Lamp For Security Light

[unigirl]

I've just moved into a property which has a security light on the outside wall complete with infra-red sensor. The lamp in the unit is a 60w Edison Screw (E27 Base), very slightly smaller than an old domestic filament lamp that we used to have on ceiling pendants. The problem is the base of the lamp is different from a standard ES lamp. Instead of being fairly pointy, the base appears as if the pointy, solder section has been filed flat so that the contact area is close to 10mm in diameter. That size of that flat section is crucial as a bog standard E27 does not make the necessary contact with the terminals in the bayonet base. I can't find anyone that sells this type of lamp anywhere. Has anybody any ideas please? I know a standard E27 lamp doesn't have a deep enough solder section to file it flat.
Thanks

[Ryzen]

If the base is of the tab type, then pull it out a little with a pair of long nose pliers so that it makes contact....Isolate the fitting first.

[unigirl]

Thanks Ryzen. I've followed your advice but I've been unable to pull the tab out further than the maker intended even with a long nosed pliers. There's a very thin single core wire in the area that I dont want to break so I'm reluctant to apply too much pressure to the brass tab.

[Ryzen]

If the tab wont move then you will have to try another E27 lamp ..change the fitting or apply a blob of solder to the lamp base.

[Tilly2]

I'd be tempted to buy a new security light.

[hairygrape]

What you need is a E27 60w traffic signal lamp unigirl. These lamps are commonly used in roadside traffic signalling equipment and pedestrian walkways in the USA and UK. The base looks like the solder blob has been filed flat as you describe. Don't play about with adding a solder blob to the tab and I wouldn't consider the problem drastic enough to buy a new security lamp fitting. These lamps are readily available from electrical wholesalers throughout the UK and right now, are some of the few incandescent lamps that can continue to be sold after the banning of incandescent lamps by the EU. I'm surprised that an electrician seemed unaware of this lamp type.

[bigbanana]

I must admit that fiddling about with a hot soldering iron inside an ES base to place a blob of solder on a brass tab doesn't sound like a very wise thing to do to me. On the other hand, maybe unigirl can obtain high melting point solder and borrow a soldering station. I'd obtain the lamp suggested by hairygrape.

[gumboot]

I think the idea was to add a blob of solder to the base of the lamp. That's fraught with difficulty. An Edison Screw lamp has a solder centre cap that doesn't quite make it to a sharp peak. Put a hot soldering iron near that for whatever purpose and the only thing that will happen will be that the solder making up the solder cap will run off, immediately disconnecting the very fine filament connection beneath.

[Ryzen]

...'fraught with difficulty'...lol

[gumboot]

Well Ryzen I'd call bunging a hot soldering iron bit on the base of a lamp only to watch the filament disappearing inside, something that was fraught with difficulty. How many tries would you want the OP to make? Tried it yourself lately? Doesn't sound to me as if the OP has a limitless supply of lamps.

[Tilly2]

Just buy a new light!

[bainbrig]

Definitely buy a new one.

LED lights are cheap, very bright, and very cheap to run.