American National Standards Institute.
The BTN lamp is designated by this standard to be a P-28s based
halogen lamp of 750w and 120v having a
LCL (Lamp Center Length - to the center of the
filament from a specified measuring
point around the lamp
base - in this case the
pre-focus fin.) The
LCL of a BTN will be 2.3/16" no doubt with some tolerance to it but not much.
After that you get into a little more of a grey area.
It's normally a T-7
globe in being 7/8" wide, a c-13 or c-13D
filament, and a 500 hour life.
Beyond that, the average
color temperature is around 3,050°K but it ranges from 3,000°K to 3,200°K depending on what company is making the lamp, and in having a average of 1,700 Lumens in output in going up to 17,600. (Thus is why I
track brand specifications beyond what most in general
track by way of
ANSI code lamps. If I'm paying for it, I want the most cost effective or best output lamp available for my money.)
Beyond this BTN specification, some older versions have a
base down to horizontal position requirement due to how the
filament hangs on it's hangers but some more modern versions have a universal burning position. This ranges from 15 degrees to 30 degrees dependant upon the brand before they started going any hang position for some brands.
As you can see, with the
ANSI system, there is a
bit of range in difference between what one lamp manufacturer will produce as compared to another yet still both complying with the standard.
This all as opposed to the European Lif. code
system or Japan J-Code
system both of which
base their lamps on a much less defined
system still. The J-Code for instance is a nightmare for basing lamps, in that it's more based upon the type of filler style or premium verses normal grading of a lamp than what the lamp does or any specific version of it. Never really memorized the J-Code
system because it makes no sense.
The Euro. Lif code
system is more based upon the
fixture it's used in or type of them within a specified range such as
Fresnel verses
Leko in having a very
broad classification of which lamps comply, much less which lamps cross over. Thus above with this 230v lamp, you will see many many types of Euro code lamps from the CP-82 to the T-27 in all being a similar lamp other than differences in wattage and designation. In many cases, it's for all intensive purposes the same lamp and will work. Good idea for a lamp
system based around the
fixture but did not work in the end. At this
point the Lif code
system will head you in the right direction but not be the end all for lamps that will work. Sometimes it's useful however in designating a lamp with a
filament hung horizontally instead of vertically. As opposed to other systems that might not designate this on low
voltage lamps, the Lif Code
system usually will differentuate in this way.
Beyond these official standards designations there is a few other standards and designations to lamps the companies themselves have made up and follow often loosely brand to brand or as unique to them.
The major lamp
system is a temporary designation to lamps before they get their
ANSI code, that is based around a GE/Thorn designation other companies use in the HX series of lamp to describe their version of it. The HX-600 being famous as one version of this HX lamp which turned into the FLK we all know. Still have customers asking what the difference is between the lamps. Difference is none if the HX-600 complies to the Thorn version of it, but since the HX series is not a
ANSI code, what Ushio calls a HX for instance does not mean it's the same as what Osram calls it.
This experimental
halogen lamp standard than went HP for a different
filament design to the above lamp (subject to a lot of debate on who is telling you why it's a HP instead of HX lamp. The
HPL are part of this HX-600 series of lamp even if not invented by Thorn. Nope them S-4 lamps are not
ANSI code lamps in having varying wattages and voltages much less life ratings that would require about 24
ANSI code lamps for the
HPL alone to comply due to the above. Note the HP as similar to the HP-600 as opposed to the HX. We now have the
HPL meaning a HP lamp with a
heat sink, or the HPR in having a HP lamp with a internal
reflector. This beyond the normal FLK based lamp
system.
Beyond these specific 575w
Leko lamps, we have 1200w
PAR 64 lamps such as the HX-156 that later became an
ANSI GFB lamp. Or at least in the HX-156 having a
broad base of which lamp it will be, it became the GFA, GFC and GFE at least on the 120v lamps dependant upon the beam spread, and three more for the 230v ones based on this HX-156 designation. As said with the
HPL lamps above, the HX temporary or exprimental designation is not as good as a
ANSI coded lamp, and it might seem to be part of the Lif code
system except that it's based for classification around the lamp and not the
fixture it goes into. Still the HX series will be based around a specific classification of lamp which is better than the Lif or J-Code
system.
