Thorn Beta 2

Lantern acquired in April 2005.

This lantern is brand new, but isn't one that was found in the disused storeroom - it was in-line to be installed whenever a new 55 Watt lantern was required; however, the lighting policy at the City Council changed in the meantime (April 2005) - the change being that SOX was not to be installed any longer - instead, all new lanterns were to be WRTL Arcs running metal halide or SON lamps, and so the Beta 2 was no longer required. Before this very sudden change, Beta 2s were used frequently to replace failed 55 Watt lanterns in the City area, as this shows; thus, they were very common.

Aside from the difference in length between the Beta 2 and 5, both lanterns are identical in appearance.

Having never been used, the lantern's canopy is still very shiny. The NEMA socket is mounted slightly off-centre, which can be hard to see from the ground.

The refractors underneath the bowl do a good job of breaking up the shape of the lamp.

With the bowl removed, the lamp is much easier to see. An identification label affixed to the reflector alongside the lamp support states that the lantern was made during Week 19 of 2003 (the 5th - 11th May).

The gear is well spread out due to the length of the tray. The ballast was loose when I first hinged the tray open, but it was soon sorted.

The lantern was mounted to an AC Ford AC872 wall bracket on Friday, 19th August 2005.

It was then powered up on Sunday, 28th August.

Lantern warm-up video:

Thorn Alpha 9 | Disano Sella 1

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