I'd guess that too. I think my electric company is the reason why GE's streetlights are so expensive. They only pay $50 (give or take $20) for a M-400 or M-250R2. I think NGrid gets lamps at a discount too.
GE makes better products than AE, or Cooper. I think the M-250 R2 is the good small cobrahead made today. Especially the M-250 R2 doesn't have cycling issues.
How do you figure that Ian? I have seen more GEs removed around here than Coopers or AEs, and we have very few GEs at that... I think AEL makes the best lights at a reasonable price, Lumec and Hubbell are the top of the line, but their prices reflect that.
GE still makes quality products. The cycling really depends on the lamp they are using. Bad lamps do early cycling. And your utility might just not like GE is all.
I wasn't talking about cycling at all, I was talking about simply the quality of the fixture. Your right my utility doesn't like GE, in fact they don't care about streetlights at all! It is the city that owns and maintains all of the lights and hires contractors, they get to chose what lights get installed. My guess as to why they don't like GE is because they are too stubborn to offer unpainted finish on their lights.
This luminaire cost me I think like $130. I believe about the same price as the full cutoff 100 watt HPS M250R2 i have. So G.E. isn't that good? I've always thought G.E. was top of the line. Cause G.E. is a big company.
I didn't say GE isn't good, Hubbell is a big company as well, granted not as big, and Lumec is part of Philips. AEL is a part of Acuity Brands, yet another big corporation. And Copper is, well Cooper Industries. I think Cooper is the lowest quality, AEL and GE are about the same level, AEL offers more options so I prefer them, Hubbell is above both of them in terms of quality but a lot more pricey. Finally Lumec I think produces the best cobras but I would think they also cost the most.
I prefer buying streetlights brand new from the manufacturer. Unless it's a vintage one like a Westinghouse OV-25. Then of course i have to buy one on ebay cause Westinghouse doesn't make streetlights anymore.
I prefer the used (free) ones, I think they are more authentic since they have actually lit a road. I have one new cobra, which was new old stock (see here ) which I bought off Kijiji for $50, and I will be buying this tomorrow if everything goes to plans! I have another one planned, but I'm not going to divulge anything about it... yet!
I like getting used streetlights too cause they were actually used at one time. So far i have only gotten the OVF and OVC from my electric company. I will probably be going back soon to see if i can take a few more.
I've got two projects on my watch right now, one is a freeway lighting upgrade where hundreds of cobras are coming down, the other is the demolition of the old hospital, that has dozens of cobras and post tops! I think a Lumec cobra would be cool, info here!
Most of my collection consists of old fixtures. The only cobraheads I got that weren't ever in service are the M-400 A2 FCO, 115 FCO, and Cooper OVZ. Every other light I have has seen service for a while. And all of those aren't really the newest kind of fixture, all are older models that aren't made today how my fixture was made, or the whole model was discontinued.
Well, i have a small collection of street lights, but none of them are made today. The oldest being my OV-10, then the OV-25, and the newest streetlight I have is from 1973 lol.
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Most of my collection consists of old fixtures. The only cobraheads I got that weren't ever in service are the M-400 A2 FCO, 115 FCO, and Cooper OVZ. Every other light I have has seen service for a while. And all of those aren't really the newest kind of fixture, all are older models that aren't made today how my fixture was made, or the whole model was discontinued.