Gorgeous colour! I don't think the 700w was particularly popular over here as the correct ballasts are almost impossible to find.

very much so its a shame about the Decay/scan line right through the middle of the lamp, not much I can do about that due to the CMOS sensor in my "Camera" *cough* iPad *cough* Yeah 700W Mercs seem to be uncommon all round (granted thorns version of a proper ballast of UK spec 700W MV lamps is just a 250W+400W MV Choke in parallel!), but from what collectors in the US have told me they where even rarer over there then here, just finding the Lamps over there is something let alone finding the ballasts to light one BTW if anyones wondering the bulb shape is BT46

Yes I find that phone/tablet cameras are rubbish at taking photos of lit lamps and always do this. However a regular digital camera seems to work just fine so I now stick to using that as the scan lines really bug me.

Nice start up here, yes it a very uncommon mercury lamp here.