My Collection: GEC Z8260
| Manufacturer | GEC |
| Catalogue Number (model) | Z8260 |
| Wattage | 2x20W or 2x40W |
| Lamp-Type | MCF |
| Gear | Original |
| Ballast | GEC Choke (?) |
| Capacitor | - |
| Date Of Manufacture | 1960s-1980s |
| Date Acquired | 10/10/2026 |
| Collection Number | #149 |
On the 10th October 2026, I attended Dave the Lighting Guy's annual lighting meet. I was there just a few minutes before I made my purchase for the day. In the donations pile I spotted a bucket list item - a fluorescent lantern! I've been after one for years, and of course it had to be the most iconic of the bunch, the Z8260 by GEC - I made my purchase about three minutes after arriving! Thank you to Dave for this lantern.
The Z8260 is a very narrow lantern. The bowl is held on via two clips at one side of the lantern, and the bowl hinges are on the opposite side.
Upon the canopy is the GEC Made in England logo:
At some point in the past the otherwise NOS bowl was damaged, and has had a resin repair done to it by another collector.
Inside the lantern is a very rusty gear tray and choke for the two fluorescent lamps. Despite how poor it looks, I was informed that this lantern likely still works. I reckon with the new bowl and level of rust inside, that this lantern had lost its bowl in service and went without one until it was saved.
This is all thats left of the ballast printing:
