THe Off Topic, Topic!!!!

[Mike]

either 40 or 60W soft white lamps. i think 60W... I don't know the brand though but I assume all the lamps are the same brand.

The preheater in the bathroom at my grandpa's shop has two GE pre ecolux cool white lamps. They say F40T12 but i didn't realize that the 34W lamps say F40T12 instead of F34t12. seems too confusing. anyways, i'll have to check to make sure they're not 34W.

[GEsoftwhite100watts]

Do they have the "Big Meatball" etch still with the F40CW ordering code/ no encircled "E"? That means they're pre-EPCAT.
Or do they have the GENERAL(GE) ELECTRIC etch? Or better yet, Mainlighter?
One way to figure out if the lamps are 34w is if they flicker/swirl/striate when cold. Is it somewhat chilly in there? (60F or below)? If so, the characteristic flickering of 34 watt tubes should be noticeable. 
Yes, ordering codes on florescent tubes can be VERY confusing! My post-EPACT, pre-2003 GE 34w Watt-Misers have this ordering code (I THINK): F40CW/RS/WM. And just today I found out from your "Operating T8s on T12 ballasts" thread in the forum that 34w tubes are halophosphate; the encircled E means it's post-EPACT, when the rule was either high CRI or reduced wattage.

[Mike]

they had the meatball logo. it was either really big or smaller... the etch was black but that's all i remember. they are newish lamps IIRC as one lamp used to be out. Does GE still make any black etched lamps or are they all green etched?

[joe_347V]

Non-Ecolux lamps are still black etched and the Reveal fluorescents have blue etches.

[Mike]

they still make non-eco fluorescent lamps? i thought all of their lamps were eco now. So they make non-eco HPS lamps too? does phillips make non-alto HPS lamps?

[joe_347V]

Well, I think GE's HO/VHO, preheat T5, T17, and SL (other than 8') lamps are still non-eco

I'm not sure if anyone still makes the non-eco HPS lamps though.

[Mike]

ahh what about the 4ft lamps?

Also, do you know how long the f32t8 philips lamps have been Alto?

[joe_347V]

I'm not quite sure about 4' lamps but I think high CRI, blacklight, and other specialty 4' lamps might still be full mercury.

Not sure when the F32T8s became Alto but my guess is sometime between '96 and '99.

[GEsoftwhite100watts]

I think specialty lamps are still full-mercury except for plant tubes...
Imagine specialty tubes in 34w versions...or F40T12s and F34T12s with 2700K triphosphors like spiral CFLs?

[A_lights]

hey mike, i think the F32T8's became alto around 1998, the early ones had the ALTO vertical etched

[Mike]

ahh. i'm trying to figure out how old the altos in my cousin's grandma's garage are since they're 32W altos in a 10-pack next to four shoplite boxes with three shoplites, the fourth shoplite had already been installed.

[GEsoftwhite100watts]

A pic of them might help...

[A_lights]

Lol so much for an off topic category 

[GEsoftwhite100watts]

LOL it said chat about anything, so...
I ran my (nearly NOS) 400w Philips metal halide lamp for about half an hour last night and it got pretty bright! It also cleaned up the arctube from the last time it ran; the middle seems clearer.  Maybe all the halide salts/gases are getting vaporized, etc?
It starts out a dim blue-green with the electrodes glowing like an incandescent lamp, then goes to this stage where it's the blue-green-white of a clear mercury vapor lamp and about (my estimate) about as bright as a 175w mercury vapor lamp, stays there for awhile, then goes to this yellowish-orange (warmer than incandescent but cooler/whiter than HPS) then eventually shifts to the final warmish-white color. 
It's ran less than an hour for it's whole life I'm sure.  I plan to fire it up on it's "birthday" (sleeve says it was manufactured April 25, 2005). So for it's 8th birthday I plan to fire it up, even if for only a few minutes.

[joe_347V]

Went to Restore (again) and picked up an odd G36T6 and a GE Canada F15T12 with the old style etch. Also picked up a Philips full power RS ballast.