There is also the Thorn based HX-2400/CYX on the market though it's about impossible to get any information about this lamp. Basically it's a higher wattage/lower
voltage version of the 2,000w/120v
ANSI standard CYX lamp used in studio
Fresnel fixtures. This lamp without a doubt would be the FLK to the EHD, only GE - Thorn's owner does not publish any info about Thorn products GE does not also offer. They thus are not selling like hot cakes. The HX-600 lamp was less a GE product than one from the UK based Thorn that GE adopted and mass marketed. Same with the Japan based, Koto who I hear is thinking about going indipendant again on some things. Ushio also owns Reflekto a
German company that makes some darned good lamps and is under-represented by Ushio. GE owns various other companies in retaining their own name so do all brands have similar secondary comanies associated with them in confusing who is making or owning what.
On the HX-600 / FLK series of lamp that most of our modern
Leko lamps are based off of, I remember the HX-600 lamps listing up to the HX-605 or even say a HX-607 as a possibility which somewhere had both long and short life/high output, long life being every odd number, and the different voltages ranging with one each it's designation. For instance, the HX-603 started out to be a 120v version of the FLK/HX-600. Don't look for it because it's no longer available at least as that same lamp.
Somewhere along the
line of development either the HX-603 or HX-605 became the GLA lamp which due to it's refined
filament is the main
Strand/
Altman Leko lamp used on their new lights. Depends upon the source because some even
call the GLA the HP-601. Remember that the HP/HX series is the experimental non-official compliance one thus the vendors can
call it what they want. Lots of confusion on the HP-601 verses the HX-601, or even HP600X which by description of long verses short life don't work, these verses a abberation on the
ANSI line of the FLK/LL as a very non-official name for a lamp. We know what it means but by definition the FLK is not a long life lamp. This given Philips says they developed the GLA series of lamp from scratch and it's not at all based upon a Thorn lamp.
One will also note that the FLK never had it's long life version - that HX-601 become a long life
ANSI version of this lamp. My estimation is that the FLK while a huge improvement over a EHD is a
dead end lamp now that the GLA/GLC, much less HPR lamps came out. We also have the HX-755 & HX-756 which are 750w FLK type improved lamps of much usefulness that later became the GLD & GLD respectively as an improvement over the old EHG and similar to the
HPL 750 lamps. Also like the
HPL, we have the HX-400 and HX-401 series of lower wattage similar to S-4 lamps.
More than this still, since the HX series of lamp while greatly respected is a GE/Thorn type of thing, Osram and Philips also have their own
ANSI like standards that are not quite part numbers but not
ANSI adopted standards either.
Osram/Sylvania especially has the next best
system in their Xenon filled
halogen lamp series of HLX. I constantly get people helping me determine what lamp they need by telling me it's a HLX as if
ANSI code in not helping at all. Gee, that limits it down to 50 or 100 lamps. The HLX series is something like the HX-600 series of lamp and given this, there is some wee numbers following these letters to designate what specific lamp it is. HLX designates a Xenon filler added to the
halogen filler in boosting the
color temperature of the
halogen lamp. Beyond that, the numbers following HLX is what matters as it designates a specific lamp type.
One of the more famous lamps for this five didgit non-serial number series (because they have different serial/part numbers) would be the #64514 lamp or as I
call it the Flink 4A as that's what's also printed on the box. It's not a part number as that's #54007, instead it's a HX like number in this case for a Lif code CP-96 used in a wiggle light
fixture or more specifically the
Elation Europa, 1201, 1202, 1203, Illusionarie, Rolling Star, Polaris, 4-Play, Brain Storm, and many many more for them from
Elation - a ADJ owned comapny, American DJ itself and other fixtures using this popular lamp. It's not called the CP-96, it's the Osram designation of it instead as if a HX-600.
