News

GE's CMH Bulbs: Bright Light Done Right

The search for environmentally friendly lighting for retail, office, architectural floodlighting, and hotel applications has often proved frustrating for individuals seeking low wattage, high output, and high CRI light sources. Striking this combination of light characteristics has been seldom, that is until now. GE’s CMH PAR20 metal halide HID lamps are truly exciting and wonderful quality efficient light sources. The PAR20 CMH bulbs have 20w energy draws and are rated to last an amazing 12,000hrs. The PAR20 CMH bulbs produce a powerful 1,000lm and feature a 80+ CRI rating to make sure that whatever is being illuminated has its colors faithfully rendered.

BulbAmerica has GE’s CMH PARs in stock as well as their other CMH light sources. Remember that LEDs and CFLs are not the only environmentally friendly option available. Particularly for larger spaces, metal halide lamps are an excellent choice and produce a high quality bright light. As usual leave a comment or question our blog or Facebook. Or, give us a call with your further inquires or place your order today at 1-877-622-0897. Don’t waste any time, starting saving energy and money today.
By Victor Lopez | 18 November, 2014 | bulbs, lights, par20 | 0 comments | Read more

GE's Lucalox Horticultrual Lamps Revolutionize Greenhouse Lighting

By BulbAmerica Editor

With the green revolution taking place in lighting, people are looking for long lasting, more efficient lighting options in all applications. One area where a big push for greener lighting has occurred is in horticultural lighting. GE’s line of Lucalox XOPSL and XO HID horticultural lamps are an excellent and long lasting option for greenhouse lighting. The Lucalox lamps are extremely long lasting, depending on their wattage they can last anywhere between 16,000hrs and 28,5000hrs. GE’s Lucalox lamps are also powerful, producing between 53,675 mean lumens and 106,400 depending on which wattage lamp you choose. The Lucalox series lamps’ long lasting performance and high light output make them equivalent to about five 125w fluorescent lamps or 42 40w four-foot fluorescent lamps, making these HID horticultural lamps a great option for retrofitting your greenhouse with more effective lighting. These lamps emit a light 2,100K reddish light that is ideal for triggering the hormones in plants that make them flower.

GE’s Lucalux horticultural lamps can last an extremely long time, but you must take certain measures to ensure that they operate correctly and otimally. First, try to turn your Lucalox lamps on and off as little as possible; turning it off and then putting it through its re-ignition process will shorten the lamp’s lamp life. Second, make sure that the environment is vibration free, vibration can harm the lamp’s fragile components. Third, and this is true will all lamps requiring ballasts, make sure that the ballast you are using is compatible with Lucalox lamps.

GE’s Lucalox 400w, 600w, and 750w lamps are the new standard in horticultural lighting and have been lauded for their long lasting light and luminous efficacy. BulbAmerica stocks the full Lucalox line as well as other GE lighting products, so be sure to check them out. As usual, leave a question or comment on our blog or Facebook, or call us at 1-877-622-0897 with any further inquiries.
By Victor Lopez | 18 November, 2014 | bulbs, hid, lights | 0 comments | Read more

In the Spot Light #4: Low Pressure Versus High Pressure Sodium Lamps

By BulbAmerica Editor

In the next installment of my ‘In the Spotlight Series’, I will look at low pressure and high pressure sodium bulbs and how they differ. These two lamps have been a source of confusion for some our customers, so let’s get started clearing the air regarding these two lamps. Low pressure sodium (LPS) and high pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs belong to the HID lamp family, which means that they produce light by exciting gasses and vaporized metals with electrical current to sufficiently excite them and produce light. The composition of LPS and HPS lamps is somewhat similar, they both contain a noble gas and solid sodium. HPS lamps may contain additional metals and have a slightly different construction than LPS lamps, but the specifics of these differences are not necessary for the purposes of this article. What really sets LPS and HPS lamps apart is the qualities of their light and the size of their lamps. LPS lamps are known for their very yellow or orange light, these lamps are most commonly used in certain commercial and residential outdoor applications and street lighting. LPS bulbs are widely used because they are very efficient and have a very high luminous efficacy of around 200w/lm. One of the reasons for LPS bulbs’ efficiency is that nearly all of the light produced is easily visible by the human eye, close to zero ultraviolet or infrared light is produced. LPS lamps can be very large, reaching beyond 3.5ft in length. It is for this reason that sometimes streetlights or highway light fixtures are very large.

