Author Topic: Fluorescent lamp colours  (Read 2166 times)
wishus
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Fluorescent lamp colours « on: July 18, 2016, 05:54:17 PM » Author: wishus
Hi all,

I've recently started collecting fluorescent lamps in earnest, and am mainly concentrating on GE (for now) 2' lamps as space is an issue.
So my idea is to create a working wall display of F20T12 lamps.  I figure it's the smallest lamp size that still has the widest range of colours available.
My question is, what are all the colours available that GE has produced in this size?
These are all the GE types I'm aware of:
 WHITES
F20T12/D     Daylight
F20T12/C50   Chroma 50
F20T12/CWX   Cool White Deluxe
F20T12/CW    Cool White
F20T12/SP41  Spec 4100K
F20T12/N     Natural
F20T12/KB    Kitchen & Bath
F20T12/SP35  Spec 3500K
F20T12/SPX35 Spec Deluxe 3500K
F20T12/W     White
F20T12/SW    Soft White
F20T12/WWX   Deluxe Warm White
F20T12/SP30  Spec 3000K
F20T12/SPX30 Spec Deluxe 3000K
F20T12/WW    Warm White
 COLOURS
F20T12/BLB   Black Light Blue
F20T12/BL    Black Light
F20T12/BB    Bilirubin Blue
F20T12/DB    Deep Blue
F20T12/B     Blue
F20T12/CG    Cool Green
F20T12/G     Green
F20T12/VG    Vegetable Green
F20T12/GO    Gold
F20T12/PK    Pink
F20T12/PL    Plant Light - Gro & Sho
F20T12/PL/AQ Plant & Aquarium - Wide Spectrum
F20T12/R     Red

Are there any I'm missing?
I have the suspicion that /KB and /SP35 are one and the same. Their specs are almost identical, so I suspect they are duplicates.
Also, I'm aware there are variants of the same type.  For instance, /GO changed from a cadmium filter coating to another much paler yellow filter type.
I'd appreciate any help on this as I need to plan for how many spaces I need in this display.  I suspect I may just end up building modular 2' x 2' boxes and adding as I collect them.
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wattMaster
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #1 on: July 18, 2016, 06:05:14 PM » Author: wattMaster
Oh my, that's a lot of colors.
What about regular Plant & Aquarium? Or is regular actually wide spectrum?
I haven't stacked up on many of the 2 foot fluorescents, because I only have fixtures for the 18 inch tubes.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2016, 06:36:01 PM by wattMaster » Logged

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Ash
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #2 on: July 19, 2016, 01:06:51 PM » Author: Ash
There are all the /8xx /9xx colors (according to European scheme) Atleast some of them you mentioned allready - for example IIRC /840 is /SP41 or /SPX41 (dont remember which). But maybe not of them are there
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #3 on: July 19, 2016, 01:21:14 PM » Author: Medved
I would guess the color palette is virtually endless. So I would sort them as they come.
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #4 on: July 19, 2016, 01:33:36 PM » Author: wattMaster
Now GE needs a tube with the high CRI (98) Multiphosphors combined with Deluxe Halo-phosphor for fuller spectrum goodness!
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wishus
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #5 on: July 20, 2016, 08:17:53 AM » Author: wishus
Indeed!  I'd love a fuller spectrum T12 lamp. I say GE should get right on that!

And I'm not sure if there was a 'regular' /PL/AQ.  I do have one but it states 'Wide Spectrum' on the box.  If ever there was a narrower spectrum version I don't know about it.
There is of course the Gro & Sho /PL which has red and blue phosphors only, so apparently looks purple, but I don't have one (yet).

Thanks for all the replies everyone.  I was hoping someone could confirm whether my list was complete.  Truth be told, I compiled most of it by searching the gallery here for F20T12....  ;D  Lots of pretty pictures.
Perhaps I shall scour the net looking for old GE lighting catalogs.
I think the best course of action like Medved stated is to build a reasonably small fixture and add more as they come.  I don't hold my hopes of finding any of those rare colours anytime soon.
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #6 on: July 20, 2016, 09:56:11 AM » Author: wattMaster
I remember that my Plant & Aquarium said nothing about full spectrum, but I may be wrong.
I think that the phosphor blend would yield a horrid efficiency, not much better than incandescent, but you could have a high range of color temperatures, which incandescent can't do.
You have to be careful when saying anything like "Full Spectrum", because no light source is truly full spectrum. The best you can do is "Fuller Spectrum".
« Last Edit: July 20, 2016, 01:40:34 PM by wattMaster » Logged

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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #7 on: August 01, 2016, 09:56:13 PM » Author: veryhighonoutput
I wonder if they have a F20T12LW? Or daylight duluxe
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #8 on: August 08, 2016, 11:18:18 AM » Author: wishus
What it the /LW designation? I have never heard of that colour.
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #9 on: August 08, 2016, 11:54:26 AM » Author: wattMaster
What it the /LW designation? I have never heard of that colour.
It sounds like Lite White, which is essentially an old, crazy low CRI phosphor blend.
The CRI of Lite White is about 48. WW is 52.
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #10 on: August 10, 2016, 06:48:16 PM » Author: nicksfans
No F20 Lite White that I know of. Also, you're missing SPX41 and possibly SPX50 if it exists (I don't think I've ever seen SP50, SP65, or SPX65 in this size). You're also missing all the beryllium colors (Soft White, White, 4500 White, Daylight). Also, KB and SP30 are the same thing.
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Re: Fluorescent lamp colours « Reply #11 on: August 11, 2016, 02:12:19 PM » Author: wishus
Indeed, I don't hold out much hope of ever finding any beryllium lamps.  I don't know that I'd even want any as I'd be afraid of breaking one and having to deal with the issue of contamination.
Also, I have found a few more types that GE made:
F20T12/CIN32/HO
F20T12/CIN55/HO
Both had approximately 1100 initial lumens and 95 CRI, with a design life of 2000 hours.  They are HO lamps though.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, I may in the future be asking if anyone is willing to trade for some of these but for now I have to build the bloody working display... ;-)
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