Old PC lamps wanted

[Mr. Fosi]

This is not a buy/sell/trade thread.

 

If you have old 18W, 55W & 65W PC lamps I want them. I would like to build a reference library of PC spectra with the intention of comparing new and "old" (6+ months) lamp spectra. I have a source(s) for new lamps, but I need ones that have been used for a significant amount of time.

 

I need lamps, brand names, city of purchase, approximate age, how many hours/day the lamp was used, type of ballast (magnetic or electronic), and brand of fixture.

 

If you are interested in donating a lamp, post it here & we'll work out shipping details via PM.

 

And yes, I know this could have been placed in the lighting forum, but my threads typically don't get much traffic there and this requires more than one or two replies to be worthwhile.

[Mr. Fosi]

Bump.

[dangeroo2]

When i change mine out i will send, proabably in about a month or two.

[Mr. Fosi]

Sweet!

 

This is going to be a long-term project so a couple months is pretty quick.

[KMitch]

Sweet!

 

This is going to be a long-term project so a couple months is pretty quick.

 

I have a quad bulb you can have. it is just sitting here, about 6 months of use.

 

I also have a ballast I could sell you and maybe some PC bulb sockets if you need some spare parts cheap. PM me

[Mr. Fosi]

PMed.

[Mr. Fosi]

bump

[Tangman1218]

Hey Fosi,

 

Ill have a few bulbs from 3 of my tanks coming up pretty soon as well. Shoot me a PM so I have it in my file so I dont forget.

 

Tang

[Mr. Fosi]

PMed

[Mr. Fosi]

I now have in my possesion 6x13W and 4x65W lamps.

 

The 65-watters are all oddysea brand, 3x"12000K" and 1x"actinic". None of these are truely new, as most of them have each been used for 2 months or more but they are cheap, so I will likely buy 1 of each to get new spectra.

 

All but one of the 13-watters are 50/50s, four are no-names (two from ebay, two from hellolights.com), one coralife, and one phillips "alto" which is used often in utility lights.

 

The phillips is lamp still brand new, so I will record its current spectrum, then start it running 12/12 days starting today or tomorrow. I'll let it run for a minimum of 6 months before re-recording its spectrum and looking for shifts.

 

I am still looking for old lamps. I am prepared to accept lamps that I don't currently have ballasts for in the hopes that I will be able to purchase ballasts in the near future.

 

This is an open request, meaning that if you have plans to change your lamps any time in the next 8 months, I would be honored if you would consider sending them to me once you have changed them out.

 

This little project won't be worth a hoot if I don't get a wide (if you'll pardon the pun) spectrum of lamp brands, wattages, and spectral outputs from different areas of the country.

[Daemonfly]

Btw, if you have a ballast that will run 55/65w bulbs, that ballast should be able to run lower wattage bulbs (if it's electronic) even multiple lower bulbs (aside from 13w, 7w, etc..).

[Mr. Fosi]

I believe the 55/65W ballasts that I have are magnetic based on the brand (odyssea fixtures) and the amount of heat they put out. I haven't cracked open the cases to find out for sure... I guess maybe I should do that.

[Mr. Fosi]

I recorded some spectra, but I don't plan to make the raw data generally availible. Instead, I am going to start building my little reference database and produce spectrographs for display (eye candy). Once I get enough data, I may be able to do some statistical comparisons.

 

This was the setup, except that the room was dark (except for the target lamp) while I was recording.

 

 

 

 

These are the lamps, whose spectra I recorded. The metadata for them is listed below. It was a real pain to get a good spectrograph off #5.

 

 

 

 

13W lamps

 

phillips, listed 4100K, run for a short time (June 22, 2006 - June 29, 2006)

 

1 - hellolights.com (June 29, 2006 - December 29, 2007)

2 - hellolights.com (June 29, 2006 - January 17, 2007)

 

3 - coralife (December 29, 2007 - Januray 17, 2007)

 

4 - ebay (December, 18 2005 - June 29, 2006)

5 - ebay won't fire and flickers (December, 18 2005 - June 22, 2006)

[RBuddha]

thats a pretty cool idea fosi. Will you be publishing a compendium of fluorescents and their life expectancy etc?

[Mr. Fosi]

I'd be nice, but I don't want to make promises I can't follow up on.

 

For now, I am going to stick to the collection of spectral data on any old lamps that people are willing to donate and new lamps that I can talk my LFSs into firing up.

 

I have had a lot of people say, in my presence, that PC lamps should be replaced before they have been in use 8 months. The most common reasons I have heard are 1) loss of intensity and 2) shift away from original spectral quality. While I don't currently have the skill to quantitatively measure intensity, but I can very easily measure spectrums.

 

My main interest is to see if spectral quality really does change over time. Currently, this isn't a real scientific study and it lacks rigor, but it is better than conjecture IMO.

 

If I get enough lamps from enough vendors from enough areas of the country, then there is a real possibility that I could get enough data to make meaningful comparisons between lamps, manufacturers, and ages. To my knowledge, no one out there has done this yet.

 

Of course, now someone will pop in and link to an AA or an RK article doing what I am attemping and doing better.

[BigByrd]

http://www.measurespectrums.com/tests/pcfixture/odyssea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just kiddin, this is cool though good idea

[Mr. Fosi]

Funny.

 

Another funny thing is that I have some odyssea spectrums that I had recorded last year when I first had this idea. Little did I know that the lab in which I would be doing my PhD research in would afford me unfettered access to a user-friendly spectrometer.

 

Here: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...c=89514&hl=

 

And here: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...89244&st=40

 

I don't know if I have the data that I used to generate the curves, though. The data is something I think I would have saved, but I don't know where I may have stored it... I hope I have it, since the lamps were only a month or two old when those spectra were recorded and that data would fit nicely into the collection.

[travisurfer]

I have a bulb or two I may be able to send when I switch my bulbs.

[Mr. Fosi]

Sweet! When are you planning the switch?

[travisurfer]

pretty soon actually. i plan on ordering the new bulb today. btw, how is the xenia coming along?

 

EDIT: the sargasso really hasn't started to wash up yet but it should be about time. as soon as the gulf stream shifts shoreward(sp?) a bit, it normally starts coming in. water is still at 60* so its normally best to wait until around 70-75* or so if possible too. and that comes with the shift in the gulf stream.

[Mr. Fosi]

... how is the xenia coming along?

 

Pretty good. It is now acclimated to full light.

 

I can send you a bottle once the macro starts washing in.

[travisurfer]

i actually have a thermos from when pinner reef sent me a frag so i can just use that. shipping would be a bit more, but if that doesn't work, i don't know what will.

[Mr. Fosi]

So trav... Did you ever order new lamps?

[Needreefunds]

BUMP for another one of NR's really good guys!

 

Come on folks, you only need so many "spare" old bulbs!

 

Let's get Mr. Fosi some used lamps!!!

 

Packing them up and will get them out to you Fosi!!

 

[Mr. Fosi]

Thanx 'funds!