Glossary

From Ukastle Reference Section

Arc Deflector: Allows MA lamps to be operated horizontally

Ballast: Reduces mains voltage to match lamp operating voltage and assists in providing striking voltage to start lamp. Traditionally of magnetic type

BC: Bayonet cap

Bracket: The top of the column, often at right angles to the main tube and of smaller diameter to which a streetlight is attached

CDO-TT: Ceramic Metal Halide lamp in a tubular envelope and Edison Screw cap

CDM: Ceramic Metal Halide lamp in a capsule type envelope with bi-pin connections

Ceramic Metal Halide: Metal Halide lamp with arc tube made of ceramic material

CFL: Compact Fluorescent Lamp

Column: The pole used to mount a streetlight

CosmoPolis: A type of Metal Halide lamp produced by Philips. Requires an electronic ballast

Capacitor: Stores electrical charge, used with a magnetic ballast

Choke: Another word for magnetic ballast

Condensor: Another word for capacitor

CU/Concrete Utilities: Known now as CU Phosco. Used to make concrete columns (no longer made) although they still produce steel columns

Electronic ballast: Uses electronic components to provide the same functions as a traditional ballast

ES: Edison Screw

ESLA: A type of vintage and obsolete lantern that used incandescent lamps and mirrors

Fluorescent: Light source produced by an electric arc exciting a phosphor material on the inside of a tube or bowl. The excited phosphor emits visible “white” light

Gear: Ballast, PFC and ignitor

GES: Giant Edison Screw

GLS: General Lighting service. A type of incandescent bulb

HF: High Frequency

Hockey Stick: A style of column (and bracket) with a right angle at the top which looks similar to a hockey stick

Ignitor: A component that produces the high voltage to strike a SON or SOX lamp

Incandescent: Light produced by a glowing filament

Leak gear: Type of magnetic ballast for SOX lamps that requires no ignitor. Still used but now obsolete

LED: Light Emitting Diode. A semiconductor device that emits light

Luminaire: Another word for streetlight

MA: Low pressure mercury discharge lamp. Normally operated vertically. See also arc deflector. Lamp type obsolete

MBF: High pressure mercury discharge lamp. F donates “fluorescent”. Lamp is in glass envelope with a fluorescent coating on the inside. Light is a warmer white than MBU or MA

MBU: High pressure mercury discharge lamp. U donates “universal” operating position. Lamp is in clear glass envelope. Lamp type obsolete

Mercury: Type of discharge lamp using mercury

Metal Halide: Type of discharge lamp that produces a white light

Minicell: A device used to automatically turn on a streetlight at dusk and off at dawn, a smaller version of the photocell

MH: Metal Halide

NEMA: National Electrical Manufacturers Association. A standard socket often fitted to the top of lanterns to connect a photocell

Petit Jean: A French column manufacturer that produced an octagonal section steel column

PFC: Power Factor Correction capacitor, compensates for reactive load of magnetic ballasts

Photocell: A device used to automatically turn on a streetlight at dusk and off at dawn which plugs into the NEMA socket on a lantern

PL-L: Type of linear compact fluorescent tube

Post Top: Method of mounting a streetlight so that the lantern is mounted directly to the column with no bracket, with the column tube entering the bottom of the lantern

Quartz Metal Halide: Metal Halide lamp with arc tube made of quartz material

Refractor ring: Often made of glass with facets and prisms and used to intensify the light within a lantern

Side entry: Method of mounting a streetlight where the bracket enters from the side of the lantern

SLI: Linear sodium lamp, type of low pressure sodium lamp with bi-pin connections at either end. Produces monochromatic yellow light. Lamp type obsolete

SolarColour: GEC Osram trade name for SON

Solar Dial: A type of timeswitch that automatically compensates for the different times of sunset and sunrise through the year

SO/SOH: Obsolete type of low pressure sodium lamp with removable arc tube in an outer double walled vacuum tube

SOI: Development of SOH lamp with arc tube fitted inside a sealed outer envelope. Lamp type obsolete

SON: High pressure sodium vapour lamp, straight arc tube in a tubular or bulbous outer envelope fitted with an ES or GES cap at one end. Produces a peach to orange colour light

SON-E: SON lamp with elliptical outer bulb with an internal fluorescent coating

SON-I: SON lamp with an internal ignitor

SON-T: SON lamp with clear tubular outer envelope, usually referred to as just SON

SOX: Low pressure sodium vapour lamp with U shaped arc tube within an outer clear tube fitted with a bayonet cap at one end. Produces monochromatic yellow light

SOX-E: Type of SOX lamp which operates at lower currents to reduce power consumption

SOX+/Plus: Type of SOX lamp with longer life than standard SOX

Stanton: A manufacturer of columns often in concrete. Later know as Stanton and Staveley. No longer exists

Stainton: A manufacturer of steel columns. Still exists

Stewarts & Lloyd: A manufacturer of steel columns. No longer exists

Swan neck: A type of bracket which is curved like the neck of a swan

T5: A type of fluorescent tube 16mm in diameter

T8: A type of fluorescent tube 25mm in diameter

T12: A type of fluorescent tube 38mm in diameter

Timeswitch: A mechanical or electronic clock used to turn on and off streetlights

Top Entry: Method of mounting a streetlight where the bracket enters from the top of the lantern

Turtle: A “nickname” applied to the Thorn Alpha 3 and a GEC range of lanterns