My Collection: Urbis Sapphire 1
| Manufacturer | Urbis |
| Catalogue Number (model) | Sapphire-1 SAPH1NB/50/1770/DP/NEMA/R7035/PLC/LP/GR-PH/HZ-VT/V23461D |
| Wattage | 50W |
| Lamp-Type | SON-T |
| Gear | Original |
| Ballast | Philips BSN-????? |
| Ignitor | Philips SKD578 |
| Capacitor | Cambridge Capacitors Type A LE2EB (8μF) |
| Photocell | Zodion SS6 |
| IP Rating (when new) | IP34 |
| Date Of Manufacture | 08/04/2006 |
| Date On Photocell | ~~/02/2017 |
| Date Acquired | 25/03/2024 |
| Restoration Status | Cleaned |
| Collection Number | #26 |
This is the smallest lantern in the Sapphire series by Urbis. The Sapphire 1 is usually used for 50W or 70W SON, or 60W CPO-TW. Other lamps can also be used however. This example runs 50W SON-T. It came with the hockey stick bracket (which is actually the top, sawn off arm of a column!)
The Sapphire 1 seemed grubby from the outside, so I started to take the lantern apart in preparation for cleaning. It was removed from the bracket, which was cleaned first. The Sapphire 1 has a large clip, which can be undone by placing a finger into the cavity and pulling. Upon pulling open the canopy, it was apparent that significant cleaning would need to be undertaken. The inside was blanketed in cobwebs and shed spider skins...
After picking away at the large chunks of dirt, the gear tray was removed, which is done using a simple metal clip, similar in design to the one in my WRTL Vectra. The Sapphire 1 was disassembled to it's simplest components, each one being scrubbed in a soapy bath!
A view of the Sapphire being re-assembled post-cleaning.
A photo depicting the cleaned up gear area, quite an improvement!
The ballast is coated in a layer of rust, leaving the text unreadable, however the ignitor and capacitor are still clear.
The ignitor is a Philips SKD 578. What I think is a 2005 date code can be seen toward the bottom right of the label (or the top right in the image).
The capacitor has a 2012 date code.
The lantern has a Royce-Thompson Electrical NEMA socket, fitted with a blemished Zodion SS6 Photocell.
Much like the Urbis ZXU1, the lamp-holder is removable via a twist-and-pull mechanism.
The lantern is held on to it's bracket with two grubscrews in a metal plate. This setup provides a secure connection to the column.
This particular lantern has suffered some damage to the canopy in it's service life. A sizable portion is missing, though this probably won't cause any water ingress.
With the lantern assembled, it was tested and powered up for the first time in my collection!
