Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #15 on: May 26, 2022, 04:27:32 PM » Author: Lumex120
Quote from: HomeBrewLamps on May 26, 2022, 04:08:00 PM Solar panels and batteries can reduce energy costs quite a bit. If I ever get the country property I want I will definitly be taking advantage of some solar power to reduce the costs of running things. Last year I put a few 100w panels on my garage roof and ran tools and lights off of them whenever the sun was out. There's something seriously cool about knowing you're generating electricity from nothing but natural light. My setup just had a 35ah AGM battery and a 300w pure sine inverter, it was able to charge my tools and run a few magnetic F40 fixtures quite nicely. Unfortunately I had to move and my current house is completely shaded and there's no wind, but eventually I hope to be able to build a much larger system with a lot more battery capacity.
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	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #16 on: May 26, 2022, 04:37:56 PM » Author: Rommie
Solar power is all very well, but it can take years to recover the installation costs before you're actually saving any money.
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Ria (aka Rommie) in Aberdeen
Administrator, UK & European time zones. Any questions or problems, please feel free to get in touch

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	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #17 on: May 27, 2022, 10:31:10 PM » Author: 108CAM
Quote from: HomeBrewLamps on May 26, 2022, 04:08:00 PM Solar panels and batteries can reduce energy costs quite a bit. If I ever get the country property I want I will definitly be taking advantage of some solar power to reduce the costs of running things. Only lamps I need to stock up on now are a case or two of 100, 150 and 70 watt HPS. After that I'm done collecting up burner lamps. I'd like to be able to run low wattage lamps for a while. 175 watt mercury vapor I have plenty of. 35 watt HPS I also have plenty of. Same with 70 watt metal halide and 55 watt LPS. I got all the corners covered for each technology prettymuch. But I'd like atleast 70 or 100 watt HPS burner lamps. 35 watt is a little dim. Might aswell use a CFL. Lol. I don't get burner lamps for 250, 400 and 1000 watt. I can never see myself running those for a long time. I have enough bulbs for those. Nice to see I'm not the only one who uses the term burner lamps!
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Fluro starter pings combined with a 50hz ballast hum and blinking tubes is music to my ears.

Rest in Peace Electronic Lamp Manufacturers of Australia
1925-2002

Bring back the AJF Zodiacs!

Total incidents since joining LG: 17
Lamps accidently broken or smashed: 14
Ballast explosions/burnouts: 3

	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #18 on: May 27, 2022, 10:47:48 PM » Author: 108CAM
I'm currently working on stocking up what I call "Burner Lamps". These will be what I use in fixtures so I can preserve the special, old or uncommon lamps for as long as possible although some of my special lamps live inside the fixtures they were found in. My fluorescent tube stocks are at a good level although I'd like to get more F40T12's as I don't have enough for all my 40w fixtures.
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Fluro starter pings combined with a 50hz ballast hum and blinking tubes is music to my ears.

Rest in Peace Electronic Lamp Manufacturers of Australia
1925-2002

Bring back the AJF Zodiacs!

Total incidents since joining LG: 17
Lamps accidently broken or smashed: 14
Ballast explosions/burnouts: 3

	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #19 on: May 28, 2022, 12:16:59 AM » Author: Cole D.
I don't really collect anything that's too rare or uncommon like SOX, etc. But if I find vintage MV lamps I always buy them. And if I find decent quality new HID lamps on clearance or something for a few dollars (which happens sometimes when stores change brands like Home Depot stopped selling Philips or Lowes stopped selling Sylvania) I will buy them if they're a common wattage. This way I have a good supply of MV or HPS lamps that will last a while and I don't feel bad about using them. With those kinds of lamps I don't worry too much about not being able to find any in the future because there are still plenty around even if there were no new ones for sale or made. I do wish it was easier to find used HID fixtures, because I tend to end up with brand new ones that I'd feel bad about using outside. I'd rather find one that's already weather beaten.
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Collect vintage incandescent and fluorescent fixtures. Also like HID lighting and streetlights.

	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #20 on: May 28, 2022, 09:14:42 PM » Author: 108CAM
I feel the same about using NOS fixtures outside. I recently received 2 unboxed but otherwise NOS Holophane fixtures. I was thinking about mounting one but when I saw that the mounting holes were still plugged up from the casting process, I felt bad about drilling them out as it would technically remove their NOS status.
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Fluro starter pings combined with a 50hz ballast hum and blinking tubes is music to my ears.

Rest in Peace Electronic Lamp Manufacturers of Australia
1925-2002

Bring back the AJF Zodiacs!

Total incidents since joining LG: 17
Lamps accidently broken or smashed: 14
Ballast explosions/burnouts: 3

	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #21 on: May 31, 2022, 02:47:36 PM » Author: Andy
I wouldn't go as far as saying I stockpile lamps but often take the opportunity to get a few of something interesting if it's cheap enough so that I have a spare and maybe one or two to exchange with others in the future.
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I'm always interested in exchanging lamps with others. Send me a message if you would be interested in a trade.

	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #22 on: May 31, 2022, 02:55:22 PM » Author: Rommie
That just about covers us here, really. Now that our 'bucket list' is nearing completion, I doubt we'll be buying anything more unless it's really rare or special.
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Ria (aka Rommie) in Aberdeen
Administrator, UK & European time zones. Any questions or problems, please feel free to get in touch

"What greater gift than the love of a cat..?" - Charles Dickens
*** No smiley-only replies, please ***

	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #24 on: June 04, 2022, 12:04:49 PM » Author: Mandolin Girl
Ah, but will you make it to 2100...
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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.
James Thurber
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	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #27 on: June 04, 2022, 03:50:24 PM » Author: Patrick
Aw, don't be so sure, you looked perfectly healthy last I saw a photo of you, and appeared younger than you must have been.  Of course I'm quite skinny myself, and hopefully that's not such a bad thing.  Likewise I have plenty of lamps at this point, as long as they aren't lost, stolen, or destroyed I shouldn't have any problems having some fluorescent, HID, and incandescent available for use.  If by chance I was ever low on any, I'd have ample time to locate more, or I could simply use fewer of a given type.
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Lighting-Gallery.net

	Re: Stockpiling lamps, ballasts & fixture parts « Reply #29 on: June 12, 2022, 04:30:07 PM » Author: Cole D.
I can't seem to find any threads on this, which is surprising. But I've been hearing lately from other collectors that next year the US is banning the sale of all incandescent, halogen and fluorescent bulbs and fixtures in retail in July 2023. This is really depressing to me, and I get the feeling they're going to go only to integrated LED crap with no sockets.
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Collect vintage incandescent and fluorescent fixtures. Also like HID lighting and streetlights.