Hellux LRF 300 - 58W fluorescent (low pressure mercury vapor) streetlight fixture from the 2000's

These fixtures were common in the northern part of (west) Germany. They use the T8 58W U-shaped fluorescent tube that was only popular in West Germany, but nowhere else. This fixture also existed in a longer 2x40W T12 (36W T8) version and also with several versions of PL-L compact fluorescent lamps. It is still in pretty good shape, let's turn it on!

[@username4441]

lookin good

[@mercuryvaporglow5317]

Thank you, there will be more fluorescent fixture videos coming! :)

[@worldwidehidcollectorusa3519]

I find it interesting to see this lantern being labeled “LRF” because I know that Poland refers to their yttrium vanadate phosphor mercury vapor lamps as “LRF” too.

[@mercuryvaporglow5317]

Yes, actually I had the same thought. ;) it is however obviously only a funny coincidence, as it is a West German fixture.
LRF in Polish stands for "Lampa rtęciowa fluorescencyjna", which means fluorescent mercury lamp. :)

[@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305]

@@mercuryvaporglow5317 in the states we just call em florescent lights.. no low pressure mercury vapor or anything like that

[@mercuryvaporglow5317]

@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 They are fluorescent indeed :) Technically however, fluorescent tubes are low pressure mercury vapor lamps. :)

[@thestreetlightchannel3945]

i have the hellux lrb303 with 1x tl-d 18w

[@mercuryvaporglow5317]

TL-D 18W perfectly fits in this fixture, however, 1x18W isn't much power for street lighting, i would expect at least 2x18W ;)

[@thestreetlightchannel3945]

@@mercuryvaporglow5317 i also found a 2x 20w tl-s hellux fixture

[@mercuryvaporglow5317]

@@thestreetlightchannel3945 in later years they also made pl-l versions;)

[@thestreetlightchannel3945]

@@mercuryvaporglow5317 we still have these fixtures here

[@mercuryvaporglow5317]

@@thestreetlightchannel3945 There isn't much pressure to remove PL-L, because these are still really efficient :)

[@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305]

Doesnt look like any t8 bulb ive seen.. looks more like a compact florescent light bukb we used here in the states for fish tanks and such.
Im suprised they used this for street lights though. Ive never seen florescents used for street lights in the states.. we all used HID. Only inside buildings. Or aquarium lighting or workshops were t8s used.
And t5 oddly never took off like it should have.

[@mercuryvaporglow5317]

That's interesting! In Europe in the 50's up to the 70's the T12 40w tubes were a popular lighting source for smaller streets. Later all countries excluding west Germany switched to HID lighting, but West Germany continued using fluorescent and there are still very many streets there lit up by preheat fluorescent fixtures to this day. Also, they used this U-shaped tubes that are common only in West Germany, nowhere else. :)

[@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305]

@@mercuryvaporglow5317 honestly i still prefer t12 for interior lighting. Or t8 etc. Over LED.
Every big retailer building that has switched to leds.. it seems darker inside them now like they used underpowered leds.
And LED interfears with radio signals. I have 4 8ft shop lights in my barn in the workshop area. And they were all t12.s all burned out bad ballasts but one. So i bought 1 new ballast and kept two 8ft t12 fixtures. And replaced the other 2 with lithuania 8ft shop lights. I believe theyre like 74 watts. Theyre i believe 9000 lumens ? The t12s. I found they aparently still make them ? Anyway i found 60w GE bulbs. They claim 5900 lumens each. So 11800 together. Honestly the led seem brighter even though theyre only 9000. However my t12s arent using reflectors i imagine with the reflector sheilds back on itll double in light output. This is the thing if there is a t12 bulb thats 98 lumens pet watt... with a reflector that could near double. Lets say 75%. Thats 160-170 lumens per watt of light outout.. How is a directional led at 120 lumens per watt gonna compete with that ??
Now the kicker is radio.. when im working on my cars.. i turn the radio on and i hear static on all channles. If i turn the shop lights off.. static is gone. Turn the t12 on only static is still gone. Turn the led on and static comes back.
So im going to buy two more t12 ballasts for the other fixtures and put 4 more 60w bulbs in those and move the leds to the other side of the barn.
I noticed with LED head lights on carsas well there is radio interferance.
Which makes me wonder are all the building led, street leds, that are being put up to replace HID lamps hurting cell phone or radio or satalite signals.

[@mercuryvaporglow5317]

@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 Unfortunately, in Europe T12 is banned and no longer available and if so only with poor color rendering Ra

[@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305]

@@mercuryvaporglow5317 yea my t12s are instant start. Near full brughtness the moment you flick the light on. They do still warm up but not noticable. The t12 that died were from the 60s with ballasts that look like giant bricks and weight 10 lbs. Lol.
They still power 1 bulb but not two.. almost wondered if i couldve repaired them ? but i guess it isnt worth it over a new ballast for 20$.
Im not sure if t12 is still made or not.. All i know is in every hardware store we still have tons of them everywhere.
Yes the 60w GE light i got is a cool white color. A little more yellow than the pure white LED.

[@mercuryvaporglow5317]

@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 I would just change the ballasts and continue using the fluorescents, using them in the garage for a few hours a week probably won't cost a lot more than LED. :)