GE Cobraheads

[slz]

I also started noticing the "redesigned" M250A2 without the boxy shape anymore around 1986. So that means the Boxy M150A had a very short original life before the redesign.

[Mike]

I've seen a few of the boxy M-150A/M-250A2 HPS lights but almost all that I see are the 100/175W MV 240V versions. Not a big fan of the late-80s through mid-90s version with the curved top and squared door. I'm even less of a fan of the current round top and round door M-250A2. I love the boxy profile of the M-250A2 FCO. A very oddball light though, since all of GE's cobraheads other than the M-150A/M-250A2 have a round profile. It seems to fit better with the McGraw-Edison Unidors and the 1980s Westinghouse fixtures that had a boxier profile.

[slz]

Worcester had a bunch of boxys back between 1982-85 but most were the same 100/175mv and the 50/100/150 HPS versions were and are pretty rare here. I never noticed the newest m250a2 redesign with round doors. When was that redesign. I know 2007 was a redesign for the m250r2. I have seen those 1990's m250a2 versions in ri sporting 400 watt HPS. Very unusual for here.

[Mike]

There aren't any current design A2s here but they're all over northern NH. Here's a 250W HPS one on I-93 In NH. The housing is still a little squarish (comparable to an OVZ I guess) but the door is round instead of flat. The powr/modules are compatable among the three versions as far as I know.

I don't know when the new design came out but it was probably around 2000. It was definitely before 2007. What did they change on the R2 in 2007? I thought the fixture had remained the same since the mid-90s (besides the meatball logo on the door being absent on the mid-90s to ~2000 models).

Yeah RIDOT has some of those 400W HPS drop lens M-250A2s from the mid-90s. There aren't a whole lot left though since they've been replacing them with new M-400s lately. Half the time they'll relamp, other times they replace the A2s.

The few HPS M-150A/M-250A2 FCOs here I've seen have been 70W HPS which is weird since 50W HPS came out in 1980 and NECo used 50W HPS after the 80s but during the 80s they used 70W HPS. I prefer 70W anyway though since 50W HPS is virtually useless IMO.