Fitzgerald (Light Ring) Bulldog

Acquired in May 2020.

This version of the Bulldog is somewhat older than the bulkhead already in the Collection is; however, as it is not designed for direct attachment to a surface, it cannot be classed as a bulkhead. It appears to have never been installed, perhaps because of its unusual connection requirements.

This Bulldog is much the same in design as the later type is, except that this version has a bayonet connector emerging from its top section. This is believed to be factory-fitted, and may have been designed for use in porches, with the whole assembly attaching to a ceiling-mounted batten lampholder.

The bayonet connector takes up the central cable entry slot. Again, because of its presence, connecting additional cables through the other slots would be difficult.

The refractor prisms moulded into the fitting's bowl do a good job of breaking up the position of the single 6 Watt fluorescent lamp.

Removing the bowl reveals that the lamp is positioned diagonally, owing to the fitting being too short to accommodate it horizontally.

The Sylvania lamp was produced in February ( -..... ) 1984 ( / .. ) at the now-closed factory in Shipley, Yorkshire.

The Thorn-made starter switch carries "Light Ring" branding; the original name for Fitzgerald Lighting. It too dates from 1984, but was made in the April of that year.

Two nuts on the reflector / gear tray are removed if access to the wiring is required. These locate on plastic threads that screw into two of the turrets used in supporting a lampholder bracket on versions running a GLS lamp. Two cables emerge from the bayonet connector and terminate into a block located behind the ballast (notice that the neutral wire has become disconnected). From there, the ballast, lamp and starter are wired in series. There is no means of providing an earth connection - I suppose that the thinking was that the metal gear tray and ballast are surrounded by the plastic casing under normal operation.

Once powered up, the starter glowed for a few seconds, before the lamp struck first time.

The lamp's position is more obvious through the diffuser when powered up.

Testing with my energy monitoring device revealed the following results; the low Power Factor being the result of no capacitor being connected:

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