AC Ford AC 850

Lantern acquired in May 2006.

This AC 850 is brand-new and was ordered directly from AC Ford - I received it on Thursday, 11th May 2006. The range of lanterns made by AC Ford has always been quite small, and at the time of writing it only consists three lanterns - the 850, the 888 (which is the top-entry version of the 850), and the 730. The 850 is a gear-in-head lantern, which is surprising as it is quite small and compact. Despite this, it is not a particularly common lantern, probably due to larger manufacturers being called upon by lighting contractors when new lanterns are ordered.

A polycarbonate refractor bowl surrounds the lamp; only the two side portions are clear.

The position for a NEMA socket is indicated by the five indentations on the front of the canopy.

As the lantern is unused, the polycarbonate bowl is still clear; in service, this would discolour over time due to the absorption of UV rays emitted by the lamp.

The lantern's supply cable enters through a small inlet above the lamp. The control gear is housed in an upper section of the lantern, above the lamp.

Removing the four screws that secure the canopy reveals the ballast and capacitor.

The inside of the canopy is unpainted.

I always think this type of lantern is very suited to being fitted on a wall bracket - it brings out the 'old' style quite well.

A rare sight: an AC 850 running a mercury lamp with a completely transparent bowl! Surprisingly, the bowl refractors are not particularly effective at diffusing the light output.

Lantern warm-up video:

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