HPS lamps are used most often in outdoor applications such as street lamps, parking lots, and flood lighting and horticultural applications, where color rendering is not a priority. HPS lamps are efficient as far as HID lamps go, but do not have the quite the luminous efficacy of LPS lamps. Though HPS lamps are not as efficient as LPS lamps, they have excellent light spans with life hour ratings of 16,000 – 24,000 hours and are also typically smaller in size. The higher atmospheric pressure of the HPS lamps allows its contents to be assembled in a smaller lamp, and thus allowing the lamp to be installed in smaller fixtures, making it easier and less cumbersome to install and use. HPS lamps’ color temperatures are typically a yellowish-white light.

BulbAmerica has a great selection of both LPS and HPS bulbs to satisfy your lighting needs. Check out what we have to offer. As always, do not hesitate to leave a comment or question on the blog or give us a call at 1-877-622-0897.
By Corey Frons | 18 November, 2014 | bulbs, hps lamps, light, lps lamps | 0 comments | Read more

In the Spotlight #2: Metal Halide HID Lamps

By BulbAmerica Editor

This article is the second in my ‘In the Spotlight’ series. This article will illuminate metal halide high intensity discharge (HID) bulbs. We have received a lot of questions over the phone and online about what exactly these bulbs are and how they differ from other HIDs, so I will tackle these questions and more in this article. Metal halide lamps are typically used in commercial, theatrical, projection, industrial, and outdoor floodlight applications. Metal halides are a great choice where good color rendering, bright light, and durable lamps are needed. With that in mind, you are probably wondering what the ‘metal halide,’ in metal halide lamps means. To answer this question it is useful to know a little bit about how a metal halide HID lamp works. In a metal halide, electricity ionizes the starting gas (typically argon) and the mercury vapor and vaporizes the metallic material inside the arc tube. The electricity continues to excite the mercury vapor and the vaporized metals inside the tube, producing visible visible light, and reaching full brightness usually under less than a minute. The metals inside are of course the metal halides which allude to a family of metals including sodium, tin, scandium and others. Different metals are chosen by manufacturers to yield different light color temperatures and properties.

Out of all the HID lamps, metal halide lamps probably come in the most shapes and with the most bases. Metal halide lamps come in the familiar PAR shapes and their various sizes and in less familiar shapes like the T4.5s, the ED28, the BD17, and many others. Metal halide lamps are offered in even more base types than they are shape types. From the ubiquitous medium screw E26 and E27 and their bigger brother the mogul screwbase, to the less common RX7S RSC and others, metal lamps come ready to fix into a multitude of fixtures. This fact hints at the numerous applications of the metal halide lamp and suggests how popular a lighting technology the metal halide really is. Equally suggestive of their diversity of application is the fact that metal halide lamps are available in wattages anywhere between 20w and 24,000w.

There you have it: the metal halide HID. If after reading this you realize that the metal halide lamp is right for your needs, check out our comprehensive metal halide lamp offerings. If you are still on the fence, leave a comment or call us at 1-877-622-0897 for further consultation. We are here to help!
By Victor Lopez | 18 November, 2014 | lights, metal halide | 0 comments | Read more

The MSD250: The Best Lamp for Entertainment Lighting

By BulbAmerica Editor

The MSD250 is one of the most widely trusted lamps in theatre, studio, concert, and projection lighting. The MSD250 is a single ended metal halide high intensity discharge (HID) lamp with a GY9.5 two-pin prefocus base. The lamp’s 5mm arc produces a powerful 180,000 lumens and has an impressive life hour rating of 3,000 hours. The MSD250 has proven a popular choice by manufacturers of intelligent lighting fixtures, or automated moving heads, including American DJ, Elation Professional, and others.

