Best Batten?

Any sort of fluorescent Light fittings, lamps, CFLs basically anything that has a fluorescent tube! Any experiments or basically any info or help anyone needs post it here!

What do you think was the best fluorescent batten?

Fitzgerald Lightpack
3
33%
Thorn Popular Pack
0
No votes
G.E.C Europa
5
56%
Crompton Crompak
1
11%
Atlas Superslim
0
No votes
Other (please state)
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 9
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FrontSideBus
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Best Batten?

Postby FrontSideBus » Wed Feb 20, 2019 10:50 am

Was thinking the other day, of the most common fluorescent battens that you see out in the wild so to speak, which is your favourite?

I think I’ve listed the most common players except Tamlite, I’ve left that out on purpose lol, nobody will vote for that anyway :)
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lasagafield
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Re: Best Batten?

Postby lasagafield » Wed Feb 20, 2019 11:32 am

Fitzgerald has to be the winner for me.
Simple fittings, often only in bog standard sizes but made like a lump of Victorian cast iron.
They rarely go wrong and if they do there isn't anything to fix necessarily.
I've never owned a knackered fitzy fitting.
Gotta have me, a good... LASAGA!
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fluorescent
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Re: Best Batten?

Postby fluorescent » Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:56 pm

Specifically from that list I picked the Europa... That being said I like them as much as a Crompack 3 (the 3 being manufactured around the same era). The Thorn Popular Pack with the T12 or oval lamp holders isn't that far behind them IMO.

I would not pick the Fitzy Light Pack, they're OK, but they always seem to have poorer lamp holders than the competition and aren't particularly 'heavy duty' and they seem more rust prone.
Country life, vintage lights and a gin & tonic
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lasagafield
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Re: Best Batten?

Postby lasagafield » Wed Feb 20, 2019 5:22 pm

They're not rock hard but they last.
Seen plenty of bashed about, yellowed and rusted ones but not a knackered one.
Gotta have me, a good... LASAGA!
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Slyspark
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Re: Best Batten?

Postby Slyspark » Wed Feb 20, 2019 11:03 pm

In terms of both quality & design:

1) GEC Europa
2) Thorn pop-pack (70's / 80's versions)
3) Fitzy batten range
4) Philips / Crompton Streamlite (these might have been higher, if not for the fact the gear ALWAYS goes noisy!)
Bad choices make good stories!
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Kev
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Re: Best Batten?

Postby Kev » Wed Feb 20, 2019 11:37 pm

This is tougher than choosing between UKIP and the brexit party for me. But I think for me the Europa has to top it just a well made fitting plenty of steel good spring loaded cover clips just well made I’d say better lamp holders than PPs as they tend to go crispy over time
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Ash
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Re: Best Batten?

Postby Ash » Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:15 pm

Gaash lanterns of the 2nd half of the 80s and early 90s - The 1600 (strip with tombstone sockets), 4400/2000 (Europa), 4400 later version, and Speedpack (similar, but not identical to GEC)

Fitzgerald Lightpack of the early 90s
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FrontSideBus
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Re: Best Batten?

Postby FrontSideBus » Sat Feb 23, 2019 5:46 pm

Interesting, not much love for the old Pop Pack. Must admit an old PP240 is on my wish list.
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AngryHorse
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Re: Best Batten?

Postby AngryHorse » Sun Feb 24, 2019 7:59 am

I have to go with the Europa, it was the one in our kitchen as a kid, that started the interest in lighting for me. ;cheers
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BC5-80
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Re: Best Batten?

Postby BC5-80 » Mon Feb 25, 2019 1:53 pm

Back in the 70s / 80s I always regarded Fitzgerald as a poor man's copy of Thorn pop pack (we're talking T12 era, before the oval spring-loaded lamp holders on Thorn). Whereas the Thorns always had PFC capacitors in 4' upwards, the Fitzgerald offerings were usually the cut-price LPF versions without capacitors more commonly available to non-trade DIY-ers, and I think the lamp holders were a bit more 'plasticy' is a cheap way.

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