[JeffKraem]

Hi all,

I collect carbon arc lamps and I have run into something id like to share. I dont know much about old radios and im not sure if ive posted in the right on the forum but some may want to see this. About two months ago I purchased four arc lamps and in this collection is a very rare Helios lamp. As many here may know, Helios Electric Company was the very beginning of Philco. I have never seen nor heard of a Helios arc lamp in existence until one popped up online in a small collection.

The lamp is an open-arc (meaning no inner globe; only the large outside globe) series AC lamp. This lamp was used in 'series' with other lamps on the circuit being regulated by a constant current transformer running at usually 110-220-volts between 25-110 cycles. It dates to about 1890 and is it beautiful condition with almost every part intact. A few of the interior parts such as the asbestos-covered wires, now-uninsulated coils, and nickel-electroplated pieces will need to be refurbished accordingly. I am missing a vital part and maybe more; the lower carbon holder! How this lamp operated, which is electromagnetically interesting, is by maintaining the distance between both the lower and upper carbon rods rather then only the upper. This extended the life of the lamp up to twice that of moving only the upper rod. The opalescent globe on this original and in perfect shape!

The ultimate goal is to get this baby operational through proper restoration and preservation of whats here. I can reach this goal but am looking for any old Helios Electric Company catalogs or part drawings to fabricate the broken or missing components. I know its a long shot that any paper material is surviving apart from a few general Helios lamp catalogs online but I thought id give this forum a go. Just a side note as well: If anyone knows someone who can do custom glassblowing and make a lamp globe such to spec as the ones shown please do give me their contact. I have business for them.

Looking forward to hearing thoughts and to see if anyone knows of other examples still in existence!

First image is of the four lamp group. The Helios unit is the largest piece on the far right.
Second and third images are of the carbon holder.
More images to be posted when I can get them. The lamps are held by a friend in Washington at the moment as I couldnt risk damage from motion in shipping.

[morzh]

Just don't look at it when operating it.

[TV MAN]

So, I am curious, do these work something like an arc welder? That is, makes light via a spark?

[morzh]

Tim

Arc is arc, whether welding or in a lamp. And, arc is not a spark. Spark is electrical field discharge (high V/m values with no initial current, which is a dielectric breakdown) and arc is a high current that first gets established through say an inductance and then it sustains itself with the conductor interrupted through the hi-temp ionization.

So it is the same type as in welding.

[Chas]

In the early 50's these were just being removed from the city of New Bedford MA. I remember them distinctly hanging on Kempton street. Some, for years (unused) while a new incandescent was nearby. Back then, the local power company maintained them. I have seen bits of fixtures at yard sales but that was 50ya.

Going to be tough to find the bits. I would suggest making acquaintance or trying to reach former city employees or municipal electrical workers. At the age of these lamps many such folks are deep into retirement. However, like many of us collectors, find these gadgets interesting and may have taken some home I can imagine them resting in a dusty cellar or garage loft waiting to be discovered...

For example, a local, once had a sodium fixture from the George Washington Bridge illuminating the front of his garage...

This is just as tough as collecting police call boxes, fire alarm boxes, fire plugs and vintage man-hole covers...

Chas

[morzh]

Chas

If bits are made of carbon rods (in some lamps they are) those could possibly be found in physics school lab supplies.

[JeffKraem]

Detroit converted their entire street light system from arc lamps to incandescent fixtures by gutting the lamps and refitting them with new parts. The whole death of the arc lamp seemed to go away within a few years! I surprised to hear you remember one actually hanging up!