MARTYN'S MIX - MY STREETLAMPS
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MY PHILIPS 90W SRS201...
Another lantern saved in my collection in August 2024 and was operating normally on the street a week before when columns and lanterns were all replaced along that stretch of road. This is a 90W Philips SRS201  (EU model name - A.K.A. MA90 in the UK) and was manufactured in late 2002 according to canopy and NEMA socket but internal label says Feb 2003. It has integral gear in head. It just needed a little bit of a clean and a a long crack in the canopy was super-glued, then re-wired and mounted on the wall bracket to replace the MI26 that has been there for quite a while. It is a long lantern (same length as my leg!) and can also be run as 135W SOX with remote gear (MA50). Controlled by a SELC 8480 photocell.
 
...MY PHILIPS 90W SRS201

MY THORN/ATLAS 55W GAMMA 6...
After many many years as a kid watching the Gamma 6 warm up outside my house I always wished that I would manage to have one for myself. As of July 2024 with most of the city now lit by LED there were very few of these rare 55W Gamma 6s left and only a couple near me still running SOX while others have been converted to other lamps.
Anyway my wish came true and one of the 1972 lanterns has been saved into my collection :)

Photos in order show the following....

1) The lantern as I received it - paint was wearing off the canopy and the translucent bowl was holed and cracked.
2) Powered up to reveal it was not running 55W SOX but something else unfortunately, so the project was for me to refurbish it and convert back to SOX.
3) I dismantled the unit to take a look inside. The old leak transformer is still in the base but a new electronic ballast and a metal-halide lamp had been installed.
4) Lantern powered up to see the CMH lamp at full brightness.
5) Got a 35/55W SOX ballast/ignitor and tested it works with a 55W SOX lamp to put into the Gamma 6.
6) I managed to get a new "old stock" bowl from Claire Pendrous to replace the damaged original one. Transparent rather then translucent but it looks very smart.
7) The lantern stripped out of all internal components.
8) The old leak transformer (which was tricky to remove) plus the CMH lampholder and ballast.
9) In the process of painting the base and canpoy in matt black.
10) SOX lamp installed and wired up in the lantern to test.
11) Refurbishment complete. This 1972 Gamma 6 is looking good and running 55W SOX once again.

 

 

 

 

...MY THORN/ATLAS 55W GAMMA 6

ODDS AND SODS...
Recently I became the owner of an old GEC Nightwatch style lantern (no manufacturer name on it anywhere) - 55W SOX. It has to have external control gear and needs a good clean. In storage for the time being.
Also shown here are 35W and 55W SOX lamps, plus 3 SELC 8480 photocells that were given to me, I have taken a new photo at the very bottom of this page with the 11 photocells I now own.
...ODDS AND SODS

MY ELECO/DAVIS/CHALMIT GR100...
The latest lantern added to my collection is a salvaged Eleco/Davis/Chalmit GR100. It is a later model with fibreglass canopy. It is not in tip top condition - diffusers broken away on both sides and a hole in the bowl probably to let any water drain out. It also did not come with a photocell nor a 90W SOX lamp (I have one of those in my Alpha 1 anyway should I need to use it). This will not be powered up as I do not have separate control gear that this lantern requires. So for now I cleaned up the canopy and bowl and it is stored with my other lanterns. *UPDATE AUGUST 2024* I have another of these in my collection with yellowed but intact bowl. I will clean it up if I get any 90W gear and attempt to get it working.
...MY ELECO/DAVIS/CHALMIT GR100

MY PHILIPS MI26 AND MI36...
Two of the lanterns in my collection (acquired late 2018) are these, a Philips MI36 (top) and MI26 (bottom). A SELC 8480 photocell came with one of them. They were extremely dirty after spending many years out in all weathers including spiders and webs inside, but I managed to clean them up pretty well. I will keep the MI36 in storage but have put the MI26 on the wall bracket for now (it has a 35w SOX lamp).
...MY PHILIPS MI26 AND MI36

MY URBIS ALTRA 2...
One of the lanterns in my collection (acquired late 2018) is this Urbis Altra 2 with a Philips 36W PL-L fluorescent duo-tube. A SELC 8480 photocell controls the switching operation. I had it on the wall bracket for a few weeks but it wasn't a secure fit so took it down again. It did light up the room well though.
 