Though the Philips’ MSD Broadway series is the most widely recognized line of lamp products like it. Manufacturers including Osram (HSD series) and Platinum, and Silver offer alternative lamps to the Philips MSD250 Broadway that are similar in performance and light characteristics to the MSD250. Platinum and ilver’s MSD250 replacement bulbs have near identical performance to the Philips MSD, but are priced far more reasonably, making them affordable to more venues. Platinum’s MSD replacement is listed at $99.99 and Silver’s is listed at $77.50, compared to Philips MSD250’s price $124.02. We have the entire MSD Broadway lamp line as well as a comprehensive inventory of MSD replacement bulbs. Check it out!
By Victor Lopez | 18 November, 2014 | bulbs, hid, lights, msd | 0 comments | Read more

Xenon Bulbs: A Powerful Lighting Option

With a patient’s life on the line, a surgeon needs a light source he or she can count on. Xenon bulbs are a popular choice among doctors, surgeons, and others in the scientific field due to their excellent color rendering and brightness. The HID xenon light bulbs come in a wide range of wattages (51W-500W) and an equally wide range of lumen output (1,000lm to 13,000lm). Xenon high intensity discharge bulbs work like all other HID bulbs, by sending electrical current through the gas filled enveloped and thus forming an arc of light. In a xenon bulb, the glass envelope is filled with xenon gas. Though xenon bulbs are not the most efficient, they are one of the few bulbs capable of high lumen output while maintaining cool color temperature. Due to their small arc, xenon bulbs offer superior beam control. Using xenon bulbs you can focus the Xenon bulb effectively, making it ideal for microscope use and surgical lighting. Ushio’s VAC line of HID ceramic xenon lamps is particularly exciting. The VAC lamps’ rated life of 1,200 hours coupled with its 6,000lm output make it powerful and a step forward in xenon lighting technology. In addition to surgical and medical applications, ceramic xenon lights can be used in video/data projection and fiber-optic illumination. Xenon light bulbs were, in fact, were first used for film projection and are today still the most popular choice for projector lighting in theaters and movie houses.

The applications of xenon lighting continue to expand. Xenon bulbs are quickly becoming the bulb of choice for automobile headlights and home/office task lighting. Xenon lighting technology is still in its developmental phase but promises to be an even more powerful lighting option in the future.
By Victor Lopez | 12 November, 2014 | automotive, bulbs, hid, lights | 0 comments | Read more

HID Bulbs: More Than Just a Bright Idea

A Purdue University land-use scientist found in 2007 that there are likely more parking spaces in the United States than cars. The scientist found that parking lots in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin amounted to about 490 square miles. Parking lots pose numerous environmental problems. One of the most important is how to light these often large lots efficiently for hours on end every day of the year. Fortunately, there seems to be an environmentally friendly solution: high intensity discharge (HID) light bulbs. 

HID bulbs generate light by discharging electricity from a filament into a gas filled envelope, thus producing light. There are several types of HID bulbs including metal halide bulbs, low/high pressure sodium vapor bulbs, mercury vapor, xenon short arc bulbs, and others. HID bulbs have a high degree of luminous efficacy (a high proportion of luminous flux to wattage) and therefore produce a significant amount of visible light and little heat.HID lights produce so much light in fact, that it is no surprise that they are the bulb of choice for growing plants in indoor gardens.

