Hello,

I'm the new one and I'm from Germany.

Some month ago I found this lamp: http://www.christophschubert.homepage.t-online.de/RFT/Tesla01.jpg

Now I switched it on and this was a big surprise: The illumination is very beautiful! I never had a lamp like this, but I know, that in the former GDR these lamps were sold in the early eighties.

What do you think about my statement? Is the illumination of a lamp with such a zig-zag filament realy more beautiful than a short-straight filament like modern lamps or is it only imagination? And if not, anyone knows a manufacturer, who produces lamps like this still now?

Thank you and best regards!

From the details of the lamp, 230V modern incandescent lamps lights better, with a higher color temperature (More white light) and will be more efficient, because of the following reasons:
1. This lamp have a UK mains voltage rating (240V), which means that in Germany, which have 230V, the lamp will last longer, but the filament will be underdriven and therefore the lamp will have less lumen efficiency and also less light.
2. From the shape of the filament, i know that the filament coiled only once (Single coil) and not twice (Coiled coil), and this despite the lamp is only 60W. This results in lower filament temperature, because of the effects of the convection currents of the gas filling, which also lower the lumen efficiency and light intensity.
Single coil filaments is as good as coiled coil filaments in lumen efficiency only in lamps of 200W and higher.

Thanks a lot for your information. Maybe the reason for my finding of the beautiful lighting of this lamp is really the different voltage.  But I think, it's not the only reason, because there are some other lamps with 240 Volt labeled and straight filament, they not come with such beautiful light.

If i understood it correct you mean, these old lamp is not as effective in lighting like modern lamps and thatswhy these with a long filament are not produced anymore. This is really sad, it lights so beautiful!

In the pre-1989 "age" nearly all incandescent lamps sold here (Czech Rep) were 240V (or 130V) rated, even when the nominal mains voltage was 220V (and in old city centers sometimes 120V). I guess the reason was, then the official mains tolerance range was 180..242V (110..130V), so it was rated for the top end.
By the way i know, then people tend to use 240V lamps even in the 120V installation. Partly because they didn't know the difference (they simply buy "a lightbulb"), but mostly because the nonexistent selection at that time.

Is there really a difference between 230 and 240V? I have some Lamps with same Design, but the date of manufacture is a little different (some month). The one type is labeled 230V, the other is 240V. Both were sold in the same shop at the same time, here in Germany. Manufacturer is Paulmann. I think, it's only marketing, or do you know an other reason?

@Chris: Technically it would be only ~4.5% of filament length and sightly different filament geometry (mainly of the coiling), what i doubt you will visually recognize.
And as generally the mains voltage tolerance tightened when switching 220->230V nominal, it had more economical sense to design lamps to the middle, as it generally improve the efficacy in real life (the overdrive at the maximum is not as big and not as frequent, so the life is still acceptable)

Of course the different length of the filament I can't see. My thoughts only, there must be a reason for the difference between 230 and 240V models. In Germany the nominal Voltage is 230V. It's not stable all the time and everywhere, but it is the official Voltage. But both Models to be sold here. Maybe the 240V exemplars lasts longer for use.

The 240V last longer and consume a bit of less power, but give much less light.
So bottom line for the same amount of light it is usually way cheaper to use 230V lamps and replace them more often, as less bulbs or lower wattage ones are doing the same job.