# Identifying a light bulb/rod



## sushi (Mar 24, 2014)

Hi. Just making a post here in hopes someone can help me identify this bulb, or help me find something that would match it. I've been searching a a light bulb from an old lamp for my grandmother and great aunt. It's a thin screw in bulb that's 13-3/4" long. Just under half an inch in diameter. It seems to be a plastic tubing made up of 10 small bulbs/diodes strung together on the inside. I had gone to a specialty bulb shop and was told it was custom made.


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## broadgage (Mar 25, 2014)

Yes it certainly looks custom made.
More information needed, voltage, wattage, intended application/ how much light needed.

Looks like miniature incandescent bulbs, not diodes. Given enough data, it should be possible to make something similar


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## FRITZHID (Mar 25, 2014)

Yes, that is a custom, special application bulb. An equivalent bulb would be fairly easy to build as long as voltage, current and thermal requirements are adhered to. Usecautionif switching to an led model, if I had to guess, I'd say that bulb uses 10 12v mini incandescent bulbs to equal 120v and are probably AC.... LEDs don't like AC.


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## Ken_McE (Apr 3, 2014)

If you can get the base off you can rebuild it, just replace the bulbs. Or go over to the sales section, see if you can hire someone to make a duplicate.

Is the lamp as neat as the bulb?


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## yuandrew (Apr 3, 2014)

I remember Feit Electric used to make an exit sign lamp that had little bulbs in it like that but it was only 5 inches long. Here's a similar item from BulbRite Industries

http://www.bulbrite.com/products_en_5_46_110_0_0-T6-1-2.php


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## jrhere (Apr 28, 2014)

HELLO....... WOW WHAT A COINCIDENCE..........I AM LOOKING FOR THE EXACT SAME LIGHT BULB............I HAVE A PAIR OF TABLE LAMPS AND EACH REQUIRES TWO OF THESE BULBS.......I HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS IN FINDING THESE BULBS.............ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED


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## sushi (Dec 9, 2016)

jrhere said:


> HELLO....... WOW WHAT A COINCIDENCE..........I AM LOOKING FOR THE EXACT SAME LIGHT BULB............I HAVE A PAIR OF TABLE LAMPS AND EACH REQUIRES TWO OF THESE BULBS.......I HAVE HAD NO SUCCESS IN FINDING THESE BULBS.............ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED



I imagine you may have the same lamp we do. It's rectangular and looks chandelier like with glass rods.



Ken_McE said:


> If you can get the base off you can rebuild it, just replace the bulbs. Or go over to the sales section, see if you can hire someone to make a duplicate.
> 
> Is the lamp as neat as the bulb?



Not sure if you meant neat, as in interesting, but I think its pretty and my grandmother is quite fond of it. It's in quite good condition, but I tried to find markings and I don't remember seeing anything. I'll have to try again.



broadgage said:


> Yes it certainly looks custom made.
> More information needed, voltage, wattage, intended application/ how much light needed.
> 
> Looks like miniature incandescent bulbs, not diodes. Given enough data, it should be possible to make something similar



The silver cap has a marking "20 A" but I couldn't imagine why the info would be molded into a plastic end cap. The bottom cap just says **USA** unless the person soldered over it. 

There's one red wire that comes from the inner bottom of the base cap. and ties in 6 little bulbs up. the second red wire comes from outside the enclosure touching the upper ring of the base cap, ties in with the first bottom bulb, then goes all the way to the top bulb. Other than that, the bulbs go end to end. Two prongs out of each. That one red wire ties in on the join between bulb 5 and bulb 6.

(The weirdest thing is happening, but I can't seem to use spaces on one specific line in the text entry box.)


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## sushi (Dec 10, 2016)

I've learned a bit more. I believe these are them. They're a Gaetano Sciolari design manufactured by a company called Liteline. I guess I'll see about contacting them to see if they have any information or back records on the design.


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## Ken_McE (Dec 11, 2016)

_Not sure if you meant neat, as in interesting, but I think its pretty and my grandmother is quite fond of it._

*Admires picture*

Your Grandmother clearly has good taste.


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## Subterrestrial (Dec 17, 2016)

sushi said:


> I've learned a bit more. I believe these are them. They're a Gaetano Sciolari design manufactured by a company called Liteline. I guess I'll see about contacting them to see if they have any information or back records on the design.


Oh man, that design! Very 70s looking, I like it.


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