Could they be Chinese GE Halogens? So far, the clear Sylvania ones I have in use have not dimmed out and (I got clear bulbs specifically so I could monitor the capsules) and still clear! I feel like they've dimmed but I guess I'm just used to the brighter light now because the capsules are not blackened at all!
Oh, remember how I was going to get a couple of street lights? Well, I'm getting them Monday.
The first light is a mid 80s M-250R2 FCO (70W HPS), which looks exactly like
this. It's got a metallic NEMA tag and the "street side" of the refractor is recessed into the door. This version was made from 1985 to around 1987 IIRC. The only thing that changed in 1987 was the NEMA tag; they switched to a solid yellow instead of metallic. The actual fixture remained the same from 1985 to around 1990-ish.
The second light is a mid-80s GE M-250A2 FCO, 50W HPS. It was a 100/175W MV version used by NECo but was rebuilt with guts from a junk 50W HPS GE light from the same era so it's a period-correct OEM ballast. Anyway, it will look like
this and
this, except mine is not actually factory-HPS. This generation of the M-250A2 was made I believe from around 1984 to about 1987. Unlike the M-250R2, they actually changed the M-250A2's top housing. They smoothed out the top front of the housing.
You can see here that the top front of the housing rounded off, but the door is still boxy. They changed the M-250A2 housing again in the late 90s, changing the door to being rounded too. The Powr/Modules are interchangeable between all three generations though, so a 1985 M-250A2 could receive a 2015 Powr/Module if needed. I actually have a spare Powr/Module from George (a mid-2000s version) that I plan to mount a 250W MH/MV ballast to so I can change the M-250A2 from 50W HPS to 250W MH/MV just by changing the door and lamp! Very convenient!
However, most utilities do not use replacement modules because the replacement modules aren't really any cheaper than a new fixture. Plus a new fixture is under warranty. The old fixtures' warranties were up years ago so there's no real incentive for the utilities to keep the old lights going. NGrid doesn't reuse any fixtures, but I have seen used refractors and refractor doors installed on lights missing said parts. Typically they will rip off the NEMA tag off the replacement door and write the wattage in marker in place of the NEMA tag. Either that or they just leave the NEMA tag on, which is confusing if the light is a different wattage than marked on the door they used to replace the missing door lol. I've seen 50W HPS M-250R2s get replacement doors with 250W HPS "25" tags on them, glass lens and all. Looks just like a 250W light by day but much dimmer at night. If the light doesn't work though, the lineman wouldn't notice that.
Anyway, in addition to the two GEs, I'm also getting a 4ft aluminum mounting arm to hold onto for when I get my own place. That brings me up to one 24" arm, two 30" arms, and two 4ft arms. I want to get some 6ft arms since that's the standard around here (Sitka seems to use mostly 8ft arms FYI when they're not using the really short arms). Here, they used some 4ft, lots and lots of 6ft, 10ft, and (i think) 12ft (could be 14ft though). For metal poles, they use 6ft, 8ft, and 10ft arms. I'm also getting a couple photocells and a few lamps. Pretty awesome! They're coming from Steve Zalimas. Very nice guy who lives north of Worcester.
Here's his website if interested. And his Craigslist ad.