Metal halide bulbs are particularly popular. With a lifespan of 15,000-20,000+ hours, (nearly 20X the lifespan of an incandescent bulb) and 65-115 lumens per watt the metal halide bulb is among the most efficient. What makes metal halide bulbs the most versatile of the HID bulbs is their 65-90 color rendering index (CRI) score, bringing the metal halide close to the 100 CRI rating of sunlight and close to ‘true’ color. High pressure sodium bulbs, for example, have a CRI score of 20-25, casting whatever the bulb illuminates in a yellow glow. This severely limits the applications of high pressure sodium bulbs. Because metal halides are close to a CRI of 100, they can be used in areas where accurate color is important like inside a kitchen or supermarket. For a bulb that can fill a large place with lots of light efficiently, the HID bulb is a great choice. The luminosity and true color also make the metal halide bulb a popular choice in film and photography where light and color must be rendered accurately. The different types of HID bulbs and the types of fixtures to which they are configured make it a versatile and economic option.

HIDs are versatile and efficient: use them in your kitchen, parking lot, movie set, or greenhouse and you will find that your lighting and energy needs are met.
By Victor Lopez | 12 November, 2014 | bulbs, hid, lights | 0 comments | Read more

Dress Your Home or Office Up With Halogen Candelabra and Globe Light Bulbs

When it comes to decorative light bulbs you have many choices, not only between bulb types but also bulb shapes. By decorative light bulbs I mean bulbs that are fully exposed or partially exposed. Decorative bulbs typically fall within two general families: candelabra and globe shape light bulbs. Though the candelabra family of light bulbs include far more shapes than the globe, the globe shape is very common, especially in bathrooms and theatres. Among the most popular globe shape bulbs is the G25. The G25 is available in halogen and CFL types, allowing you to achieve two very different types of light. Halogen G25s are available in various wattages and come with different types of glass envelopes. Whether you choose a halogen G25 with a crystal or standard glass envelope, your bathroom, theatre, or wherever else you decide to use one will benefit from the bright, elegant light. CFL G25 shapes offer light in 2,700K and 3,000K versions and at a quarter of the wattage of halogen G25 bulbs. Furthermore, CFL G25s will not produce nearly as much heat as a halogen, making them the better choice where you need your space to remain cool. The one downside of CFL G25s is that they do not have the option of the more aesthetically appealing clear glass envelope.

Candelabra bulbs generally refer to a family of shapes including B10, B13, C7, C9, crystallite, flame and more.Candelabras are offered in numerous bulb types including CFLs, LEDs, halogens, and incandescent. As you may or may not know, candelabra bulbs are used in numerous applications from wall sconces, to chandeliers, to electric candelabras, and other applications. Incandescent and halogen candelabras produce similar types of light, though halogens typically last a bit longer. Incandescent and halogen candelabras are still the standard for chandeliers and sconces where an unconventional bulb-shape can be disruptive. Though this may be true, CFL and LED candelabrasfeature outstanding energy savings and produce close to no perceptible heat. Furthermore, Osram’s LED candelabrasfeature color changing which can really liven up any room.

Hopefully this guide to halogen decorative light bulbs has been informative and you now feel confident in choosing the right one for you. In addition to a wide selection of halogen candelabras and globes to choose from, BulbAmerica also has an extensive catalog of LEDs, stage lighting, CFL, medical lighting, MR16s, and automotive lighting products to choose from, so be sure to check them out. As usual, leave us a comment or question on our Facebook or blog, or give us a call at 1-877-622-0897.

By Victor Lopez | 12 November, 2014 | bulbs, candelabra, cfl, g25, globe, halogen, led, lights | 0 comments | Read more

HPL Lamps: A BrightLighting Option for TV and Film Production

High performance lighting (HPL) light bulbs have been one of the most important technological innovations to hit halogen lighting. They were first developed in the 1990s by ETC, in tandem with the development of the Source Four ellipsoidal reflector lamp for the stage lighting and TV/movie production industries and continue to be used in them regularly. HPL lamps are called ‘Source Four’ because they feature four compact tungsten filaments. More recently, long-life HPLs have been developed. Long life HPLs have a longer life hour rating than normal halogen bulb and older HPLs, being able to last up to 1,500 to 2,000 hours as compared to the 200 to 400 hour rating of standard HPLs. 


