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Very Old Bonusline Lamp
This February 1962 MV lamp, removed in 2010-2011 from a Line Materials Unistyle 400 was not powering up at all when I first got it. 

I tried a lot of different ballasts on it. No go on 400 watt MV/MH ballast, no go on 400 watt HPS ballast, nothing on 350 watt pulse start MH ballast, It didn't do anything much in a high voltage 5000 volt transformer. It only worked once on 1500 watt MH ballast but after trying again, nothing at all.

I did something VERY SPECIFIC to make it work again. But that remains a mystery! 

Here this old lamp now is willing to fire up again and light up rather dimly but beautifully!

Thanks to a lineman friend for giving me this from his collection!
Keywords: Lit_Lighting

Very Old Bonusline Lamp

This February 1962 MV lamp, removed in 2010-2011 from a Line Materials Unistyle 400 was not powering up at all when I first got it.

I tried a lot of different ballasts on it. No go on 400 watt MV/MH ballast, no go on 400 watt HPS ballast, nothing on 350 watt pulse start MH ballast, It didn't do anything much in a high voltage 5000 volt transformer. It only worked once on 1500 watt MH ballast but after trying again, nothing at all.

I did something VERY SPECIFIC to make it work again. But that remains a mystery!

Here this old lamp now is willing to fire up again and light up rather dimly but beautifully!

Thanks to a lineman friend for giving me this from his collection!

002~19.JPG 004~5.JPG BonuslineLamp.jpg 002~5.JPG 003~2.JPG
File information
Filename:BonuslineLamp.jpg
Album name:Jace the Gull / HID
Keywords:Lit_Lighting
Company and Date Manufactured:General Electric, Febuarary 1962
Model Number:Bonusline H400C33-1
Wattage:400 Watts
Lamp Type:Mercury Vapor
Filesize:375 KiB
Date added:Apr 30, 2011
Dimensions:1266 x 1837 pixels
Displayed:346 times
Color Mode:Normal
Color Space:sRGB
Contrast:Unknown (5)
DateTime Original:2011:04:26 21:54:41
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Program:Program
Exposure Time:1/160 sec
FNumber:f/4
Flash:Flash, Auto-Mode
Focal length:4.1 mm
Focus Mode:Auto
ISO:125
Light Source:Unknown: 4
Make:Panasonic
Max Aperture:f/3.3
Model:DMC-ZS5
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=6311
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 20 of 32
Page: 1 - 2

Form109   [Apr 30, 2011 at 08:27 PM]
cool you got it in the ballast box.
FGS   [Apr 30, 2011 at 08:45 PM]


Couldn't find one with a bear so I used the pelican pic.
GullWhiz   [Apr 30, 2011 at 08:46 PM]
THANKS bud! That was a good one LOL
A_lights   [Apr 30, 2011 at 09:17 PM]
Nice lamp! I had the same thing happen with my dead GE 175W MV, it dosent work anymore tho
You used a BBQ ignitor?
GullWhiz   [Apr 30, 2011 at 11:44 PM]
Dude, if a Pulse start MH ballast wouldn't power it up...a BBQ ignitor would ABSOLUTELY NOT do anything because the Pulse start ignitor is stronger than a BBQ ignitor!!!
joe_347V   [May 01, 2011 at 04:12 AM]
SO what kind of Gull trickery did you use to get the lamp going Razz
gmercury2000   [May 01, 2011 at 05:36 AM]
hehehehe I know as I have witnessed this other method as I also have one my self!!!
GullWhiz   [May 01, 2011 at 10:27 AM]
No you donno Mister Giraffe....have you gotten one of your two Bonusline lamps working yet? I know one of them didn't work...did you get it working yet?
TiCoune66   [May 01, 2011 at 04:25 PM]
Wouldn't you hide one of those Microwave Oven Transformers by any chance? Razz
GullWhiz   [May 01, 2011 at 06:39 PM]
No didn't use any of those
streetlight98   [Dec 29, 2011 at 04:26 PM]
Did you put the lamp IN the microwave? I know I'm insane for typing that out, but it was worth a shot. Razz Laughing
GullWhiz   [Dec 30, 2011 at 12:21 AM]
Nope!
streetlight98   [Dec 30, 2011 at 12:32 AM]
Hmm.... Did you light it on a 1000w ballast?
LilCinnamon   [Dec 30, 2011 at 02:03 AM]
He probably lit it on his 1500 MH ballast, it looks like that's the ballast box it's on.
A_lights   [Dec 30, 2011 at 03:48 AM]
He showed me on facetime, he has this arc generator thing, its static electricity I think
streetlight98   [Dec 30, 2011 at 03:51 AM]
Static electricity can bring a lamp back to life? Shocked
A_lights   [Dec 30, 2011 at 04:01 AM]
I guess so! Not sure how, but anything high voltage has a better chance
Also this device he had was really noisy
joe_347V   [Dec 30, 2011 at 04:09 AM]
What about an NST?
Form109   [Dec 30, 2011 at 08:19 AM]
lets plug it into a substation! Very Happy
LilCinnamon   [Dec 30, 2011 at 12:47 PM]
That would just make it explode. xD

Comment 1 to 20 of 32
Page: 1 - 2