Next we get into the Philips four number plus a letter code on lamps Euro standard. Philips in many cases in fact is doing away with listing their general purpose lamps under the
ANSI system - remember that the standard in
filament lamps is more than just us using it on
stage, buy a
halogen home lamp or a photo studio lamp and it's also using the
ANSI system. Strict compliance to the
ANSI system would mean that if you have say a ELC lamp, it's limited to a 50 hour lamp. They now go up to 1,000 hours and while many companies will tack on a 10H or /10 to the
ANSI code, it's still not able to cure all problems such as lensed or not lensed on a MR-16 lamp or other slight changes such as a neomoleum or
dichroic coating much less xenon filler in completely changing the lamp.
I think given this, they use the number letter code also in not being their part number as a better refinement at least for a Philips lamp than a
ANSI code to them. The #6981P lamp for the Color Command might be the prime example of this brand specific
filament based lamp. This lamp is very much similar to a GLD/HX-754 lamp above, but in Philips going with their own standard in lamp, they were free to develop a more efficient lamp than the GLD in having a better
filament and higher output and longer life. For all intensive purposes the HES brand of Color Command lamp is a GLD and acceptable for use in a
Altman 360Q or Shakespeare
fixture in now having a lamp better than the
ETC's
HPL 750 for
intensity, but Philips is keeping their lamp to their hart for now in it not being a
ANSI compliant lamp at least for general output,
filament and life even if the
color temperature and
LCL much less
base is the same.
Beyond these standards, there is another in general accepted
system amongst vendors:
GE has their sealed beam/mini-lamp designations for lamps such as on a
mirror ball light - the pinspot. It uses a #4515 lamp which is a
PAR 36 at 30v/5.5 to 6 volts. Just about all manufacturers use the same mini lamp and auto lamp codes such as a H-5 based upon a similar
system for coding. These mini-lamp specifications seem to be more refined than the
ANSI system and universally compliant in that for the most part when a company produces a lamp, it's the same in all ways as another companie's lamp or it gets a new designation such as the H4515 which in being a
halogen version of the lamp has a higher output or #4509X which while often such "X" designation lamps will have a longer life, in this case the lamp will have a extra very narrow beam to it. This as opposed to other versions of the #4509 using a "S" to designate a
filament shield to refine the beam or perhaps a "Y" following it to designate a transparent yellow tint to the
lens. Still a #4509 is a 4509 no matter what modifier is on it.
After these real standards we get into fake lamp systems that make lots of money for the company using the
system given the customers don't know any better thus look for a specific lamp only they sell or get confused in figuring it out.
American DJ ZB & LL series for instance is a fake designation. A ZB-FLK is a FLK lamp -normally a GE version of it as a supplier the same as any other GE supplier would provide. Nothing special about this except the ZB designation added on. A ZB-300 on the other
hand is a little more complex to figure out. It's a
strobe light lamp made by someone else as American DJ as a company does not manufacture lamps, but a little more hard to figure out who is making it. Given 300 is all the info you have, it's a little more difficult to get elsewhere. The ZB-RLUX for another instance is very much similar to some other lamps with looped filaments but still not specific enough to figure out short of a lot
tracking down.
This is similar to the
High End Systems Trackspot QT-8500 which is actally a Philips #6958 lamp, or Lif Code M-33 or
ANSI EVC/FGX lamp. The second
ANSI code on a lamp will designate a lamp the first one replaces as being similar. Given Philips makes the lamp for High End as a
OEM product under that designation but also makes the EVC, the Osram HLX 64657 also a EVC lamp is lost in the notes about the suitable lamps for the
fixture. Much less for the J-Code JC series of for instance JC24v250w-20H/G2 lamp from Eye brand will also work in the
fixture as a long life replacement lamp alternative. The EVC/EHJ, EVC, EVC/FGX, EHJ, M-33, 240T4.25Q/CL24v and JC24-250v20H by GE, Thorn, Osram, Philips, Ushio, Reflekto, Eye, and Wiko/Eiko respectively will all work in the
fixture in fact - so much for needing a QT-8500 lamp only.
Martin is another example of re-packaging a
stock lamp and
masking it in a code. They
call their Mini-Mac/RoboScan/RoboColor amongst a few fixtures lamp the MMH 150 or MMH 152. At least used to but I think they became more reasonable in calling it what it is. Nothing special about it just a
Martin box. Osram makes the lamp for them and
call it the HTI 150 and HTI 152 respectively. GE/Koto makes the DIS-1H which would work in the
fixture probably, otherwise the GE CSS150/CAP/50 would work for sure as an alternative set of brands.
Also confusing about the American DJ
line of lamp is the fact that LL following their ZB than
ANSI code is often a LL designation behind it. This normally meaning Long Life gets confusing because it's not longer life but designating their home China brand of Lamp Light as a company also making the other than name brand lamp equivolent. The ZB-FLK for the most part guarentees it's going to be GE, Philips, Osram or Ushio. The LL designates a foreign knock off if not Lamp Light which either makes their own or often will also sell the name brand lamps as it's own distributer
hub. Lamp Light is not that bad of a brand. Lots of lamps made over seas are improving in quailty. Koto for instance was and is every
bit as good as GE, so is EYE as a brand, PEC is decent with some stuff so are others. Wiko/Eiko is really making a name for themselves also. Domestic brands are meaning less and less in quality thus.
Further would be
OEM specific products. The old
Coemar Power Cyc units used to use a Philips
OEM product in the form of a MSI 1800 lamp. For a while you could not get it other than
thru them. The VeriLite 1000 series uses a Philips and now also Ushio
OEM line but has allowed the lamp to be opened up for other retailers to sell the specialized lamp design.
On the other
hand, the
fixture manufacturer might buy the
OEM lamp and modify the
bulb. In the case of the
Martin Atomic
strobe light, it's using a Philips XOP 15O/F
xenon lamp as possibly similar to a GE or Pomona PXA 44A or Ushio UPX-42, (my xenon notes are still building in detail thus it's hard to verify this.) Yet if you buy this lamp from Philips, it won't work because
Martin wraps the ignition
wire around the Philips lamp in helping it to
strobe. While you can buy a #30749-6 Philips lamp and wrap your own
wire around it, in essense,
Martin becomes the manufacturer of the real Atomic lamp due to the modification.
Of note especially on the subject of moving light and various arc source lamps, there is no
ANSI standard to them. There is a
ANSI standard to the ballasts such as I'm looking for 150w
sodium vapor lamps that will thus use a S-55
ballast, what one company might
call a LU150, another might
call a HPS-T, another
call it a SON.
While the MSR
line of lamp might seem as if a
ANSI designation to them, in reality it's a propriatary term for the arc lamp by Philips in not having a standard for them beyond the
ballast type they all will work for and in general a lot of copying off and improving on each other's lamps. Big thing this copying because when you have say 200 moving lights using this lamp, either the next brand has to be the same in making a sale or it's a no go. Amglo found this out in a big way as they went
thru many doctoring up of their lamps to finally match that of the Philips.
Philips in introducing their MSI 1800w/s lamp alternative to the
Mac 2K's either Osram
HMI 1200w/S now TBA the HTI 120w/D7/60, or Koto's DI-12/S now the GE/Koto CSR1200s/DE which both were similar, Philips came out with a alternative that was dim in comparision. Hear they improved it to match, hear also they did not. I know Ushio's UMI 1200/HB does not list the same
color temperature - must be made by Philips for them. Amglo also offers the AHMI-1200w/S which no doubt by now matches the Osram standard. Out of interest, Philips used to
call their version the MSR 1200SA/DE. Confusing yet? As I said, there is no
ANSI standard and lots of similar names but also lots of name changes.
The MSR 575/2 lamp for instance will be a CSS or CSR lamp for GE, verses a USR or HSR for Ushio and Osram, much less Wolfram and Amglo who have the WSR and AMHK
line of lamp that's the same lamp in general to the above given often there will be two
color temperature versions available. You don't even want to know how many designations for the Mini-Mac like or Star
Par type of G-12 based lamp there is that's now cenered around Philips CDM
line as a major player but not the only designation.
Martin or anyone else in telling you a
fixture is taking a CDM 150 lamp is doing you no favors as there is at least six different versions of just those same letters and wattage including a
reflector lamp CDM 150.
In general, there is no
ANSI sysem to a arc lamp just lots of confusion. There is in general principals all companies will follow such as Cool White being about 4,100K in
color temperature, but after that, not much similarity.
