the death of a preheat lamp...

Sorry I have been away for a long time, I don't have much time in my hands nowadays...
In this video we take a look at my lovely bed lamp, one of my favourites, built by myself back in 2016, using an old globe lamp base which my father bought in a trip he made back in the day to Sicily, Italy, which explains why makes the lamp sit in an angle, a transparent extension cord and of course the sugar on top, a Philips PL-C 13W adaptor or adapter, as I wanted to have the nice blinky unpredictable start every time I switched it on.
As I knew fluorescent stock, specially speciality bulbs like the PL-C was going to became rarer during upcoming decades, I ensured to have my arsenal ready, so I already had the replacement when the EOL action started!
Hope you like it!

[@THEBULBHOME]

Thanks for watching! A few thoughts to get the conversation going! This is my bed lamp, built by myself back in 2015, using a classic old globe base which my father bought in a trip he made to Sicily, Italy, which explains why makes the lamp sit in an angle and has mounting gear for the original decoration glass globe. Although perhaps quirky, it helps me mount the Chinese lantern I use for making it look nice! Originally I had installed a Philips Genie 14W bulb, but I changed it a year later in October 2016 for a Philips PL-C 13W adaptor or adapter, as I wanted to have the nice unpredictable blinky start of preheat every time I switched it on, and the quirky flickery light of an arcade lighting technology, which is sadly starting to be strongly considered outdated and inefficient. I however find it so endlessly pleasant and interesting... Speaking of the dates, you can clearly see all the dating information all over the lamp, as I like to record the day of installation of each light bulb! Helps keep record for the best lamp technology for different applications throughout the house and measure each manufacturer's quality. Finally, is just a geeky thing a lighting fan as I am enjoys to do, and helps me do calculations as the following: Considering I use this lamp A LOT (at least 10 hours per day, 4 in the morning and 6 at night), this lamp gave some good old 27,300 hours of very good light quality (considering the 91 months of service from 10/16 to 05/24)...: That is DOUBLE the 10,000 hour nominal life cycle considered in the official Philips datasheet for the bulb, enclosed and withstanding voltage variations and violent power blackouts during it's 7 1/2 years life! As you saw in the video, I already had the replacement ready... From a very long time I have know fluorescent stock, specially specialty bulbs like the PL-C, are going to became rarer, so I ensured to have my arsenal ready, and I still do! No doubt I will be searching for a new PL-C for the next time this one goes out in the (hopefully) upcoming 8 years (the other one is reserved for a lamp in the dining room). I believe you still can get a 2700K PL-C in central Mexico, or as of May 2024, or at least I hope so! Hope you enjoyed this short video! I am very busy at the moment, finishing up my last semester of college and the work just seems endless! However, I'm working on a video showcasing lighting technology in Europe as I just did an academic interchange there last year... Lot's of preheat action included, as I believe is a better technology for 220 V / 50 Hz, or so I heard, and also I'm making a trip to the US, so no doubt I'll be visiting a good old restore! I hope I'll find classic lighting equipment for the collection there! Take care!

[@SwitchesmyhouseAustralia]

Put the country in.

[@davida.p.9911]

Classic end of life behavior. The lamp comes up to temperature, goes out and it tries to start again. Thanks for sharing! 💡💡💡

[@HIDLad001]

Nice! It is great to see you return after a long hiatus.

[@THEBULBHOME]

Thanks! I have tons of work nowadays...

[@Sparky-ww5re]

The beautiful thing about fluorescent is how many spectacular failure modes are common, depending on the circuit used. Preheat lamps tend to flash at EOL as the lamp's operating voltsge rises above the ballast output. A lamp glowing at the ends with no blinking indicates a starter with welded contacts or shorted condenser, often caused by prolonged operation of a blinking EOL lamp. This can damage a new lamp rather quickly as well and cause the ballast to overheat and fail. EOL on rapid start is typically indicated by flickering and greatly reduced brightness, sometimes there is no light, but the ends glow a dim orange. Since most 2 lamp fixtures operate the lamps in series, one lamp failure causes both lamps to go out or dim/flicker. EOL on instant start is rather spectacular. The ballast open circuit voltage is usually in the 600 - 800 volt range, high enough to start the lamp with one or both cathodes completely exhausted of emission coating. The lamp flickers and spirals violently with severe blackening and red-orange glow at one or both ends, and the ends can get extremely hot, sometimes to the point of cracking or melting a hole in the tube or melting the sockets and dropping the lamp. HID (mercury vapor, metal halide, high pressure sodium) lamps can have a similar EOL behavior as fluorescent in that the lamp operating voltage increases with age. They can all exhibit cycling, that is, starting and going out as the lamp warms to full brightness. Metal halide is by far the most dangerous because the quartz arc tube operates at around 2000°F with an internal pressure of 50 - 90 psi or more, and as the lamp ages, the arc tube weakens from thermal and chemical stress, and can rupture, blasting shards of red hot quartz though the area with force comparable to a grenade. Because many disastrous fires have occurred in warehouses and similar industrial settings from EOL metal halide lamps, the type O lamp was developed. This special lamp has a ballistic shield around the arc tube to prevent fragments from striking the outer glass, which is a special heat resistant type to contain the red hot remains of the arc tube following a rupture, this type can be used safely in open or enclosed fixtures and may be required by insurance companies or the fire marshal for facilities that still use metal halide lighting. In addition open metal halide fixtures manufacturered after 2004 are required to have exclusionary sockets, so that only type O lamps will operate.

