Thorn 135W SOX 2nd Generation
During the 1950s and 60s Thorn and its predecessors fell behind their competitors in the field of single-ended low pressure sodium lamps. The earliest SO/H types were of course made by BTH and AEI-Mazda, but when the Integral SOI and the IR-Coated SOX ranges were introduced in 1955 and 1964 respectively, the Thorn/Mazda did not follow the lead of their competitors at Philips and Osram-GEC. Possibly this is because the company pioneered its own low pressure sodium concept in the form of the SLI Linear lamps in 1959, and believed in the superiority of that lamp type to the exclusion of the traditional single-ended ranges.

By the late 1960s it became clear that this was a mistake, and Thorn sourced in both SOI and SOX lamps from its competitors at Osram and Philips. It was not until 1972 that Thorn finally realised that it could not afford to ignore the single-ended concept, and set up its own SOX production.

This lamp is representative of Thorn's 2nd generation SOX. Like GEC's first SOX lamps, Thorn copied the Philips design with sodium-retaining dimples. After a few years a cheaper and more robust GEC dimple-free lamp was developed, thanks to a graded film thickness along lamp length. Thorn appreciated the superiority of this concept and also changed to the dimple-free design with graded film thickness. The discharge tube is supported at the U-bend by a small steatite ceramic tube held in a steel support. This avoids electrical contact between the discharge tube and the electrically conductive IR film, which could lead to sodium loss. The other end of the discharge tube is supported by a mica disc. The cap is from Philips-Granus with an Alkyde insulator resin moulded into a nickel plated brass shell.
Manufacturer: Thorn Electrical Industries
Lamp Power: 135 Watts
Lamp Current: 0.95 Amps
Lamp Voltage: 164 Volts
Cap Type: BY22d Alkyde Insulator
Bulb Type: T-65 T-20½ in eighths/inch
Bulb Finish: Clear Soda-lime glass
Electrodes: CCC-4 Beehive Black W + BCT emitter
Arc Length:
Atmosphere: Na | 99% Ne, 1% Ar Outer: Hard Vacuum
Luminous Flux: 21,500 lm (average)
Luminous Efficacy: 159.3 lm/W (average)
Colour Temperature & CRI: CCT: 1700K CRI: Ra -44
Chromaticity Co-ordinates: CCx: 0.574 CCy: 0.425
Rated Lifetime: 6,000 hours
Warm-up & Re-strike time: Approx. 15 minutes Instantaneous
Burning Position: Horizontal ± 20°
Overall Length: 775 mm 30¼ inches
Light Centre Length:
Factory: Leicester England
Date of Manufacture: November 1983 Date Code: 23
Original Value: GB £26.29 (1988)
 
References: 1) Thorn Lighting Comprehensive Catalogue, UK, 1983, p.231
2) Thorn UK Price List, 7th November 1988