Vintage Lighting Identifying an old bulb

[megand]

hi- i have an old light that i think could be from around 1960 (our best guess is a 1960 lekolite, but we could be completely wrong). we’re trying to get it to work again but the bulb won’t work and we’re not sure where to get another one. i’m far from an expert, so if anyone could try and identify what type this is and maybe where to get a new one that would be great.

 

[JonCarter]

Looks like a lamp for a Klieg leko. Probably 1000 or 1500 watt, about a T-30, mogul bipost , burn base up., probably either 200 hour (3200K) or 50 hour (3400K.) From the blackening & filament sag,, doesn't look like it has many hours on it.

If I had a $ for every one I've climbed up towers to change I could have retired years ago.

 

[microstar]

hi- i have an old light that i think could be from around 1960 (our best guess is a 1960 lekolite, but we could be completely wrong). we’re trying to get it to work again but the bulb won’t work and we’re not sure where to get another one. i’m far from an expert, so if anyone could try and identify what type this is and maybe where to get a new one that would be great.

Have you cleaned up the contact posts and then checked for continuity with a VOM?

 

[derekleffew]

IF (huuuuge IF) you could find a new working lamp, guaranteed it would be over $100.00. There is no known modern replacement. On those particular lamps, the majority of the time with use the envelope darkened so much as to make them unusable long before the filament ever broke. (Since it was a BBU lamp, it did not have any sand or scouring agent inside one could use to clean the envelope once it darkened due to tungsten deposits. Notice how dark the lamp pictured in the thread https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/old-kliegl-light-bulbs.31591/ is.)

BTW, the fixture using these was colloquially known as a "Cannon Leko", whether Century or not.

@ship will be along shortly to tell of raising the socket to accept a more available lamp. But be aware, it's never going to be good, even if better than factory spec. See this thread https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/radial-leko-lamp-socket-adaptors-for-prop-lights.47357/ .
If you want it as a display piece, I'd slap any colour-changing LED A-lamp (Philips HUE ?) in there and call it good.

Show us a picture of the lamp cap. Are the whip wires white and fluffy?

Although not as important as with T/H lamps, get into the habit of not touching the glass with your bare fingers. If you do, use an alcohol wipe before energizing.


See below. From a 1979 GE Lamp Catalog. Table 13 is the one you're looking for. Four different wattages. The 2100W lamp is 60V and requires a transformer. I highly suspect yours is the GE 1500T24/6.

 

[megand]

Have you cleaned up the contact posts and then checked for continuity with a VOM?

unfortunately we can’t do much of anything right now besides ask and poke around as we’re all students without a theatre to work in for the summer! wish i could give an answer but we’re flying completely blind currently.

 

[megand]

Looks like a lamp for a Klieg leko. Probably 1000 or 1500 watt, about a T-30, mogul bipost , burn base up., probably either 200 hour (3200K) or 50 hour (3400K.) From the blackening & filament sag,, doesn't look like it has many hours on it.

If I had a $ for every one I've climbed up towers to change I could have retired years ago.

thanks for the info (and for the leko type- that helps a lot!)! this light’s been sitting in a theatre attic for who knows how long, so i didn’t think it’d have anything left on it haha.

 

[megand]

IF (huuuuge IF) you could find a new working lamp, guaranteed it would be over $100.00. There is no known modern replacement. On those particular lamps, the majority of the time with use the envelope darkened so much as to make them unusable long before the filament ever broke. (Since it was a BBU lamp, it did not have any sand or scouring agent inside one could use to clean the envelope once it darkened due to tungsten deposits.)

BTW, the fixture using these was colloquially known as a "Cannon Leko", whether Century or not.

@ship will be along shortly to tell of raising the socket to accept a more available lamp. But be aware, it's never going to be good, even if better than factory spec. If you want it as a display piece, I'd slap any colour-changing LED lamp (Philips HUE ?) in there and call it good.

See below. From a 1979 GE Lamp Catalog. Table 13 is the one you're looking for. Four different wattages. The 2100W lamp is 60V and requires a transformer.
View attachment 23262

thanks so much for all of this info, this is incredibly helpful! we definitely do not have the money to replace this lamp then lol, but thank you for the suggestion on other replacements. this is a bit of a passion project so we’d love that LED lamp haha.

 

[RonHebbard]

@megand My first guess is your lamp is a T14 Medium Bi-pin and likely 500 Watts at 120 Volts.
T14 would define the glass.
T for Tubular. 14 for the maximum outside diameter expressed in the number of 1/8 ths of inches; thus 1.75 inches in diameter.
These date from the 1950's, I'd be surprised if you find any.
@DELO72 Can you be of aid?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[megand]

thanks so much for all of this info, this is incredibly helpful! we definitely do not have the money to replace this lamp then lol, but thank you for the suggestion on other replacements. this is a bit of a passion project so we’d love that LED lamp haha.

also- to answer your question, all of the wires are bare of any coating. probably was through an effort by our school when they took out our asbestos carpeting, but all wires are completely stripped. (would love to get a picture for you, but i’m currently out of town- the og picture is from a friend of mine!)

