Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « on: October 23, 2020, 05:18:54 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
I wonder why SOX lamps became the most common low pressure sodium lamps rather than other types of low pressure sodium lamps such as the SLI/H, NA-9, or the SO/H?
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	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #1 on: October 23, 2020, 06:19:51 AM » Author: Medved
Quote from: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA on October 23, 2020, 05:18:54 AM I wonder why SOX lamps became the most common low pressure sodium lamps rather than other types of low pressure sodium lamps such as the SLI/H, NA-9, or the SO/H? It is just their evolution, the latest variants. Except the linear, which was a branch that became dead end (the advantages were overcome within the traditional and simpler U-shape design). The whole low pressure sodium was practically thing of just one single manufacturer. Many other had tried it, but failed. Either technically (were no able to make it working), or financially (their products were too expensive, so not profitable to make). And even for the one single manufacturer this product line became not profitable anymore, cheap metalized plastic reflector technology allowed to regain in beam control optical efficiency what the other light sources (like HPS or MH and recently even LEDs) lacked in efficacy as bare lamps, but such accurate optic requires small size light source, so no help for SOX.
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	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #4 on: October 26, 2020, 02:51:59 AM » Author: Medved
Quote from: lights*plus on October 25, 2020, 07:42:51 PM Aside the (somewhat detached) comments above, it comes down to just one parameter: efficacy. Electrical or material/manufacture wise SOX is highest. But once you are able to utilize only barely half of it for the task you need, then other lamp which may have 60% efficacy compare to LPS by itself but allows the use of 95% optical efficiency reflector does the same job with lower toral power requirement. So now which system has the efficacy higher? And for the reflectors: Yes, you may get away with the anodized aluminum or a white sheet and some refractor (e.g. the Koffers,...), but you will never reach the efficiency of the metalized plastic technology. The difference is not that much how accurate beam you may get, but how much light is lost in the process. The "white paint sheet" is the worst of anything that could just be called a reflector: Even the good TiO2 coatings reflect barely 60% of the light, plus they diffuse it (so makes the geometry less favorable), anodized aluminum sheet reflects about 80..90% when new, common refractors absorb again about 20..30% (each ridge means light losses; less ridges means the lens would have to be thicker, so heavier and way more fragile), so you end up with 60% efficiency with a good design and when the thing is still new and clean. With the complex and accurate shaping possible with the metalized plastic you suffice with lightweight thin wall shell (being reflector, the thickness does not matter at all), using only limited number of ridges (so minimum losses on those, with minimum spots to collect dirt) and flat clear lens (so no losses there), so you may reach efficiencies way above 90% without anything special.
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	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #6 on: October 26, 2020, 05:33:18 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
I often see that some of use the terms SOX and LPS interchangeably because of the dominance of SOX lamps in the LPS lamp industry. In reality, SOX is only a specific type of low pressure sodium lamp. In addition, low pressure sodium lamps that are NOT SOX lamps are pretty rare nowadays. The most common non-SOX low pressure sodium lamps I could find are the 200w SLI/H lamps.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2020, 05:35:07 AM by WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA »		Logged

Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #7 on: October 27, 2020, 07:58:39 AM » Author: Bubbler Tube
Because on a Street You NEED As Much Light as You Get With Less Light Fittings and I Have Found That These New One Are Strait Down Light, They Don't Light Sideways Which as a Women They Make Me Feel Unsafe!!!
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	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #8 on: October 27, 2020, 08:55:43 AM » Author: Mandolin Girl
Quote from: Bubbler Tube on October 27, 2020, 07:58:39 AM Because on a Street You NEED As Much Light as You Get With Less Light Fittings and I Have Found That These New One Are Strait Down Light, They Don't Light Sideways Which as a Women They Make Me Feel Unsafe!!!   Exactly.! Ever since the HPS lighting in our street was replaced by L*D, the light level has plummeted and there are massive dark patches between the columns.  We no longer feel safe going out at night, and as winter draws in we are virtually prisoners in our flat.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2020, 08:57:18 AM by Mandolin Girl »		Logged

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	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #9 on: October 27, 2020, 12:45:03 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
That certainly is a shame to phase out LPS lighting.
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #10 on: October 27, 2020, 01:45:48 PM » Author: Medved
Quote from: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA on October 27, 2020, 12:45:03 PM That certainly is a shame to phase out LPS lighting. It did great job over more than half of century, but it just reached its fundamental limits and could not rival other technologies. I would like to see some MA lighting, but it is gone even way longer...
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	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #11 on: October 27, 2020, 04:51:04 PM » Author: AngryHorse
Quote from: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA on October 27, 2020, 12:45:03 PM That certainly is a shame to phase out LPS lighting. Funny enough, as we were transitioning from SOX to LED in my town, I noticed some odd, but interesting behaviour when walking Ash, (my German shepherd), at 6 each morning. Considering dogs are not supposed to see colours like we do, on his main walk route, (the first to be LEDed), he was fine just walking and doing his thing, but when I then turned down the roads lit with the existing SOX, he seemed hesitant?? It took me a few mornings to notice this as walking under ALL SOX I’d never give it a second thought before?, but it’s as if he got comfortable with the new white light quickly, and when going back under the old lights, he didn’t like it so much? I got the impression even dogs prefer white street lighting to orange?
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	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #12 on: October 27, 2020, 05:21:28 PM » Author: Rommie
Quote from: AngryHorse on October 27, 2020, 04:51:04 PM I got the impression even dogs prefer white street lighting to orange? Well us catses definitely prefer LPS
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	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #13 on: October 27, 2020, 05:26:18 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
So, the truth behind SOX lamps becoming the most common low pressure sodium lamp is that they did have the highest efficacy compared to other low pressure sodium lamps such as SLI/H and NA-9?
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Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Why did SOX lamps dominate the low pressure sodium lamp industry? « Reply #14 on: October 27, 2020, 05:43:20 PM » Author: AngryHorse
From what I understand, the SLIs tubes were ‘pressed’ out to get the shape, but Thorn had a very high volume of scrap mouldings during the process? SOX was the last design before the LPS lamp went obsolete?, who knows?, if production would have carried on to the next, more efficient level, the may have changed name to something else?
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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