Discontinued flourescent bulb??

[collecture]

My Cav 55 uses a Westinghouse F7T5/CW fluorescent bulb for lighting the marquee at the top of the machine. The 7 watt tube is 5/8" in diameter and approximately 10 & 1/4" in length (w/o the dual prongs).

I have called or taken it by every place in Phoenix (even "The Light Bulb Store"). Apparently Westinghouse no longer makes the light bulb.

Does anyone know where I might find one? Is there a discontinued lighting source?

[loman4ec]

Thats a hard one. You might have to make a new light fixture for it. You can get a small under the counter fixture at home depot. You take it completely apart and mount the guts where the old ones were. This is how I convert non light up machines into light up. I attached a pic of one in a Vendo 56.

[collecture]

As a last resort, I thought I would modify it. I am going to do some searches on the web today and see whether there is anything out there. I found a 9" bulb that is 6 watts or 8 watts (I can't remember). I could possibly just modify the distance between the sockets to accomodate the shorter bulb and hopefully use the same starter and ballast.

Well - no luck. I found a few places on the web and talked to a couple and it looks like it is a VERY odd bulb. Everyone I have talked to so far has never even heard of a 7 watt linear fluorescent bulb.

[sodaworks]

Did you try Funtronics and Sodajerk works?

[collecture]

The bulb is not listed on the SJW website, but I'll call to verify. Fun-Tronics has it listed in the catalog, but Steve said that it a misprint and it is the C-64 F8T5 bulb that he has. Neither supplier has many C55-2 parts at all.

[Bob K]

I tried for months to find a replacement fluorescent tube for mine.  I'm convinced that there is not one left on the planet.
If you ever find a stash, let me know!!  '>