Gallery of Lights


Home Login
Album list Last uploads Last comments Most viewed Top rated My Favorites Search
Home > User galleries > Mike > My Collection
The Ballast
This light screams antique to me. It had cloth tape/tar connections versus wirenuts and very frail cloth wiring which i replaced (though the ballast leads are fine and were left original). Can anyone date the ballast? I havent had any luck loosening the two ballast retainig screws but I'll work harder at it when i clean the light. Interestingly, everything electrical with the exception of the pullchain switch is mounted on the reflactor. The pull chain was ruined though so i removed it. It won't need a new pull-chain anyways since my laundry room has a wall switch. I don't remember the brand of the sockets, but they were something Sylvania...
Keywords: Indoor_Fixtures

The Ballast

This light screams antique to me. It had cloth tape/tar connections versus wirenuts and very frail cloth wiring which i replaced (though the ballast leads are fine and were left original). Can anyone date the ballast? I havent had any luck loosening the two ballast retainig screws but I'll work harder at it when i clean the light. Interestingly, everything electrical with the exception of the pullchain switch is mounted on the reflactor. The pull chain was ruined though so i removed it. It won't need a new pull-chain anyways since my laundry room has a wall switch. I don't remember the brand of the sockets, but they were something Sylvania...

gol102112_003.JPG gol102112_004.JPG gol10152012_017.JPG gol10152012_018.JPG gol81512_001.JPG
File information
Filename:gol10152012_017.JPG
Album name:Mike / My Collection
Keywords:Indoor_Fixtures
Filesize:513 KiB
Date added:Oct 16, 2012
Dimensions:2048 x 1536 pixels
Displayed:195 times
Color Space:sRGB
DateTime Original:2009:03:26 20:15:38
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=13430
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 5 to 24 of 24
Page: 1 - 2

joe_347V   [Oct 16, 2012 at 12:56 AM]
Nice ballast! if you see any frayed wired you can also use heat shrink tubing to patch the insulation which looks better than tape imo.

As for the age there should be a two letter code on one of the flanges, GE has a date code chart but it only goes back to 1965.
streetlight98   [Oct 16, 2012 at 01:31 AM]
Thanks Joe! Yeah i could use heatshrink... I'll need a heat gun too though. I looked for a GE date code but didn't fine one... BTW, before 1965, the same date code system was used but the cycle ended when the new one began. i'll have to closely inspect the ballast when i remove it to clean the light. I have a big word document of GE date codes. I'll post it here if it's ok with Jace. I know i got in trouble for linking one earlier but i also worded that comment rather rudely too so that could've been the reason.
A_lights   [Oct 16, 2012 at 03:14 AM]
Wow very nice!! Great to see the label is in mint condition. seems most older preheat ers were 2 lamp,so 1 lamp reflector style is even rarer
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Oct 16, 2012 at 03:18 PM]
Yeah, nice score there! I love the feeling of getting something rare/vintage like my 60w 50s Westy lamp.
GullWhiz   [Oct 16, 2012 at 03:52 PM]
What starter did it have? it may help pinpoint the date? Did it come with a lamp? What lamp then? I have a feeling it's a 50s fixture.....
joe_347V   [Oct 16, 2012 at 10:08 PM]
According to Mike, it came with this Hubbell starter.
streetlight98   [Oct 16, 2012 at 11:21 PM]
@ Aaron; thanks! I was very glad to see a nice label in perfect conditon after i got the light opened. The light opened up woith no problem, but i can't seem to get the screw holes to line up right so i'll unfortunatly have to modify this (enlarge the opening for the screw in the refelctor so it can line up with the hole in the endplate) so it's safe to hang.

@ Andy; yeah i love the feeling of getting a piece if history. Smile

@ Jace; The starter is indeed a Hubbell FS-4 NEOSTART starter, identical to the starters in the tulamp preheats. The lamp is a Westinghouse F40CW and looks similar to my three NOS AGRO-LITE lamps. It's used but has very little end blackening and works great, though one end cap has faulty glue.

@ Joe; yeah all the fixtures had identical starters though there was some variety of lamps. I'm thinking the starters weren't changed with the lamps. I think this light is probably close to the age of the 2 lamp preheaters in the garage though maybe a decade or so earlier.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Oct 16, 2012 at 11:46 PM]
So if the garage was built in the 60s and the tulamp preheaters are from that era this is newer???
streetlight98   [Oct 16, 2012 at 11:52 PM]
i think this light is older. This one was probably used when he got it. the tulampers were NOS though. The garage is eiter from the very late 60s or early 70s so the tulampers are probably from the early 60s.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Oct 16, 2012 at 11:57 PM]
That figures, then.
streetlight98   [Oct 17, 2012 at 12:57 AM]
It's a good thing that this one is older! Razz
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Oct 17, 2012 at 01:00 AM]
Yeah. Older is cooler!
streetlight98   [Dec 26, 2012 at 06:25 PM]
would a 0.5amp fuse be too low for this ballast?
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Dec 27, 2012 at 12:00 AM]
I would fuse it slightly higher...is there such a thing as an 0.6 amp fuse? I'd use that...
streetlight98   [Dec 27, 2012 at 12:12 AM]
i don't think so. i think it goes up by .25 amps.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Dec 27, 2012 at 12:21 AM]
So I'd use .75 amp then...
streetlight98   [Dec 27, 2012 at 12:22 AM]
ahh okay. I'll have to get my hands on some. the Radio Shack i went to had only .5 and 1.5 fuses.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Dec 27, 2012 at 12:28 AM]
Anytime... Very Happy
joe_347V   [Dec 27, 2012 at 06:02 AM]
I've gotten 0.6A fuses before, try going to a electronic component place and ask them for 0.6A 250V glass fuses. Mike, you have a place like this in your area?
streetlight98   [Dec 27, 2012 at 02:47 PM]
Nope, there aren’t any electrical specialty places I’m aware of around here. Sad

Comment 5 to 24 of 24
Page: 1 - 2