What's in here? Any guesses?
The "Work-Saver" packaging is actually "Work-Maker" as it required some reinforcing to get it home (blue tape) then I really added to it's doubtful integrity (red tape)...
lots of colorful tape! i don't mind taping new boxes but ones that are older i try to preserve somewhat and use clear packing tape, im going to guess that you have a bunch of mainlighters inside?
oh duh! I don't know what i was thinking when i typed that lol. when did the first watt-miser lamps roll out? during the 70s energy crisis? BTW, going back to the Restore tomorrow!
I think so...and here's why...
These lamps pictured have an interesting story: A couple years ago the local community center/city hall/library was throwing away a bunch of florescent bulbs. Since I didn't have the resources, space, etc. I didn't grab them but instead donated them to my mostly (and at that time totally) T12 school. A few got used (especially the Noreclo F40CWs that were also with these) but I ended up getting many of these lamps back!
A couple years ago when I originally saved these I threw out a couple of the boxes that were REALLY tattered and one of them advertised Watt-Misers (I'm guessing the classic red-etch (and maybe even Lite White) ones? by saying something like this... NEXT TIME: CUT YOUR ENERGY COSTS" and then advertised Watt-Misers.
But the first 35w (before they shaved one more watt off) energy savers (like GE Watt-Miser 35, Westy Econ-O-Watt, Sylvania "Supersaver 35", Norelco "Econo-Miser", etc (a name also used by Philips on reduced-wattage incandescents in the 80s during the Westy takeover) came out in 1974 in response to the 1973 oil crisis. My Universal Therm-O-Matic ballast (which is running as I type) is rated for 35w lamps (although I'm sure 34w ones would act the same) and my Advance Kool-Koil and GE Bonusline ballasts are rated for 34w and 35w but I only use 40w lamps on those...
But Mainlighters are 40w and are GREAT lamps! Most of my florescent lamps in my collection are these.
okay, i brought homw to identical reflector strip lights today, both with almost new looking Oct. 1977 Universal Therm-O-Matic ballasts! I'll probably end up selling both fixtures, one with my Val-Mont ballast and the other with no ballast. Then again, maybe i'll keep one of them... I don't know yet... i also bought the troffer light thing with one leaked ballast. the ballasts were indeed 0.8A Bonusline ballasts. they're from november 1984 (date code LX). Unfortunatly the unleaked ballast was a dud. Only one lamp glowed and it was super dim and it happened once. After that nothing happened. I put my ear up to the ballast and there was no audible sound of life. The thing was totally dead. I still have it but i chopped off the leads since the yellow leads were soiled in the other ballast's tar. the tar was all stickey but since the ballasts said no PCBs i don't have to worry. The two universal ballasted fixtures came with a pair of red etched 34W GEs and a pair of 40W "Do It" lamps, all cool white and all work. i also got an NOS Philips pre-alto 3500K F20T12 lamp marked F4 which is June 2004. i don't think it'd be '84... i thought the altos took over by 2004 though.
aw crap no i didn't. one of the blue wires snapped of right at the ballast and one of the yellow leads got destroyed by the other's tar so i cut off all the wires.
This box was really falling apart so I had no choice....
These lamps pictured have an interesting story: A couple years ago the local community center/city hall/library was throwing away a bunch of florescent bulbs. Since I didn't have the resources, space, etc. I didn't grab them but instead donated them to my mostly (and at that time totally) T12 school. A few got used (especially the Noreclo F40CWs that were also with these) but I ended up getting many of these lamps back!
A couple years ago when I originally saved these I threw out a couple of the boxes that were REALLY tattered and one of them advertised Watt-Misers (I'm guessing the classic red-etch (and maybe even Lite White) ones? by saying something like this... NEXT TIME: CUT YOUR ENERGY COSTS" and then advertised Watt-Misers.
But the first 35w (before they shaved one more watt off) energy savers (like GE Watt-Miser 35, Westy Econ-O-Watt, Sylvania "Supersaver 35", Norelco "Econo-Miser", etc (a name also used by Philips on reduced-wattage incandescents in the 80s during the Westy takeover) came out in 1974 in response to the 1973 oil crisis. My Universal Therm-O-Matic ballast (which is running as I type) is rated for 35w lamps (although I'm sure 34w ones would act the same) and my Advance Kool-Koil and GE Bonusline ballasts are rated for 34w and 35w but I only use 40w lamps on those...
But Mainlighters are 40w and are GREAT lamps! Most of my florescent lamps in my collection are these.
Does the leaked ballast work? My leaked Bonusline works great....
i never tested the leaked one. i can't anyways since the red and blue leads were dissolved by the tar quite a bit.