[@D322MWUNITED]

I actually didn’t know you love aviation and old lighting! 💖💖💖💖✈️ Love your md-11 all the wall too btw! ^^ R.I.P build! 😔 you had a long life!

[@THEBULBHOME]

Yes, indeed! I love aviation as well! And the MD-11 is my favorite plane, is just so weird and beautiful and dangerous... it's just charming. But I'm more into trains and transit systems in general ;D

[@SB223_06]

Welcome back!

[@THEBULBHOME]

Thank you!

[@worldwidehidcollectorusa3519]

Good to see you after a long hiatus!!!

[@curtchase3730]

Wow, that thing looks over 30 years old! Early compact fluorescent for sure.

[@THEBULBHOME]

Well yes, the technology is a non-integrated compact fluorescent lamp, but parts were made in recent years...

[@Yanyan_isnothere]

Sorry if i was late but welcome back!

[@Medaniel_AndHis_friends.]

Ah yes just like a fluorescent bulb when the lamp has black ends, flickering just like the starter thinking the lamp failed to start.

[@JendaLinda]

I was using Philips lamps but they are kinda hit and miss. Soetimes they last very long time but sometimes they fail after short time.

[@THEBULBHOME]

That's a thing I have heard from many people, but for me, Philips has been the best manufacturer by far! I have the proof in my channel, in fact... This fixture... The one in the ceiling lamp I showed at the beginning? It used to run a Philips ALTO from 2003 and went out in 2022... I have the video uploaded... I also have tons of CFLs marked M7 (Dic 2007) which are still going strong... I mean, I'm not contradicting you, I'm just sharing my experience! haha :)

[@CoreyProcyk]

Cool video thanks.😮

[@bulbman2564]

Very nice Video, I love these kinds of PL adapters, I have a few of them myself. I think it probably lasted so long because you didn't start it a lot, only 2 times over 10 hours in a day based on your description. I managed to find 2 of these in duro test flavor once, with the vita lite phosphor. Unfortunately one of them blinked right out of the box, i assume it had a gas fill issue.

[@THEBULBHOME]

Yes! I love them a lot as well! Lately I have been installing a lot of these around my house and the other ones doesn't seem to be as good quality as this one in the video (very slow starts and dim light in general...), I suppose is just hit and miss as JendaLinda said :)

[@eduardoveytia244]

Yo tengo unos que también son de encendido precalentado tengo unos OSRAM un PHILIPS un GENERAL ELECTRIC un MAGG y unos que no dicen la marca solo dicen los watts

[@trollfaceS1996]

Ура, новое видео! А я уж волновался...

[@lampochki]

😅

[@WeNeedSomeMusic]

Philips plc

[@DamianChirek]

🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌 1:19

[@eduardoveytia244]

El segundo tubo fluorescente PHILIPS del video anterior ya se quemó?

[@THEBULBHOME]

jajaja qué observadora es la bandita, justo me pregunté si alguien se daría cuenta... Pues si, en efecto. El Philips Alto A6 que estaba de lado derecho se quemó hace unos meses, en enero de este año 2024, pero solo se volvió tan tenue que era ya inusable... No hizo ningún show como el del video anterior, así que no grabé nada esa vez jeje

[@eduardoveytia244]

@@THEBULBHOME así me a pasado con algunos Logré rescatarlos aumentando la tensión para energizar el tubo fluorescente eso lo llevo a calentarse mucho y acortar su vida útil pero se le quitó lo tenue o lo rosa y asta ahorita sigue funcionando normal y no a vuelto a fallar

[@Amirl.b]

Led welcome

[@Chrispbacon911]

You should reuse the starter in the bulb

[@THEBULBHOME]

I could, but I enjoy leaving it untouched for the collection...