 

[derekleffew]

@megand My first guess is your lamp is a T14 Medium Bi-pin and likely 500 Watts at 120 Volts.
T14 would define the glass.
T for Tubular. 14 for the maximum outside diameter expressed in the number of 1/8 ths of inches; thus 1.75 inches in diameter.

Look at the picture again. Assume it's an average male adult-ish right hand holding the envelope. The diameter looks much closer to 3" (T24) than 1.75" (T14). Also the pins are larger in diameter and farther apart.

a T14 Medium Bi-pin

Medium bi-post. Bi-pin is G9.5/TP22/FEL base. But the correct lamp in this case is a Mogul Bi-Post.

 

[JonCarter]

Thanks, Derek, I looked but couldn't find my old GE large lamp catalog last night. (Know I've got one somewhere . . . ) And, yes, you're right. It's definitely a mogul BP base. As to blackening, no, no tungsten powder to clean the BU lamps, but all of the bulb was outside the reflector except the bottom 3" ir so, so the blackening didn't cause as much light loss as in the BD-burning lamps.

 

[derekleffew]

Thanks, Derek, I looked but couldn't find my old GE large lamp catalog last night. (Know I've got one somewhere . . . ) And, yes, you're right. It's definitely a mogul BP base. As to blackening, no, no tungsten powder to clean the BU lamps, but all of the bulb was outside the reflector except the bottom 3" ir so, so the blackening didn't cause as much light loss as in the BD-burning lamps.

You sure got that right, Jon.
Pic from the thread previously cited:

Interesting that in the two uses I know of for the 2100/60V variant (followspots and Kliegl Bros. Linnebach projectors), it's used in a BBD configuration rather than the manufacturer's BU30 spec. Abrasive sand inside would have been good.

 

[Van]

In HS We had several old Century cannon Lekos that used a Bi-pin Mogul and were about that size.
I have a picture on my phone, Pretty sure I posted it here, of a lamp from a WWII aircraft searchlight. BP Mogul, 32v, 1500W and it had the tungsten powder in it for cleaning the inside of the envelope. Ok, I'll go find it.

 

[JonCarter]

2M T30 1
View attachment 23263
From my antique display.

(Sorry but I guess I don't have th hang of this internet thingy!

 

[ship]

Derek and others already took the thunder out of any fire I might have.
Yes photos of the fixture/wiring/plug type/Lamp socket condition amongst other things that on school break a student cannot get.
Also that the student without the authorized teacher managing the lighting gear cannot be near asbestos (probably) or be wiring lights without direct supervision. Interesting comment about asbestos if I understand... scraped off. Meaning asbestos inside the lighting cap is still there, and the lighting fixture is even more unsafe given bare conductors to use.
None the less you have these now safe lighting fixtures I would prefer a photo of before commenting on work to be done. Yes! you can adapt to working and viable 2Kw CYX halogen lamp, or convert to GE Reveal, Philips Hough, or in general some form of prop light. All forms of conversion would be a good educational effort in restoration, and understanding modern technology for a class effort.
First step before one can preserve or convert a fixture however is it's preservation and restoration. Not worth your effort if the light is going to rust away soon, or the lamp socket you would use is not able to conduct, or your wiring would be dangerous etc.
One of my staff during the pandemic, with forced cooling even at one point had an antique cannon of a 8" Leko converted to RGB LED with serious output. This as opposed to well over two dozen 6x16 L&E Leko's I conveted to 100w GE Reveal lamp fixtures, also with output.
Purpose/goal, restore, figure out how and what is it's new purpose or need. After that, anything is possible once a stable platform of lighting fixture to work with. Can even teach you how to make a G-38 to E-26 lamp socket conveter based on the LCL of the lamp used seat height.. or sell you something I invented (off line only).

 

[derekleffew]

In HS We had several old Century cannon Lekos that used a Bi-pin Mogul and were about that size.

Medium bi-post. Bi-pin is G9.5/TP22/FEL base. But the correct lamp in this case is a Mogul Bi-Post.

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Hey @megand if you're in Chicagoland, I'd highly advise a visit to @ship in the far western 'burbs. Your old light will never be the same.

 

[ship]

Interesting idea. Been a few years since I gave a general shop tour, or class on restoration - yes I could restore this unidentified light within a few hours in teaching mode. Open to all School Theater programs in offer... Tour and restoration of an old light + Education.

Cannot do this for a single student of a school, short of at least the theater lighting manager supervision of this school owned property also there to supervise the student or students, and the gear the school owns.

Could set something up as per a school tour and education on something like preservising this and just maintaining other fixtures and or modern technology of interest to learn about. And go GaGa over what's prepping if something is in the shop at the same time. Not really feasible for me to visit a school for such a class, too many parts one might need, and time off I could be spending supervising or fixing stuff.

Where I work's policy is students' has always been Yes!!! Get them in. Skilled labor, and those with this career in mind is especially this year is hard to find. A tour of the shop can inspire.

 

[ship]

On a Leko, Fresnel or even wanting a 12" PAR can, in all ways... It's a career.