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PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:40 pm 
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I think the Z8600 was one of the best lanterns GEC ever designed. It was so ahead of it's time, in fact maybe a bit too much that in the early 80s councils still preferred SOX to SON for main roads and some councils were still using mercury but the Z8600 came into it's own in the late 80s when proper, dedicated SON-T lanterns started to be installed on main roads and imho it is the best main road lantern of that era, with much better optics, aesthetics and build quality than the rival SGS203 and Alpha 8 MK III!

I might get lynched for this comment but if GEC had made more lanterns like this instead of wasting their time making a different SOX lantern for every possible occasion then they might have survived a bit longer!  :roll:


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PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:47 am 
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Gramma6 wrote:
I might get lynched for this comment but if GEC had made more lanterns like this instead of wasting their time making a different SOX lantern for every possible occasion then they might have survived a bit longer!  :roll:


Whilst I like the variety of SOX lanterns, I agree. They didn't seem to put too much money into research and development of new lanterns that would be valid for the future. Also the fact that they kept a lot of their older lanterns in production (Turtles etc) for longer than they needed to be also helped the sudden death. I think had they got in a few years early with their Z9580 (SRL35), that would have been a nice little earner for them, as well as the Z8830 (SRL8) and the Z8600. Although being outdated, Z9454s and Z94554s were still selling too. (Particularly the latter.) I may have discontinued the 'Night Watch' range instead of redeveloped it and focused more on the Z9580, and made a 55w SOX version. Direct competition to the Betas 2 & 5.

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 1:03 am 
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I'd have changed the Z9580 a bit myself. added studs in the canopy that the geartray slotted over so as to make the tray hinge open instead of hanging from the photocell wires. And also would have had a SON version with a different bowl (a bit like a WRTL2600)

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 3:19 pm 
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Yeah a SON Z9580 could have been a winner. If a council wanted to relight an estate in the 80s they could have used the SOX version on the residential roads and then on the feeder roads and where the shops are they could have used the SON version that way uniformity of lighting would have been maintained. GEC focussed too much on SOX lighting, the same as Eleco and that, in my opinion, led to their decline. This is why Urbis stole a march on them because they had a more advanced range of SON lanterns available. Also their range of SOX lanterns was rather outdated compared to the MA series and the Alpha 4 etc.


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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:56 pm 
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I'm not sure about a SON version of the Z9580. Philips' MI55 didn't really do too well either.

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 5:28 pm 
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The optics/bowl of the 9580 do not suit SON either E or T...The same for the "SON MI50".


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 12:09 am 
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And also would have had a SON version with a different bowl (a bit like a WRTL2600)


I had already thought about it! ;)

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 5:03 pm 
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mazeteam wrote:
Quote:
And also would have had a SON version with a different bowl (a bit like a WRTL2600)


I had already thought about it! ;)


Yeah and the 2600 can take SOX or SON (although they're nearly always SON).


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 6:02 pm 
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Can I ask if this lantern is an Eleco GR2?

And this one, it seems a bit Z9454ish but the bowl seems different.

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:19 pm 
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That one certainly looks like a GR2. Compare and contrast


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