 
   
...MY URBIS ALTRA 2

MY THORN ALPHA 1...
This is my Thorn Alpha 1. 90W SOX with unknown photocell (it could be a 1970's Royce Thompson P42 if anyone can confirm). It is in full working order but unlike my other lanterns, the Alpha 1 requires external control gear (which I have not got) so I can not power it on at this current time, therefore it will be mounted on the wall bracket for display purposes only. At least it is nice to have one of these in my collection now, and saved from the scrapyard. I cleaned it up a little, removing bird droppings from the opticell and many years worth of dead spiders and cobwebs from inside the metal shoe, where there was also the original installation instructions on paper (dated November 1972).
 

 

 
...MY THORN ALPHA 1

MY INDUSTRIA AURORA...
I got this lantern from a fellow enthusiast on EBay is another 70w SON-T. It is an Industria model Aurora (265022) made in Holland. A few pics are below. I am using the Royce Thompson Oasis 1000 photocell again and have stored the Zodion Super 6 that came with the lantern with others in my possession. I already have a video of the Urbis ZX1 SON-T warming up so I will not do a video of this one.

 

 

...MY INDUSTRIA AURORA

MY AC FORD...
I acquired an old AC Ford lantern from EBay. It was mounted on the wall bracket for a while. Below are some photos. It is quite a bulky lantern but built to last. The bowl is discoloured through age but the light output is still good - and I have always liked the white/blue glow of mercury.

80w High Pressure Mercury - I took the Royce Thompson Oasis 1000 photocell off the ZX1 and put it on this one as it came without a cell.

  

  
VIDEO: My AC Ford being switched on and brightening up - WMV file  (4.5Mb) - best to right click and "save as" as may not play in some browsers!
...MY AC FORD

MY URBIS ZX1...
I acquired an Urbis ZX1 (old style) from a fellow lighting enthusiast, Wayne. It is quite a large lantern.

70w SON-T with a Royce Thompson Oasis 1000 photocell.

  

  


VIDEO: My Urbis ZX1 being switched on and brightening up - WMV file  (2Mb) - best to right click and "save as" as may not play in some browsers!
VIDEO: My Urbis ZX1 being switched off and cooling down - WMV file  551Kb) - best to right click and "save as" as may not play in some browsers!
...MY URBIS ZX1

MY THORN BETA 2...
A few pics of the lantern sitting on the box it came in after I wired it up - turned off and in various stages of warm up. I have never mounted it on the wall bracket since I got it, so on 21/10/2011 I decided to do that in place of the Industria Aurora for a while.

55w SOX and using a Zodion SS2 (or 5 - see top of page) photocell. New photo taken below which doesn't show the cardboard shield on the photocell to stop erratic switching from light radiation.


  

  

VIDEO: My Beta 2 warming up over 8 minutes - video sped up into a 125 second WMV file  (5.3Mb) - best to right click and "save as" as may not play in some browsers!
...MY THORN BETA 2

MY THORN BETA 5...
The first three pics show the lantern sitting temporarily on a shelf after I wired it up - in various stages of warm up. Being in a temporary place I have had to put a small cardboard shield on the photocell to stop light radiation switching the lamp off and on all the time. The next 3 pics show the lantern off and on, mounted on the wall - again with a cardboard shield on the photocell to stop erratic switching - after all, you don't get white ceilings above lamps in the street normally :o)

35w SOX with a Zodion SS5 photocell.


  

  

  

VIDEO: My Beta 5 warming up over 10 minutes - video sped up into a 58 second WMV file  (1.1Mb) - best to right click and "save as" as may not play in some browsers!
...MY THORN BETA 5

PHOTOCELLS...
*UPDATED APRIL 2024* Here are the 11 photocells in my collection.
Top row... Zodion SS4, Zodion Super 6, SELC 8480, Royce Thompton Oasis 2000.
Middle row.... Zodion (says SS2 underneath but SS5 on the circuit board!), SELC 8480, SELC 8480, Royce Thompton Oasis 1000.
Bottom row.... Zodion SS5, SELC 8480, SELC 8480.
*ADDED AUGUST 2024* A recent acquisition is a Westire Acro photocell (it has a flashing red LED when powered up first time to show it is working ok)
...PHOTOCELLS


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