1942 GE searchlight demonstrated tonight!

[kx250rider]

I went to a big vintage car show tonight (Sat) at the local race track in Saugus today... And as I was leaving, I noticed a huge searchlight beam coming up from the parking lot... I didn't think much about it at first, but then I thought something was "different" about this particular light. I walked up closer, and it was the restored GE World War II searchlight from the Fort MacArthur museum, FIRED UP AND WORKING!!!

I had seen this before, but only in storage. It is a real sight to see, and it's the first time I had ever seen one working. The fellow who owns it also is into sirens and train signals. So I had met him a year or so ago.

So since he's nearby, if I do manage to get and restore a Chrysler siren, we will get together and show the strongest searchlight and the biggest, loudest siren ever made!

http://www.geocities.com/mepurina/gotit2.html (this is a link to the restoration of the GE searchlight)

Charles

[Jim_Ferer]

I've seen these big searchlights at car dealers and bar openings and such -- has the technology even changed since 1942? These things are awesom, and the guy looks like he did a nice job restoring it. Thanks for sharing it.

[Daniel]

I've always wondered how those huge arc lamps worked. Thanks for the info.

[Robert Gift]

Fascinating post.
Charles, is that your photo of the operators in periodress?

Always wanted to see a searchlight in detail.

How did the mirrors survive all these years?

Thankso much,

[Gandalf]

Nice Pic !!

I have 2 GE's and 2 SPERRY's. I also Have the origanal
cast molds for the positive and negative heads. I use them for
"advertising gimmicks" mostly for car dealerships.

[AllSafe]

Most modern ones are HID based. One of the local auto dealers runs an advertising business which rents out some war surplus searchlights and they are all carbon arc based; none of them have been upgraded to HID.

[Robert Gift]

That would be DOWNGRADED!

Would HID be brighter?
More lumens per watt?
Better color?

Thank you,

[q2bman]

Very interesting post! Thanks.

[AllSafe]

Not sure if HID would have a better color temperature, but I do know that carbon arc lamps have a color temperature very similar to sunlight. And yes, HID lamps do have more lumens per watt; that's why most permanent installations use HID.