Does anyone know if (and when) Osram dropped the green "tree" etch from the Lumilux lamps ? I just received some L18W 840 Lumilux lamps from eBay. They are dated 16-12-14 and they don't have the "tree" green etch, just a standard black etch. The tree appears on the individual lamp sleeves, though. I am kind of disappointed as I like the shape of the tree. Maybe I should have looked for an ecologic version and I got the standard version ?

I bought some 18W/865 36W/865 and 36W/830 recently and they all have the tree etch. I'll post the datecodes below

They are all made in Germany. A while ago i seen elsewhere an Osram 36W/865 from China but iirc that had the tree as well. Whare are yours made ?

Haven't they moved the green tree onto their LED products instead?
I've interpreted the green tree as a marketing BS "the greenest product line" and that position is now occupied by LED's...

In the last few years i came across several Lumilux tubes in both T8 and T5, the tree was always on the T8 but never on the T5HE (despite similar efficiency, of a bit over 100 Lm/W on HF, and the T5 being more efficient). I thought it is due to space for the etch on the thinner tube (and not wanting to make the etch too long)



Updating with date codes of lamps. The code is longer than the familiar Osram "xxx8" codes, and appeas to contain date code and serial number. It is lasered into the PCB isolator in the end cap

All lamps bought at a wholesaler and at a hardware shop at different times - sometimes 1 and sometimes a few at a time, but all within the last 1..1.5 years. I dont know for how long the tubes stayed there before i got them

18W/865
25r4181 423958

36W/865
20r4081 071145
20r4081 171212
20r4081 151953
20r4081 191414
20r1983 372549
5r3481 421527
21r4181 342929

36W/830
3r4681 153172
3r4681 143071

The bus company I'm working in, uses tons of these Osram Lumilux T8 tubes in colour /835 white on the buses. All tubes have the green tree logo on them.

*We group-relamp these bi-pin tubes once per year during the COR session, for the slimline tubes, only EOL tubes will be changed.

I purchased Sylvania full wattage F40 T12 lamps from the local hardware store last week and the tree is on the packaging (but not on the etch). Full wattage lamps, even if exempt from ridiculous bans, are not the "greenest product line". My Osram L18W (Germany) have the tree on the sleeves, though.

Why you relamp once per year tues that can do 5+ years ? O_o

Why you relamp once per year tues that can do 5+ years ? O_o

There is quite a difference between "can do", "do in the average" and "do with less than 2% failures".
The rated life is for 50% failure rate. Good to estimate how many lamps to purchase for spot relamping scheme, but completely unusable for systems, where the relamping needs separate shut down of the site, so where you need to plan group relamping schedule so, there is not too much nonworking lights before the next relaming event. Typically a 2% failure rate is that limit.
If you look at the typical mortality curve of the fluorescents, the 2% failures occurs at less than half of the rated life, so with 24000hour rated tubes you should plan the next relamping latest after 12000 burned hours. And when it means a shut down of the site, you have to plan that to happen together with the existing regular shut down evens (for the machinery maintenance or inspections, factory holidays,...).

Plus there is a big variable in the game: How is the lamp operated? When it is operated 24/7, the 12000hours means a bit more than a year, so once a year period is just right...