourite of mine, the older ones seemed to last the longest. I've seen quite a few Thorn tubes in shops still going.
Favourite colour is a difficult choice as I like almost all the colours. I prefer cooler colours but I'm not too keen on retrofitting daylight tubes into existing installations, usually there isn't enough light and it makes the room look cold.
I should think Natural (Universal White) is probably the best mix of good colour rendition and efficacy. Thorn Kolorite or Philips Trucolor look great but the tubes tend to be quite dim.
Favourites in my collection are:
Atlas Daylight 4300K 6ft 85W
Osram-GEC Natural 4000K 6ft 75-85W
Endura White 3500K 2ft 40W
Philips MCFE White 5ft 65/80W with brass caps
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Modern for me is anything by philips, I believe they make the best modern T8 lamps. As for vintage, My atlas Superfive Blue is my favorite!
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Some of my favorites have changed, as I have learned the value of some lamps since joining this site. I have several of the "3" General electric F40s, which are now put away, along with several inside etch "Mainlighter" GE F40s. I have a variety of Westinghouse F40 black ender lamps that I took out of regular service to put in the "collection", especially since I have scored so many good, working full mercury lamps at the recycle center. In my "put away" collection, I also have a variety of "Lifeline" Sylvania F40s, 20 something 6 foot "Powergroove" T17 lamps, various old under 4' lamps and even a few old slimline lamps. My favorite "modern" lamps are the full mercury Sylvanias and I love the colored lamps (green, red, blue, gold, cool green and blacklight blue).
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There's a few more i need to add to my list of favorites:
F40T12/Red (dim, but awesome color)..F96T12 Red's are cool too :)
Sylvania F40/IF (Incandescent Fluorescent - cool color, has a 'vintage' look to it - appears to be closer to a real incandescent than warm white...but not very bright)
And for modern lamps:
F54T5/Red/HO - (4-foot High Output T5 "Red" ... which is more pink than red, awesome color & very bright!)
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Yes, xmaslightguy, I forgot about the IFs!! They are cool! I would love some 8 foot colored lamps, but the 4' ones will always be my favorites, besides the 5' T17s! ;D
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LOL I never knew 8' colored existed until this year when i found the Red :)
But for size in general, 4' is my favorite as well...
A 5' T17 would be awesome 8-) no doubt something that should be on a favorites list
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hmmm, lets see.
-Airam L20W-1XC Luonnonvalo, I dont think that I ever find another one of this kind of lamp as these are so rare but at least I have one working.
-Osram L18W/19 Tageslicht 5000 de Luxe(too bad that modern 5000 lamps dont have as nice shade of white as theese DeLuxe halophosphate-lamps did. there is something special in these.
-Philips TL 40W/55 DELUXE, another gorgeous color.
-Narva LT 18W/018 blue, nice color "drug lamp" as its called in Finland sometimes. some puplic toilets have blue fluorescent lamps to prevent drug users to find a blood vessel, so thats how the lamp got its name.
-Philips TLU 20W/25, such a cute little U-bent.
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Hmmm coloured 8 foot tubes! I have never seen them over here. Only day light cool white, white and warm white! Coloured 8 foots would be awsome!
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@ kevxsi16v, Alights has some beauties here, 75 watt slimline and 110 watt HO GOLDs!
http://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-47219
And of course xmaslightguy's F96 75 watt REDs!
http://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-46895
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I like Your classic F40T12 stuff, but also enjoy those lamps for weird applications. :)
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For me, halophosphate and triphosphor daylight tubes are among my favorites due to their beautiful colors and flash patterns seen on cell phone cameras.
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I don’t really collect fluorescent stuff nowadays, but if I had a favorite it would be those Duro-Test Power-Twists.
:stirfl:
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Amongst others VHO 96” and PG tubes. Just yesterday I got hold of another 6 Powergrooves and 6 VHO T12 tubes.
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Although this thread only states ‘fluorescent tubes’, I don’t think I’ve ever had a favourite linear tube itself?, fluorescent wise, I’d have to pick the CFLs.
To be able to miniaturise the tried and tested fluorescent tube to a self ballasted retrofit version for the every day household use was a huge step forward for energy conservation, thanks to some clever forward thinking by Louis Vrenken! 8)
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Beside of VHO tubes I also like all triphosphor T12 and the De Luxe types. When it comes to day light coloured tubes then it should be at least 950 or 965 colour.
And of course my two bended TLD 36W/830 with clear ends for my Lazzurro S1 fixture
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My favorite:
Opple YK21RR T5
Philips YK21/840 T5
Philips TLD36W54/765 T8
Osram L 36W/865 T8