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My General Electric M-250A2 FCO Here's one of my two latest additions to my street light collection. This light was made in March 1987. It was originally a NEES-bought 100/175W MV light in use in Worcester, MA. Unlike most of these lights used by NEES, this one was actually 120V and not 240V. This was because most of Worcester's lights are on metal poles fed underground with 120V so it was not possible to use 240V lights. However, this was removed in the early-mid 90s and saved by fellow enthusiast Steve Zalimas (member slz). He changed the ballast out for a 50W HPS one, salvaged off a roadkill 1980s 50W GE light. So this light has a period-correct OEM ballast even though it is not the original. I assume the NEMA tag was transferred from the aforementioned roadkill light to this one, since it is not the original. You can see all of the paint is still on the light, even on top. And the paint is in near-perfect shape too. Most of these lights still up today have very little paint left on top (if any at all). However, if you do the math, this light was only in service a little over five years so it never really had the chance to develop and wear. Fortunately this light was saved. Although not a MV, it's a beautiful example of an early HPS fixture. Keywords: American_Streetlights

My General Electric M-250A2 FCO

Here's one of my two latest additions to my street light collection. This light was made in March 1987. It was originally a NEES-bought 100/175W MV light in use in Worcester, MA. Unlike most of these lights used by NEES, this one was actually 120V and not 240V. This was because most of Worcester's lights are on metal poles fed underground with 120V so it was not possible to use 240V lights.

However, this was removed in the early-mid 90s and saved by fellow enthusiast Steve Zalimas (member slz). He changed the ballast out for a 50W HPS one, salvaged off a roadkill 1980s 50W GE light. So this light has a period-correct OEM ballast even though it is not the original. I assume the NEMA tag was transferred from the aforementioned roadkill light to this one, since it is not the original.

You can see all of the paint is still on the light, even on top. And the paint is in near-perfect shape too. Most of these lights still up today have very little paint left on top (if any at all). However, if you do the math, this light was only in service a little over five years so it never really had the chance to develop and wear. Fortunately this light was saved. Although not a MV, it's a beautiful example of an early HPS fixture.

070115_007.JPG 070115_008.JPG 070115_010.JPG gol9412_001.JPG 05241505.PNG
File information
Filename:070115_010.JPG
Album name:Mike / My General Electric M-250A2 FCO (1987)
Keywords:American_Streetlights
Filesize:426 KiB
Date added:Jul 01, 2015
Dimensions:2048 x 1536 pixels
Displayed:150 times
Color Space:sRGB
DateTime Original:2009:03:27 03:16:58
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Time:1/29296 sec
FNumber:f/2.8
Flash:No Flash
Focal length:28.8125 mm
Light Source:Unknown: 0
Make:Vivicam
Model:V5024
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=19544
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 7 of 7
Page: 1

Mercuryvapor123   [Jul 02, 2015 at 01:13 AM]
Nice! These models are hard to come by.
lite_lover   [Jul 02, 2015 at 01:27 AM]
Nice fixture! Cool
streetlight98   [Jul 02, 2015 at 09:07 AM]
Thanks guys! @ George: these boxy models were everywhere here in 100/175W MV. There was a small number of 70 and 100W HPS test units in the bunch too, all the M-250A2s were FCOs here.
Mercuryvapor123   [Jan 14, 2018 at 06:28 PM]
I have the same style GE fixture but with a drop lens and on the instructions paper it actually says GE M-150 luminaires.
streetlight98   [Jan 14, 2018 at 07:19 PM]
Yep until 1985 this light was called the M-150. In 1985 when the M-250R2, M-400R2, and M-400A2 came out they renamed this the M-250A2 and expanded the offering from 50W-150W HPS to 50-250W HPS. Sometime in 1987 they rounded off the top housing and in the late 90s they rolled out the current body with the round top and front.
gmercury2000   [Jan 15, 2018 at 05:45 AM]
These are my favorite GE fixture. I've got the second generation. Was originally drop glass but I prefer the flat glass so I changed the reflector and glass.
streetlight98   [Jan 15, 2018 at 09:16 PM]
I like this boxy version best. Not a huge fan of the later more-round versions but they're still a little more interesting than single door cobraheads. My favorite cobrahead has got to be the M-250A though. The 60s M-250Rs are really nice lights too and very solidly built. I like the M-250R1 and M-250R2 too, but they seem more fragile, especially the hinges. The Powr/doors don't have this issue since the doors are smaller so less weight and leverage on the hinges so they don't snap as easily.

AE has always made nice looking fixtures too but they've always seemed less solid than GEs IMO. I love the hinge-keeper feature that AE used until the mid-80s though. I think that's a fantastic idea but of course the manufacturers want to sell replacement doors (or even better a whole new fixture).

Everyone loves Westy lights and says they're the cream of the crop but I still don't think they stood up to GE in quality, at least not after the 60s. Before the 70s their lights were rock solid but in the 70s I feel like the housings got really cheap. The fixtures still lasted forever but just not as solid. Then again the 70s GEs weren't much better but I'm just biased toward GE I guess.

But as far as modern fixtures are concerned I think Cooper actually might make the best light. GEs have capacitor issues and are really becoming pathetic in quality (the slip-on connectors break with the slightest touch, very wobbly reflectors, NEMA tags peel off and fade really fast, and other things). No info on AEL personally since they're not used here. I heard some of them have ballast issues and the newer latches break easy since they're not solid. At least they look nice... AEL's round Autobahn LEDs are excellent quality though. Cooper seems like they still make a solid light though by today's standards. My 2013 OVZ isn't any less in quality than my 1995 OVX or 1990 OVC... Granted back in the 90s Cooper lights I feel were pretty cheap but since they've stayed consistent they're the winner in my book lol.

Comment 1 to 7 of 7
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