Manfacturer: General Electric Co.
The neat vintage mercury lamp shown here is the rare GE H-2 250 watt mercury vapor lamp. It was related to the H-1 400 watt mercury lamp, the H-1 is similar to the MA/V shown in the HID lamps section on this website. Unlike the H-1 400 watt lamp, this particular lamp does not have an outer bulb. So it was not ideal for applications where strong air drafts would blow onto the bulb during operation; affecting lamp peformance. An H-2 lamp with an outer bulb also exist, and is similar physically to the H-1 but a little bit shorter. This lamp really is a bit of a mystery, since it is not known what kind of glass the arc tube was made of, but I would presume it was made of aluminosilcate glass. It is also not known which application this lamp was used in, although I would not expect it to be used in streetlighting much. The H-2 is much rarer than the H-1 lamp, and is highly sought by bulb (especially HID) and streetlight collectors. Anyway, enjoy the photos, especially the close ups of the electrodes; an interesting design! Also, the lead wire leading to the top electrode is actually covered with a glass tube; presumely to avoid shorting out with the arc stream.
Lamp: H-2 Mercury Vapor
Wattage: 250 watt
Starting Voltage: 240 volts (?)
Operating Voltage: 130 volts
Ballast Type: H-2
Color Temperature: -
CRI: -
Light Output: -
Bulb: T-9 1/2
Finish: Clear
Base: E-26s Brass Medium Base
Class: -
Filament: -
Lamp Life: 2,000 hours
Manf. Date: October 1952
Country of
Orgin: USA
