The GE lights got NEMA tags in the mid-to-late 70s i think. The MV ones got NEMA tags later though, probably the end of the 70s. This one's probably from the mid 70s since it has no vents and it looks like it has just the tab for the ballast door instead of a scew. My 1973 M-400 split door has vents and a screw instead of a tab.

Ok, Thanks. Man with all the parking lot upgrades around here I realy hope I catch them during removal if they decide to. Everywhere else has but I missed out.

Yeah I got lucky with the M-400A2s. I would have liked to save the M-1000s and RLG but i was too late.

I know It sucks , I'v missed out on some OVM's ITT 25's and some GE's. But I was thinking to myself today ..You can't really baby sit them one day they are there on gon the next.

I was just very lucky with the M-400A2s here. They just left the lights in a corner of the lot. the M-1000s and RLGs were on their mast arms but the mast arms were taken off the pole. The M-400A2s were still attached to the pole, which is probably why they were left alone. A scrapper probably took the other three lights. They just recently took down the rest of the lights. The replacements are LED shoeboxes but they really don't look bad, in fact they're one of the best looking LED fixtures I've seen out there.

Correction thes are not split doors they are mercury vapor power doors because they have a captive screw holding the doors. The fixtures with the LUCALOX lamp have the latch and screw while the split doors simply have a piece of spring metal to hold up the door since there isn't any weight.

My M-400 split door is 400W MV and has a screw, not a tab. It also has vents so from the ground you'd expect it to be a M-400A but when you open it up, you're stunned at how light the door is and then you realize the ballast is up top lol.

yea well if you notice the latch is taken out so what they probably did was use a LUCALOX power door as a split door. The split door I have has no vents and a piece of spring metal for securing it shoot it doesn't have any provisions for any mounting. yea that would be hilarious.

yeah mine has all the holes to mount a ballast but the brackets for power door and split door are different. My M-400's access door has a hole popped out for one of the chubbier latches that the HPS M-400As and M-400A2s used too.

OK just to clear things up for the folks around here. The EARLY M400A1 Powr/Door luminaires had a captive screw but no vent holes. They coincided with the M400 single door luminaires at that time. Also, they generally had a deep refractor unless it was replaced. In 1970 when the M400 was succeeded by the M400 split door (the M250R1 and A1 were introduced that year), I believe it did have the vent holes as it reduced the number of molds required for casting. During the 70s, though, the M400A continued with the vented door and captive screw but the M400 was refitted with a solid door, and eventually (around 1976) NEMA decals began appearing on the luminaires. Then in the late'70s, a safety latch was added with the captive screw for ALL light sources, not just HPS. Also, M400A luminaires with Series ballasts were housing mounted because of the massive leads from the porcelain terminals to the ballast.

What is the difference between the M-400A and M-400A1 and the M-250A and M-250A1? As far as i know, the M-250R1 is the only GE model ending in a 1. And the bogus "M-400R3" and M-400A3" terms too that some people use... I've contacted GE many times asking questions about the model numbers and info about my Chicago Special Edition M-250R1 and they are no help at all. Apparently if you're not looking to buy something they ignore your inquiry. A few years ago they were really friendly and sent me a PDF of their 1977 catalog but now you're lucky to even get a reply message.

Thanks for the info NiMo that enlightened me much. I didn't know they had the convenience latch for mercury vapor at all. i also thought the deep refractor came later. Cool. Now I know. I would love to get a hold of a 1970's era catalog. Maybe i'll contact GE and sweet talk them into sending me a copy.

good luck getting even getting a person to sweet-talk. You seem to have much better luck than I do. I never got a reply from Hubbell either about a 150W HPS NEMA tag.

yea I think AEL forgot about me I still haven't received my labels. hey you mentioned that GE sent you a PDF of there 1977 cat. do you still have that I would love to see it.

I think I've sent it to you before lol but yeah I'll email it to you later. I could have sworn it was on the LG but it's not there anymore...

Mike, the A1 designation was for the older models before the A2 versions rolled out in the mid 1980s.

Update, Well they switched to LED lighting for this parking lot but they'r on the building itself. They left these GE's on the poles and disconnected them. I asked if I could have them but the owner said.....I don't think so.