AgentHalogen_87
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Long Live SOX!
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The topic came up in the gallery about LED retrofits, in particular for LPS lamps  . Complaints were made that most are daylight white and are terrible at putting light where it's needed. While some people, myself included, think that SOX should still light the way, I'm willing to come to a compromise. I've mentioned 589 monochromatic LEDs in the past, but this is a better idea. The concept is an LED lamp, the same dimensions as a SOX lamp (either with a glow tube instead of the arc tube, or a 360 degree panel) with a circuit inside so that it is red when initially turned on and slowly turns to the famous 589 golden-yellow over a period of 5-10 minutes. This time could possibly be varied by the consumer to add a degree of realism. The time could be removed entirely for instant monochromatic light in a darkroom, for example, or maybe even set to 20 mins for a great home fixture display. I have always said: 589 LEDs may never live up to the legacy of an LPS lamp, but they are a valuable substitute in the absence of one. I still want to restart SOX production, but this concept would be a much cheaper compromise. To my knowledge, this is just a concept, but I'm eager to read your thoughts on it and if anybody is in the electronics industry that may be able to make it happen.  |
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AngryHorse
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Rich, Coaster junkie!
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| While the concept is good, realistically I don’t really see the point of it?, SOX did this because of what they were, it’s seems unnecessary to go to the bother of developing a specialised driver circuit just for the sole purpose of mimicking a SOX lamp?
Not many people outside of enthusiasts would appreciate the run up of the LPS lamp anyway, and I bet most didn’t even take notice when they were in service everywhere?, and colour wise they can already make LED filament lamps that look similar to the old street lighting of clear MV, coated MV, SOX and HPS.
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« Last Edit: February 14, 2022, 05:34:47 AM by AngryHorse »
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Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
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Street lighting in our town: Philips UniStreet LED (gen 1)
Longest serving LED in service at home, (hour count): Energetic mini clear globe: 54,050 hrs @ 10/2/24
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Mandolin Girl
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Our feeling, Ria and myself, is that as SOX fades away, it should be remembered as it was, and not have some pale imitation try to take its place.  |
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Hugs and STUFF Sammi xXx (also in Aberdeen)  
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There are two kinds of light - the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.
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AgentHalogen_87
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Long Live SOX!
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| I suppose you're right. Maybe not for street lighting. But as a display piece, it would look great. SOX is sadly fading away, and I want people of the future to experience it first hand. While of course a true SOX lamp is what it should be, this is a hell of a lot better than nothing. It won't take the SOX lamp's place, but stand by as a throwback to it's legacy when they can no longer light the way themselves.
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AngryHorse
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Rich, Coaster junkie!
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| Personally now the technology is already with us, it would be nice for street lighting to make a return to its tungsten days!, instead of the usual flat panel lanterns like our Philips Uni-Streets, I’d love to see residential street lighting using 2700K LED filament lamps in simple classic top entry lanterns like Thorns Beta 4 for instance?
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Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
Power provider: e.on energy
Street lighting in our town: Philips UniStreet LED (gen 1)
Longest serving LED in service at home, (hour count): Energetic mini clear globe: 54,050 hrs @ 10/2/24
Welcome to OBLIVION
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Rommie
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@ AgentHalogen_87 - Sorry, but it isn't "better than nothing". Better nothing than sully the memory of a truly great light source. You won't ever change our minds, sorry  |
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Ria (aka Rommie) in Aberdeen
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AgentHalogen_87
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Long Live SOX!
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Personally now the technology is already with us, it would be nice for street lighting to make a return to its tungsten days!, instead of the usual flat panel lanterns like our Philips Uni-Streets, I’d love to see residential street lighting using 2700K LED filament lamps in simple classic top entry lanterns like Thorns Beta 4 for instance?
That's a neat idea. Beta 4, Revo Prefect, and Wardle Murray are the three that come to mind. My mind is obviously biased towards SOX. My earliest memory is of a 2 or 3 year old me looking out the living room window, just as the GoldenRay 535 closest to my house lit up neon red. Shortly after that, it was replaced by a StreetFighter; but the rest of the road remained MI-26s until the LED conversion. I always looked out my bedroom window to see the light show down the road. @ AgentHalogen_87 - Sorry, but it isn't "better than nothing". Better nothing than sully the memory of a truly great light source. You won't ever change our minds, sorry
I'm not trying to. I'm in no way saying that you should warm to the idea of LEDs. Nor am I saying that you should get rid of your SOX lamps if these come along. I remember you saying that you have a lifetime supply of SOX, and you should use them to your heart's content. They are an amazing light source, and they should still be in general use. I want to restart (quality) production of them, but that will cost an absolute fortune. My point is that for someone like me, who has a limited stock; or someone who never had the opportunity to get their hands on some SOX lamps, it would be nice to have something reminiscent of the nostalgic colour changing light bulb  . That's my opinion. Yours differs from mine and I'm fine with that.  |
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Rommie
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It's been said before, low volume production of SOX is not a viable (or economic) proposition. The glass used for the arc tubes is of a type that is not used for anything else in the world, also there is the sheer skill of the production line workforce. It's far from a simple matter of pushing a button and watching lamps roll off the end of the line, so much of it is done by hand. Where are you going to get the people with this knowledge since Hamilton closed..? This is what is baffling me with the Chinese starting to make them again. Where did they get the machinery..? No prizes for guessing that. What about the staff..? It takes literally years to train the workforce, so did they somehow persuade all the ex-Hamilton workers to move en-masse to China..? That I seriously doubt. So in the absence of experienced staff, I hold out little hope for the quality of the output. And who are they going to sell them to..? Philips supposedly cited lack of demand for the reason for closing Hamilton. They then sold their lighting division to a Chinese investment bank, or so I'm led to believe. Now they're making them again. Maybe I'm a conspiracy theorist, I don't know. But it's certainly suspicious to me. |
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Ria (aka Rommie) in Aberdeen
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AngryHorse
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Rich, Coaster junkie!
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According to the rep that was on here, SOX from China is marketed more towards laboratories and photography use now than outside lighting, although that option is still there for small scale use. As AgentHalogen_87 mentioned above, my first memory of street lighting was mercury, (one reason why I welcomed white light back in streets), I was 9 when our town changed from mercury to SOX in 1981, so have equally good memories of both!  |
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Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
Power provider: e.on energy
Street lighting in our town: Philips UniStreet LED (gen 1)
Longest serving LED in service at home, (hour count): Energetic mini clear globe: 54,050 hrs @ 10/2/24
Welcome to OBLIVION
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Econolite03
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Matthew E.
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| If I learn and understand electronics better being the engineering geek I am, I could attempt to make a SOX retrofit modeled after the Philips Hue or WarmGlow LED lineups. Basically, my prototype needs a “filament tower” using red, orange, and yellow LEDs that would slowly sequence to create a warm up phase, and some type of corresponding circuitry modeled after the Philips WarmGlow(s). I’ll try to do some illustrations, but I’ve got some idea of what to do.
If anyone has any points, suggestions, or ideas to share, feel free.
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Rommie
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Ria (aka Rommie) in Aberdeen
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Econolite03
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AgentHalogen_87
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Long Live SOX!
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| She really doesn't want SOX tainted by LED. I completely understand her point of view. And I hope she understands mine. We don't have to agree, as long as we understand each others points of view and the reasons for them.
As for your suggestions, I know pure 589 LEDs are more expensive than RGB scale yellow, so probably go for RGB in a prototype. And what are the options for simulating a 'hot re-strike' after different periods of downtime?
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