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Run-up stages of a GE Miser MaxiLight GE's Miser MaxiLight 55W was the first self-ballasted metal halide lamp ever released on the market. The lamp combines a ballasting/auxiliary tungsten filament and a DC-driven arc tube filled with argon, mercury and iodides of sodium and scandium. These light sources are all in a single glass bulb which is attached to a plastic case which holds the electronic control unit that enables an operation on 120 V mains. The sequence above shows the run-up evolution of the lamp from left to right and from top to bottom, starting with the moment just after ignition on the top left corner, when the arc tube is still cold. The filament is driven in such a way that its light emission compensates for the weak output of the burner during this phase. This solves one of the drawbacks of HID lamps, i.e., the lack of light output in the first few minutes of operation, which prevented the application of the technology in residential lighting, the primary target for the Miser MaxiLight. Keywords: Lamps

Run-up stages of a GE Miser MaxiLight


GE's Miser MaxiLight 55W was the first self-ballasted metal halide lamp ever released on the market. The lamp combines a ballasting/auxiliary tungsten filament and a DC-driven arc tube filled with argon, mercury and iodides of sodium and scandium. These light sources are all in a single glass bulb which is attached to a plastic case which holds the electronic control unit that enables an operation on 120 V mains. The sequence above shows the run-up evolution of the lamp from left to right and from top to bottom, starting with the moment just after ignition on the top left corner, when the arc tube is still cold. The filament is driven in such a way that its light emission compensates for the weak output of the burner during this phase. This solves one of the drawbacks of HID lamps, i.e., the lack of light output in the first few minutes of operation, which prevented the application of the technology in residential lighting, the primary target for the Miser MaxiLight.
_IMG0209.JPG Missy_in_garden_11-09-2006_005.jpg GE-MML-55W-_7906.jpg Christopher.jpg GE_150W_Red_Dichro-Color_PAR38_Flood_Lamp.jpg
Lamp/Fixture Information
Manufacturer:General Electric
Model Reference:Miser MaxiLight 55W #7906
Lamp
Lamp Type:Metal halide self ballasted
Base:E26
Shape/Finish:Octogonal clear
Service Life:5.0 kh
Burning Position:Base down
Electrical
Wattage:55 W
Voltage:120 V
Current:0.46 A
Optical
Lumen Output:2250 lm (initial)
Lumen Efficacy:40.9 lm/W (initial)
Colour Temperature:3200 K
Colour Rendering Index:65 Ra8
Physical/Production
Dimensions:145L x 60Ø mm
Factory Location:Cleveland, OH, USA
Fabrication Date:1983
Application/Use:General lighting
File information
Filename:GE-MML-55W-_7906.jpg
Album name:Max / Misc lamps and lighting
Keywords:Lamps
Filesize:1334 KiB
Date added:19 Sep 2026
Dimensions:1400 x 1400 pixels
Displayed:224 times
URL:https://trad-lighting.net/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=1413
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Comment 1 to 6 of 6
Page: 1

Drew   [Sat 19 Sep 2026 at 15:06]
Very cool, I didn't even know these had tungsten filaments, nor that they ran on DC. I wonder why they would keep the tungsten filament in the circuit after run up instead of simply ballasting it with the electronics. Very cool.
Max   [Sat 19 Sep 2026 at 16:04]
The tungsten filament still operates during full regime because this is part of the current regulation of the MH arc tube. This double role of light emitter and ballast for the filament certainly permitted a simpler electronic circuit for the driver, which was an important design consideration from the point of view of both cost and reliability, especially in the early days of lighting electronics.
Ria   [Mon 19 Oct 2026 at 12:32]
We have a couple of these, one normal and one with a clear envelope, made as a demonstration lamp. They are certainly interesting Bulb Man
Max   [Mon 19 Oct 2026 at 16:50]
I have that pair of lamps too, that's a very rare set!
Ria   [Tue 20 Oct 2026 at 16:00]
The one to get would be the demo lamp with the clear ballast compartment. I saw one on eBay a while back but they wanted stupid money for it Rolling Eyes
Max   [Sat 24 Oct 2026 at 08:17]
I remember that one... the asking price was way too high indeed. Talking about transparent casing, I have a fully transparent variant of the Philips 25W self-balasted CDM lamp that a colleague made years ago. This reminds me that I should post a photo of it here, it's really interesting to see its internal structure (so many things to do...)

Comment 1 to 6 of 6
Page: 1