Ash if they did that to me they would get the following comment, the Q is for Quick find someone else to buy it and C is for Cash or Credit now please order the CMH lamps, and if the store attempts to tell me, that my customer won't notice I'll ask them if they are paying my rates to re-lamp a store if the customer is unhappy or if they are going to go there and do it for me at no charge, they will order the correct lamps before agreeing to re-lamp, so long as they are not obsolete, don't let them even attempt to push you around, you are there customer, and feel free to drink there coffee while they are looking for your items, I'll even eat the odd doughnut, yes I will walk behind the counter and help myself,  and if it's an item they have to order all you have to do is ask for a phone call if they have abnormally long lead times, a good sales rep will call and then they might suggest alternatives, which I understand and then your free to either wait or accept the alternative, and if you accept it, ask for a deal, they will reduce it by a few % every time,  but they know there is like twenty other places I can shop at so that does help make sure they keep you happy.. 

But not to hijack the thread, in reality there is not a lot of special products in the world of HPS lights or ballasts and I will accept a tri-tap or quad-tap ballast so long as it will fit in the fixture, And lamps are pretty much the same, but I like to avoid  sub-par brand products... And if Bubbler Tube was to look for a used fixture like a 70 watt HPS wall pack I bet it would be only a few quid and they would have a fully working HPS light and the lower wattage fixtures are great for learning on and using as they don't consume much power and can be left on for hours and hours with out running up the power bill much, honestly I started with a 70 watt unit, and from there the collection grows and going used if kill a $2 ballast it doesn't hurt as much as taking out a $100 ballast when your testing the limits of what they can do..     

The problem is not with the shop. In this shop i walk in and go behind the counter right away anyway. The problem is the suppliers that dont stock a complete lineup of anything, but only the subset that sells the most. If you ask for a specific lamp the suppliers dont have the answer will be just no, dont have it. If you go to another shop the suppliers are still the same ones (there is one company importing Osram, one importing Philips, and so on)

If Bubbler Tube was to look for a used fixture like a 70 watt HPS wall pack I bet it would be only a few quid and they would have a fully working HPS light and the lower wattage fixtures are great for learning on and using as they don't consume much power and can be left on for hours and hours with out running up the power bill much, honestly I started with a 70 watt unit, and from there the collection grows and going used if kill a $2 ballast it doesn't hurt as much as taking out a $100 ballast when your testing the limits of what they can do..     

Very True...
Ebay Job or Can You Buy Them in Shops?
Thanks For All of Your Help Guys
 

Very True...
Ebay Job or Can You Buy Them in Shops?
Thanks For All of Your Help Guys
 

If you have a store like we have in Canada and USA called re-store it's basically a store that sells both new and used building supplies for about 10 to 20 % of the cost of new (all the money you pay goes to a charity Habitat for Humanity, who build homes and work to prevent homelessness so the money goes to good cause, and they get lots of donated supplies from large corporations like Home Depot, Lowes and lots of others, so there is lots of odd brand new stuff, and what ever you see on clearance in there stores will end up at re-store during month end cleanup) it's a good place to look for items like this, yes it's hit and miss, but with all the LED retrofits going on HID lighting used is pretty common place right now.. 

I'll have a look around Lodge
Thanks
 

I'll let You know what I find.....
I REALLY Don't Mind IF it works or not, just that I have it....
 

If you're after dead lamps, just ask the utility people when they change them. They would also be free.

If you're after dead lamps, just ask the utility people when they change them. They would also be free.

Yeah Good Point, That's How I Got My 1st One

http://www.lighting-gallery.net/index.php?topic=5839.0

Next Time I See The Light Man I'll Ask Him.....
Think He Was a BIT Surprised at My Request But Still Happy To Help, After All it Would Have Just Gone in a Bin So He Probably Thought Why Not....
 

Hiya,
I saw that a guest was looking at this thread, and the answer is really simple. Ask us and we will be happy to help. 

Many, MANY Thanks!
 

Many, MANY Thanks!
 

No probs, it's what friends are for