Just searched the message boards and there is a lot of contradicting information. I have heard of the following HPS lamp types, some of which have been claimed to have non-cycling behavior:
- Mercury Free HPS
- High xenon pressure HPS
- Unsaturated HPS
- Regular HPS

What are the characteristics of these lamps? Which ones cycle and which ones don't? How do I identify them?

All of the HPS street lights near me are mercury-blue colored when they first strike, but my Ignitron lamp is white when it strikes. So obviously there are at least two types of HPS that are distiguishable by startup behavior.

What are these lamps marketed as? I have heard of Philips Alto non-cycling HPS lamps, what category do they fall under? Never knew there were so many different types.

Are unsaturated lamps ever used outside of retrofit lamps?

Also do these lamps have anything to do with the whole HPS CWA compatibility mystery? (they say that saturated HPS retrofit lamps are incompatible with CWA MV ballasts, yet HPS CWA ballasts exist)

Thanks!

Something was rubbing against it...

What caused them?

It is true, the aluminum is more than double the conductivity of copper per conductor weight (not cross section, really weight), also way cheaper, but these aspects are not that significant on thinner wires. There the surrounding accessory (the insulation, restriction to the cable assembly materials to prevent corrosion, more care so more expense needed for termination,...) either cost the same or even is more expensive with aluminum, so if the material/weight savings are not substantial, it does not make much sense.

Regardless of the exact composition, aluminum are all more prone to oxidation and creep problems. The improved composition made them less severe, but compare to copper, they are still there. And some of the ways how to address these problems means more expensive terminal designs.
Now these problems affect mainly thinner conductors, the thicker the thing is, more resistant it becomes. So for relatively thin home installations they are way too much problem vs how much cost and weight savings it may offer vs copper, or the fixes for the aluminum problem become relatively expensive (big part of the extra termination cost to fix the aluminum problems does not depend on the size/rating of the connection, so for low current ones becomes pretty expensive). But for higher current, thicker conductors have inherently less problems to start with, plus the amount of material in question becomes so much it starts to make sense to invest into the more complex connection solutions.

And this is reflected in the standards - aluminum is allowed only 16mm^2 and above (AWG6 and thicker)

For normal home 16A circuit installation the 2.5mm^2 of copper is used (4mm^2 was used with Al),
that in the equivalent 4mm^2 Al, was and in older installations still is causing permanent headaches with connection resistance faults.

Only the main feed and distribution lines, generally significantly thicker than the 16mm^2, are still installed and used with aluminum without any problems. But the important differentiator is the conductor size.

If aluminum have more electrical conductivity than cooper, why most ballast wires are made from cooper and why most electrical cables are made from cooper?

@RRK
Good to know, I'll look out for that from now on

@Laurens
That is true I suppose, wiring cost is relatively small

@Medved
I did not consider that those problems would be worse with smaller gauges that does make sense. Interesting how you have a minimum conductor size for aluminum use there.

We have strong eastern winds of 60km/h for several days ago, alongside with heat wave and now, the heat wave has been ended with moisture haze: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjLty8lDfJ4
Edit: that so low visibility:

Hello,

Recently I've been finding out from Philips fixture from which Country they originally Originate from, for example, The HGS201 from Greece Philips, Philips Malaga 1 from France Philips, bla bla bla
...

I just wanted to know where do these fixtures originally come from, as I just cannot find out:

-Philips Sgs203 and Sgs204:

-Philips Trafficvision

-Philips Malaga 2 (Sgs103, Sgs104)

-Philips Iridium (it's either France Or Poland, but not sure)


Any answer would be helpful 👍

Why Eu:YPV isn't used in CFLs and triphosphors fluorescents instead of the red Eu:YOX? Yttrium vanadate have better red emission than Eu:YOX.

Though, No one would probably miss me if I left, a unpopular guy who's interested in a part of lighting who no one really much cares about...

Nah don’t say that! You are one of the coolest on this site! I mean, more people like Polish than Belgian! Plus if you left I would be very sad, to be honest I would be sad if anyone left, one of the reasons why I created this post, but I’d be extra sad for you especially!   

If Micheal or I would be missed you would be missed that’s basically how I would put it.

TBH if I the shadow Rhombaloux with the Yellow background were to disappear from the site, I’m not going to be as missed Micheal because he’s been on here way more than a year!