Among the most common HPL bulb is the HPL 575w lamp, or the HPL575. The HPL 575 has a lumen output range of roughly 12,000lm to 17,000lm, giving it a solid luminous efficacy rating. An important consideration in using, or deciding to use a long life HPL versus a regular HPL is that long life HPLs have a reduced color temperature compared to regular HPLs. Long life HPLs typically have a color temperature of 3,050˚K versus the high 3,250˚K color temperature of regular HPLs. One limitation of halogen bulbs is their inefficiency through their production of large amounts of heat. High amounts of heat also place stress on the bulb and likely contribute to bulb failure. HPLs feature a metal or ceramic heat sink base which reduces much of the heat produced by the bulb.

HPL 575 lamps are one of the go-to bulbs in film and TV production today. They are most often found inside ETC Source Four ellipsoidal fixture, as they were engineered to work them specifically. Regardless of this fact, HPLs continue to be extremely popular and produce a tremendous amount of light while maintaining excellent color rendering. If you are currently looking for a bulb for your film and production needs, look no further than HPLs.
By Victor Lopez | 12 November, 2014 | bulbs, halogen, hpl lamps, lights | 0 comments | Read more

Halogen Bulbs: Burning Bright and White for All Your Needs

Halogen bulbs have long been popular in the home, for outdoor flood lights, automobile headlights, airfields, and many other applications. They are used as alternatives to normal incandescent because they are longer lasting and burn brighter. In a normal incandescent bulb, the filament heats up and produces light as a byproduct of the heating process. As the filament heats up, however, it degrades as its atoms are released into the glass envelope. Halogen bulbs solve this problem. When halogen gas is placed inside the glass envelope, it replenishes the degraded filament. This occurs due to a special property of the halogen gasses. As the halogen gas heats up, it replenishes the filament by depositing the filament’s lost atoms on its surface, thus making the filament’s and the bulb’s life longer lasting through what is called a halogen cycle.

Halogen bulbs are available in a vast range of wattages, from about 5w to 20,000w. Halogens have a correspondingly wide range of lumen output. Halogens come in nearly every socket type available, making them useful in nearly all types of fixtures. The versatility of halogen bulbs is matched by their excellent light quality. Typically, halogen bulbs have a CRI score of 100, meaning their color quality is near identical to that of natural sunlight. Generalizing about halogens is difficult because there are so many different types, brands, wattages, etc. The most common types of halogens out there include the A-line, the halogen PAR, and the bi-pin multifaceted reflector (MR) halogen. A-line halogens look like regular incandescent bulbs and can screw into any socket that an incandescent bulb can. The exterior envelope of the A-line is not actually the bulb; the halogen bulb is actually inside it to ensure protection full the bulb and a cooler bulb exterior. The halogen PAR is a standard PAR can bulb with a tungsten filament, but has its atmosphere filled with a halogen gas. The MR halogen is a small bulb with a concentrated beam perfect for down lighting and track lighting.

Although halogens are more efficient than normal incandescent bulbs, they are not nearly as efficient as CFLs or LEDs. Halogens waste a lot of energy generating heat, and thus get extremely hot and can pose a burn and fire risk.Halogens should always be used with caution and not placed in an area in which a child may touch them or where they could pose a risk of fire. Despite these risks, halogens are safe and effective lights provided they are used carefully. Halogens should be considered if you need bright, white light. We have tons of halogens, check them out today!
By Victor Lopez | 12 November, 2014 | bulbs, cfl, halogen, led, lights | 0 comments | Read more
« Previous 1 … 5 6 7 8 9 … 48 Next »
Recent Posts
Categories