I think they probably only got these because they needed a LOT of photocells in one shot (more than they'd typically have on-hand). The gray 120V ones are what they normally stock but they probably needed additional PCs and this might have been all their supplier had on-hand right away. Before National Grid, NEES, the old utility, was known for doing that with lamps occasionally. They used almost exclusively GE lamps until the 90s when they used some Philips lamps but they did use Sylvania lamps in small batches and Joe said they even used some clear 175W MVs for a very short period of time in the 80s, which were a real treat since they ALWAYS used phosphor coated lamps even way back in the days of clamshells. I've never seen any of these clear lamps so they were either all replaced by now or they simply weren't used in RI (NEES inventory was essentially the same in Mass and Rhode Island but I think there were some slight differences). Joe said they were used in very limited numbers so it's possible I just haven't found one.
Basically they only used the Sylvania lamps to hold them over until the next scheduled GE shipment was to arrive.
At any rate, I'm also surprised this had a Philips Alto in it since as far as I knew, NGrid had strictly used GE lamps until they went Sylvania sometime in the late 2000s.
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Basically they only used the Sylvania lamps to hold them over until the next scheduled GE shipment was to arrive.
At any rate, I'm also surprised this had a Philips Alto in it since as far as I knew, NGrid had strictly used GE lamps until they went Sylvania sometime in the late 2000s.