GE 18680 MXR100/U/MED 100W Pulsearc BD17

The GE PulseArc® Precise™ 18680 (MXR100/U/MED) Lamp is a commercial-grade, high-intensity discharge (HID) quartz metal halide bulb engineered for retail display tracks, commercial office lobby atriums, public downlight canopies, and industrial warehousing footprints. Delivering up to 9,000 initial lumens of crisp 3200K warm white illumination, this 100-watt bulb utilizes an advanced pulse start design to achieve 30% faster warm-up cycles and exceptional color uniformity. Outfitted with an industry-standard E26 medium screw base and a compact clear BT17 glass envelope, it provides an extended 15,000-hour rated average service life when driven by matching ANSI M90 control gear.

ADL Supply Expert Application & Replacement Guide

The GE MXR100/U/MED high-intensity discharge lamp is an established architectural maintenance standard specified heavily across high-density retail showrooms, hospitality lobbies, public multi-tenant atriums, and commercial security corridors. Delivering a balanced 3200K warm white color spectrum, it ensures high-contrast visual profiling and pristine product rendering while avoiding the sterile, cold blue undertones common in low-grade outdoor commercial lamps.

Critical Ballast Selection and Universal Burning Performance Modulations: Property managers executing facility-wide re-lamping sweeps must evaluate internal control circuitry parameters before checking out their cart: this 100-watt module operates strictly on certified ANSI M90 pulse start ballast networks outfitted with a high-voltage external ignition starter loop. Attempting to thread this lamp into legacy probe-start systems driven by older ANSI M91 ballasts will result in complete ignition failure or high-voltage arc drop-outs, as probe-start networks lack the high-peak starting pulses required to ionize this lamp's pressurized fill gas column.

Furthermore, installers must account for variations caused by the Universal burn designation. While this bulb operates reliably at any physical mounting angle, rotating the module to a horizontal orientation bows the internal plasma arc upward toward the quartz wall. This thermal shift drops initial light delivery down to 8,400 lumens and reduces the rated service life from 15,000 hours down to 11,250 hours. Ensure the E26 medium screw base threads completely flush to prevent micro-arcing inside the socket.

Detailed Product Specifications

• Brand Name: GE Lighting (Current Lighting Solutions Group / PulseArc® Family)
• Product Series Line: Pulse Start Metal Halide Compact High-Intensity Series
• GE Factory Product Order Code SKU: 18680
• Manufacturer Description Nomenclature: MXR100/U/MED
• Official Trade Industry ANSI Identifier: M90 / E Certified (Enclosed Luminaires Mandatory)
• UPC Barcode Number (GTIN-12): 043168186805
• Core Technology Class: High-Intensity Discharge (HID) — Pulse Start Metal Halide
• Primary Control Requirement: 100W Pulse Start ANSI M90 Magnetic or Electronic Ballast
• Operational Power: 100 Watts
• Initial Luminous Brightness (Vertical): 9,000 Lumens
• Initial Luminous Brightness (Horizontal): 8,400 Lumens
• Design Mean Luminous Flux: 6,200 Lumens (Evaluated at 40% of standard service life)
• Luminous Efficacy Ratio: 90 Lumens per Watt (LPW)
• Color Temperature Configuration: 3200K Warm White (Clear Glass Execution)
• Color Rendering Index (CRI): 70 Ra
• Base Type Configuration: E26 Medium Screw Base (Standard 26mm diameter brass thread sleeve)
• Glass Bulb Profile Envelope: Hard Clear Borosilicate Glass BT17 Shape (Bulbous Tubular Compact)
• Maximum Overall Length (MOL): 5.43" Inches (138.0mm actual length tip-to-tip)
• Bulb Nominal Diameter (DIA): 2.125" Inches (54.0mm actual glass face width)
• Light Center Length (LCL): 3.43" Inches (87.0mm actual distance from base center to arc locus)
• Rated Average Service Lifespan (Vertical): 15,000 Hours
• Rated Average Service Lifespan (Horizontal): 11,250 Hours
• Chassis Burn Position Limit: Universal — Operates reliably at any structural mounting angle

Operation, Safety & Mounting Compliance

High-Pressure Arc Stabilization and Hot Restrike Intermission Windows

Following initial cold system ignition strikes via the high-voltage ballast circuit, this quartz capsule requires an initialization window of 3 to 5 minutes to fully gasify internal metal halide elements and settle into its stable 3200K warm white spectrum. If a brief grid voltage sag or temporary power interruption drops the circuit track loop during operation, an automated hot restrike cool-down intermission block of 5 to 10 minutes must be strictly observed. This enables internal arc chamber pressures to relax entirely before the pulse ignitor can safely strike the xenon gas column again.

Mercury Content Dosing and Safe Bulk Disposal Protocols

This gas-discharge tube incorporates a controlled 15.0 mg mercury fill weight dose within its inner quartz arc tube to execute its fundamental high-efficacy generation pathway. While engineered to minimize tracking degradation and maintain stable mean lumen metrics over extended service life, it remains a hazardous heavy-metal component. National safety codes dictate processing spent lamps through certified commercial bulk recycling repositories during facility maintenance sweeps rather than discharging them into standard residential or municipal solid waste streams.

Commercial Equipment Industry Cross-References

This compact 100W ANSI M90 lamp interfaces perfectly with the following electrical control components:

• GE Venture Control Matching: M100/120/277V Pulse Start HID Ballast Kits
• Sylvania Competitor Equivalent: 64434 / MS100/U/MED (Pulse Start Core Match)
• Philips Lighting Alternative: 39130-0 / MH100W/U/M / MasterColor Ceramic Variant Bases

Bulk Commercial Lighting Supply & Project Support

ADL Supply handles volume distribution shipments, multi-pack logistics, and contractor project quotes for procurement teams, schools, and warehouse facilities nationwide.

For specialized contractor pricing tiers, job-site pallet deliveries, or comprehensive submittal documentation, contact our support team directly at 1-800-235-3489. We are your commercial supply partners as an authorized wholesale Lighting Distributor In Doral, Florida.