# Very High Output vs High Output lamps



## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

Are these sign lamps?


----------



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Outdoorguy said:


> I was wondering what would happen to some HO T12 Flo lamps if they were installed in a fixture that had a VHO ballast?
> 
> I know I read somewhere that if you re-lamp a HO ballasted fixture with VHO lamps then you would only get the amount of light that an HO lamp can produce from the VHO.
> 
> ...


They will burn out faster and burn much brighter remember you are running 1500ma through 800ma lamps.

It will be fun watching them flip-out when they start burning out..:laughing::thumbup::laughing:


----------



## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> They will burn out faster and burn much brighter remember you are running 1500ma through 800ma lamps.
> 
> It will be fun watching them flip-out when they start burning out..:laughing::thumbup::laughing:


 
Yeah that and also they are a power hog as well.

And the VHO bulbs are not cheap as well 

Do you guys remember the old Power Groove bulbs ??














I know they are about history now.

Merci,
Marc


----------



## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Outdoorguy said:


> I was wondering what would happen to some HO T12 Flo lamps if they were installed in a fixture that had a VHO ballast?
> 
> I know I read somewhere that if you re-lamp a HO ballasted fixture with VHO lamps then you would only get the amount of light that an HO lamp can produce from the VHO.
> 
> ...


People buy HOs all of the time and put them in VHO or SHO fixtures and then can't figure out why the lamps keep burning out. I can usually spot the VHO fixtures because the sockets are normally a bit taller possibly to accommodate the PG17 powergroove lamps Marc posted a picture of.


----------



## Outdoorguy (Sep 5, 2011)

Vintage Sounds said:


> Are these sign lamps?


No, just standard 8 footers in a warehouse.


----------



## Outdoorguy (Sep 5, 2011)

HARRY304E said:


> They will burn out faster and burn much brighter remember you are running 1500ma through 800ma lamps.
> 
> It will be fun watching them flip-out when they start burning out..:laughing::thumbup::laughing:


That's what I was thinking. I ordered the VHO's so I can get it done right the first time.


----------



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

frenchelectrican said:


> Yeah that and also they are a power hog as well.
> 
> And the VHO bulbs are not cheap as well
> 
> ...


Yeah those are the best lamps ever..:thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

jrannis said:


> People buy HOs all of the time and put them in VHO or SHO fixtures and then can't figure out why the lamps keep burning out. I can usually spot the VHO fixtures because the sockets are normally a bit taller possibly to accommodate the PG17 powergroove lamps Marc posted a picture of.


They used to have those up here man i miss those.


----------



## Outdoorguy (Sep 5, 2011)

The four HO's we put into VHO fixtures, yesterday, two already burned out. That was fast. We bought 4 cases of F96 T12 VHO's. Man, they were expensive.


----------



## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Outdoorguy.,

If you don't mind if you tell us the ballpark the price you get the staight T12 VHO bulbs the last time I have to buy in France was 44 Euros a pop.

For the Power Groves we call them PG17'ers due the bulbs size is larger { pretty rare I get a PG12's } 

BTW the PG17'ers are at 215 watts same as staight T12 VHO unless you got reduced wattage verison which they run about 180 watts or so 

Merci.
Marc


----------



## Outdoorguy (Sep 5, 2011)

frenchelectrican said:


> Outdoorguy.,
> 
> If you don't mind if you tell us the ballpark the price you get the staight T12 VHO bulbs the last time I have to buy in France was 44 Euros a pop.
> 
> ...


For the 4 cases of VHO's (15 lamps per case) and we also purchased (6) 2 lamp VHO ballasts for said lamps, our cost after tax was $861 USD.


----------



## Outdoorguy (Sep 5, 2011)

frenchelectrican said:


> Yeah that and also they are a power hog as well.
> 
> And the VHO bulbs are not cheap as well
> 
> ...


What is the point of the grooves in these lamps? I have never seen such a thing.


----------



## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Outdoorguy said:


> What is the point of the grooves in these lamps? I have never seen such a thing.


 
Ok I will fill you in a bit with this one the reason why they put the grooves in there so they can force the arc to travel longer distance instead straight shot.

Like example I will use the 8 footer lamp which you are famuair with it and with the grooves it will extend the arc longer to like 9 or 10 footer so the manufacter claim it will generated more light per foot.

And there is a nice bonus .,, they make the tube more stiffer so they can not shatter easy as straight tube verison is also pretty much elemated the swriling action when they are on.

IIRC they did came in 4 footer verison that even more rare than 8 footer is.

Merci,
Marc


----------



## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Outdoorguy said:


> What is the point of the grooves in these lamps? I have never seen such a thing.


It give the lamp more surface area.


----------



## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

jrannis said:


> It give the lamp more surface area.


 Those groove lamps were very popular over gas pumps, in the sixties!

I had a bunch in stock for many years, couldn't give them away.

I did not know the reason for the grooves.

Thanks for the info, now that I know, it makes me a more well rounded or *groovy* individual!!!

:laughing::laughing::laughing:


----------



## kbatku (Oct 18, 2011)

Try to sell a retrofit with t8's. The kits go in lickety split & the energy savings (not to mention maintenance costs) will pay for the work in a few years. Up here the POCO (PP&L) will even chip in a percentage of the cost, though the paperwork is excruciating.


----------

