Hey everybody,

I recently got a Sylvania long neck flood with the Date Code J628, how do i decode this? Appreciate the help in advance. 

J = Factory, I think it's Winchester, KY
6 = 1996, 2006, 2016, etc. You'll need to know what the lamp has that makes it a certain year.
2 = February
8 = Twelve month cycle (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, c - with a, b, and c being October, November, and December)

If 2 is february, then is there also a 12 months cycle with an 8? i'm confused about that part.

The 8 indicates that it is a twelve-month cycle. Not sure why it is. There's another variation of the date code style (mainly on their fluorescents) that is weekly. Used to decode lamps with it but I don't remember it. That one is a little bit more complicated.

Ahh thanks for explaining. Really weird, why can't everyone just use the phillips code.

Hi Max, if the J is underlined, then it indicates Juarez in Mexico.
This particular datecode is detailed at the link here.  Maybe it is confusing that I filed that sheet under the section for Osram datecodes, because it ran during the time when Sylvania North America was owned by Osram.

Thanks James, forgot that osram owns sylvania! The Juarez plant made mains halogen lamps like the one i have, so it looks like it checks out.