Hi,

I would like to buy an HPS lamp for indoors, as deep yellow as possible, and as low power as possible. Ideally in a not flickering configuration. As far as I know, there are some HPS lamps that come close to SOX in color.

What are my choices, and what kind of equipment do I need to run such a lamp?

Many thanks!

If you are in the US, I have an EYE Sunlux (Philips made) 50w medium base that’s brand new but defective (I assume it lost vacuum), in that it doesn’t warm up past SOX color and draws well under 50w. It doesn’t flicker. I don’t know if running it would be damaging to ballasts over time, but I’ve seen a fixture in a parking lot last many years in that state.

I’ve kept it as a curiosity, but I’d be willing to send it for just the cost of shipping. If you’re elsewhere than North America, it would be hard to find a ballast to run this.

Alternatively, finding a mercury-free HPS lamp will give you one that has more of a yellow color. I’ve never definitively seen one in the US but they were not uncommon in Europe. Another option would be using a higher wattage HPS lamp than the ballast/fixture is designed for, which would run the lamp at a more yellow color…not really good for it in regular use, but for special effects once in a while it’s probably ok.

I’ve had some regular Philips and Sylvania lamps brand new that seem to be more yellowish…GE lamps on the other hand tend to be more gold or pinkish (which I prefer), maybe due to their external amalgam design.

I’ve kept it as a curiosity, but I’d be willing to send it for just the cost of shipping. If you’re elsewhere than North America, it would be hard to find a ballast to run this.

Thank you very much arcblue, that's very generous of you! I live in Europe though, and I guess it's best for me to find something that I can buy in the shops here.

Do you know if there are any HPS lamps with less than 50 W at all, or is that the minimum requirement to get them hot enough to operate? And is there an easy way to tell apart the yellow lamps from the white lamps?

I believe there was a thread on here about Japan market SON lamps in the 25/30??? range