# GE-4556 available again!



## japudjuha (Apr 6, 2014)

The venerable 4556 seems to be available again on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007XKW8UK/?tag=cpf0b6-20

Just wondering if this is legit or not.

Does anyone have any experience with this seller?


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## BVH (Apr 6, 2014)

The description fits but the pic doesn't. It should show a flatter and non-diffused glass window.  Would probably take a call to them to verify. Good find.


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## japudjuha (Apr 11, 2014)

I made contact with the seller and its actually Norman Lamps Inc.
They said its identical to the GE 4556, screw terminals single filament, clear lens and all.

I thin I'm going to order one.
can someone with a GE4556 please post some pics of one so I know what I am looking
at.
THANKS!
James


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## BVH (Apr 11, 2014)

Here ya go.

Filament





Profile in a light host





Raw lamp profile - this is of a Q4559X but the profile is the same.





Clear lens - again, it's the Q-Lamp but the lens is the same.


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## japudjuha (Apr 11, 2014)

Thanks BVH


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## japudjuha (Apr 16, 2014)

Well, I ordered a 4556 from Norman Lamps. 
I have been assured it is identical to the old GE-4556. 
When it arrives here in OZ, I will post some pics. 


Hopefully this will end up being the real deal!


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## japudjuha (Apr 29, 2014)

The 4556 arrived today, and pending a test, THE 4556 IS BACK!













I got this from Norman Lamps for US$28.75

http://www.normanlamps.com/product_info.php/products_id/6288

I am going to swap the QX lamp in my first LK14

To have a 600w and a 1000w.


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## BVH (Apr 29, 2014)

Got one coming next week. LarryK has his already.


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## Mr. Tone (Apr 30, 2014)

Nice find, let us know how it performs.


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## japudjuha (May 6, 2014)

I have fitted the 4556 to one of my LarryK’s

I can confirm that it is 1000w, and easily plug and play with Jimmy’s fantastic regulator.
 I measured 1250watts (+/-) overdriven at 30v compared to [email protected] for the Q4599X. That's 41.5 amps!!
 Nice to able to brag that I have a 1.2kW handeld!
 
 Even though the lamp is nearly double the LK14’s 650w, it’s not twice as bright.
 The beam is slightly wider than the Q4559X as well as being and circular instead of 16:9.
 Like this:
 
 


 
 The 4556 is also brighter than the 600w. It might be somewhere close to 20-25K lumens, but given that the beam is larger, the CP isn’t that much, if at all, greater.
 You end up with one very big, super bright hot spot.
 
 


 
 It’s almost a shame you can’t adjust the focus of the filament to further collimate the light, even so the sheer volume of light is amazing.
 
 I was initially underwhelmed by the output. But just having finished my HID & 64663 Hyperblitz’s,
 I guess that desensitised me somewhat. 
 I love my Polarion but this makes the PH40 look like a candle.
 Whats next? 
 
 
 The twins 4556 on left, Q4559X on right.


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## Mr. Tone (May 7, 2014)

That's a whole lot of incan. lumens .........


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## japudjuha (May 9, 2014)

Haha yeah.
I ceiling bounce tested it last night and I squinted hard from how much it lit the room up.
It really is laugh out loud bright.


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## Smood (May 9, 2014)

japudjuha said:


> Haha yeah.
> I ceiling bounce tested it last night and I squinted hard from how much it lit the room up.
> It really is laugh out loud bright.



Can you give us some beam shots? Thanks


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## japudjuha (May 9, 2014)

I hope to get some done soon


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## Mr. Tone (May 9, 2014)

japudjuha said:


> Haha yeah.
> I ceiling bounce tested it last night and I squinted hard from how much it lit the room up.
> It really is laugh out loud bright.



:naughty:


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## BVH (May 18, 2014)

Interesting and bad news for me a least.....My Norman 4556 is consuming 22.6 Amps at 28.00 Volts (at the terminals) for a blistering 632.8 Watts. I hooked up a 4559x at the same time and the increase in current flow to 45.6 Amps was as expected so my 40V/75Amp Variable DC power supply is not the problem. The filament is 3 circles but it looks very thin, thinner than the Q4556. I'm going to ask for a replacement. I used 8AWG cable all the way from the PS.

Japudjuha, how did you test your power level? Input to the board or output from the board?


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## japudjuha (May 18, 2014)

I used an inline wattmeter. This gave me volts, amps and wattage readings in real time. I measured input to the board, and my peak reading was actually 1349watts @ 30v. 


The interesting bit is that I did this back to back with my 600w larryk, and that measured 653w @ 30v. 


I just had another look at both filaments and my 4556 is also 3 coils and is thinner than the 600w version.


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## japudjuha (May 18, 2014)

Now you've got me wondering BVH. I only have one set of batteries so can only operate one at a time. 
I think I'll double check my readings on both at the lamp terminals. 


BVH did you have a chance to see the beam pattern at night?


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## BVH (May 18, 2014)

No not this particular lamp but I have seen the Genuine GE 4556 (no installed in my LarryK) pattern at about 350 Yards and it's definitely round as your drawing above shows.


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## 2filthy3 (May 18, 2014)

Does look a bit thinner than my 4556.

4556 also has only 2 coilings.


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## BVH (May 19, 2014)

Got an authorization to send it back via UPS on their dime. They said they are going to check their stock.


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## BVH (May 21, 2014)

LarryK and I talked last night and while doing so, he took a lightmeter reading of a ceiling bounce test he did with two of his LarrK lights - one using the genuine GE 4556 and another with the Norman 4556. The genuine GE lamp produced a much higher reading on his meter. 235 for the Norman versus 387 for the GE.


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## japudjuha (May 21, 2014)

Hmmm. Not good.
Will be interesting to hear what Norman say.


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## Bill Idaho (May 21, 2014)

Once again, pardon my ignorance, but after reading through this thread, am I to understand I could adapt this bulb to fit in my gutted VSS-3, as long as I can power it? No ballast? 
Gadzooks, Aquaman, I might be on to something after all these years!


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## BVH (May 21, 2014)

Bill, just think of this lamp as an old 1970's, round, sealed beam car headlight on steroids. It simply needs needs 28-30 Volts DC from any type of power source - battery, DC power supply, ect. It's 8" round with the built-in reflector.


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## Bill Idaho (May 22, 2014)

Thanks.

Curses, foiled again.


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## japudjuha (Sep 2, 2014)

BVH did you end up hearing back about the under performing 4556?


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## BVH (Sep 2, 2014)

My "hearing back" was to get a full refund and that "they had to check it out". I emailed a while after but never got a response.


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