Modular compact fluorescent lamp
date: label: Date made
content: ca 1995
label: date made
content: ca 1995
name: label: maker
content: General Electric Company
notes: label: Description
content: After the withdrawal from the market of their miniature metal-halide lamp, General Electric began offering compact fluorescent lamps as replacements for energy-efficient incandescent lamps. This 1995 "Biax" compact fluorescent lamp is designed for both commercial and residential markets.
label: Description
content: The unit has a modular design. When the electrodes fail in the tubes, the tube assembly can be replaced without having to also replace the ballast and electronics housed in the adapter unit. Unlike the Philips PL design that uses a thin bridge weld to connect the two tubes, the Biax lamp folds the tube at the top. The connecting section sags a little, creating a space at the top of each tube-leg for mercury to condense.
label: Description
content: The screw-in adapter unit is a feature of Biax lamps sold to consumers. Commercial users typically buy lighting fixtures that come equipped with the ballast and control electronics, as well as the special plug-in sockets.
label: Description
content: Lamp characteristics: Unit consists of a 5 watt, twin-tube lamp with a base adapter that contains a ballast, starter, and screw-base. Lamp: S plastic G23 single-end base with two brass pins. Two tungsten electrodes, mercury fill. Two parallel, phosphor-coated tubes with "sagging bridge" connection. RE 827 phosphor. There is a seam around outside of the tube. Tips of tubes (above bridge) allow areas away from the arc where mercury can condense. Adapter: A nickel-plated brass medium-screw base with glass insulator and plastic housing. Socket for G23 base on top and a magnetic ballast inside housing. 1993 GE catalog notes that the starter is in the lamp base--not the adapter.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: See more items in
content: Energy & Power
label: Exhibition
content: Lighting a Revolution
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Lighting A Revolution exhibition website
label: Related Web Publication
content: http://americanhistory.si.edu/lighting/
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Harold D. Wallace, Jr.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2003.0030.07
label: accession number
content: 2003.0030
label: catalog number
content: 2003.0030.07
objectType: label: Object Name
content: fluorescent lamp
label: Object Name
content: discharge lamp
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: tungsten (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: mercury (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 1/2 in x 2 3/4 in; 16.51 cm x 6.985 cm