Key:lamp_type
 lamp_type
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| Description |
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Type of lamp. 
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| Used on these elements |
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| Requires |
| Useful combination |
| Status: de facto |
| Tools for this tag |
This tag describes the type of lamp (light source) used in a street lamp (highway=street_lamp), for example.
Tagging
These apply to 
nodes only.
List of values
Detailed values
lamp_type=* is used describe the highway=street_lamp illumination source.
| Key | Value | Element | Comment | Rendering | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
lamp_type
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gaslight
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The light source uses gas. | 
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lamp_type
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fluorescent
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The light source uses a fluorescent lamp. | 
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lamp_type
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halogen
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The light source uses a halogen lamp. | 
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lamp_type
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incandescent
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The light source uses a traditional incandescent light bulb. | 
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lamp_type
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led
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The light source uses light-emitting diodes. | 
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lamp_type
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metal-halide
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The light source uses a metal-halide lamp. | 
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lamp_type
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mercury
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The light source uses a mercury-vapor lamp. | 
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lamp_type
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low_pressure_sodium
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The light source uses a low-pressure sodium lamp. | 
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lamp_type
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high_pressure_sodium
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The light source uses a high-pressure sodium lamp. | 
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Differences between high- and low-pressure sodium lamps
Since they both use sodium-vapor and have a very similar light colour, it's difficult to tell them apart during survey. However, there are some notable differences between how they operate. Cities usually use HPS far more than LPS because of its better colour recognition.
| Characteristic | Low-pressure sodium (LPS) | High-pressure sodium (HPS) |
|---|---|---|
| Light output | Monochromatic yellow light | Golden-white to yellow-orange light |
| Color rendering index (CRI) | Very poor (≈0) | Moderate (≈20–30; up to ≈65 for improved lamps) |
| Warm-up | 7–15 minutes: starts as a dim red/pink glow, then quickly becomes the characteristic monochromatic yellow as sodium fully vaporizes. | 3–5 minutes: starts with a dim blue-white/purple glow, gradually changes to yellow-orange. |
| Typical applications | Road lighting, tunnels, security lighting, observatories, where colour recognition is not so important, since everything appears in some shade of yellow. | Street lighting, parking lots, industrial facilities, sports lighting, where it's preferable to see at least some colours. |
Generic values
The following values are acceptable, but they are very generic since there are many distinct variations, such as low pressure sodium (SOX) lamps, high pressure sodium (SON) lamps, and LED lamps. They should be replaced when the type of lamp is known.
| Key | Value | Element | Comment | Rendering | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
lamp_type
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electric
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The light source uses an electric lamp of an unknown type. Please use one of more specific values above. | ||
lamp_type
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floodlight
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The light source is a floodlight of an unknown type. Consider using actual lamp_type=* (e.g. lamp_type=halogen), and adding light_source=floodlight instead.
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lamp_type
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sodium
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The light source uses a sodium lamp of an unknown pressure level. It is preferred to use low_pressure_sodium or high_pressure_sodium if it is known.
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lamp_type
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solar_lamp
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The light source is powered by a solar panel. lamp_type=solar_lamp is a generic value, because solar-powered street lights may not always use LEDs. Consider using actual lamp_type=* (e.g. lamp_type=led), and (if needed) adding electricity=solar to indicate source of electricity instead.
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Future
A proposal exists to replace this key with light:method=* or light_source=*, as part of a review how editors tag lighting in a broader context. For more information, see this proposal for light_source=*.
See Also
- less popular tag
light:method=*for the same purpose - History of street lighting in the United States (Wikipedia) for classifications and pictures of commonly found street lights in the US.