Here's a older Powerlite cobrahead that wasn't replaced when HPS came in the early '90s instead it was retrofitted to HPS and wired up to a remote PC mounted on the pole.
There's roughly around 15-20 of these left in service here but they're being replaced with AEL/Cooper lights when they fail. Thanks to Darren for confirming that this is a Sylvania Powerlite B2217.
Yeah, the arm and the remote PC is still being used. Funny thing, the remote PC actually shuts off the light earlier than the Ripley Aladdin wireless control the Philly Waffles have.
Here whether its spot replacement or lighting upgrade we don't keep the under braced arms on the main roads anymore if the fixture on there isn't working, they decide to replace the arm too.
LOL so i guess even the new Ripley PCs aren't that sensitive? lol My NOS Ripleys are more sensitive than the used ones (they drift REALLY badly but other manufacturer's PCs don't seem to) but still aren't that sensitive. Here they typically took the remote PC down (but left the paintcan ballast until the next pole replacement) but there are a few poles here with both the paintcan ballast and a remote PC on the opposite side of the paintcan, sharing the ame screw (which is probably why they left it)
Yeah, it was cloudy today and about 80% of these were dayburning , if this continues I think the HPS fixtures that actually shut off during the day would end up saving more energy.
wow that's really bad. Yeah I don't see how remotely controling these lights with central switching stations is effective. It seems like we're going back into the stone age of lighting.
Yeah, it seems that everytime some installs these, they'll also get persuaded into buying wireless controls. So far, it seems none of the wireless controls in the GTA work correctly. Shoulda just used good old PCs but if I had my way, I'd install CMH retrofitted in the existing fixtures instead.
Maybe the GTA is testing this wireless control method for companies. Maybe the companies that produce produce these wireless controls are offering local municipalities incentives to use them? They seem crappy nonetheless and there's always the risk that someone would try to hack the system and shut off the lights on a city block or something to try and commit a crime. There's no way to remotely disable a standard PC-controlled light and even with contactor relays you need to physically break into the control box.
Heh, maybe they're testing em for the company that made them. Anyway at least these are twistlock so they can be easily replaced with a standard PC if the wireless controls don't pan out. I believe the ones used in Mississauga are integrated to the lume though.
Ah yeah the Ripley Aladdin PCs go into standard twist-lock sockets (so they can be used with any fixture) but yeah that's sorta dumb how some have integrated antennas lol.
I think the Ripley ones used here have a PC in them as a backup so they don't dayburn unless it's cloudy. The ones in Mississauga are integrated and don't have PCs as backup.
ahh that's smart to have the back-up. Yeah Ripley's PCs aren't that sensitive. If you want sensitive PCs you gotta buy Fisher Pierce Sun-Tech I guess lol. If i were to ever install a FP Sun-Tech outside I'd probably maks off half the window so it turned on earlier lol.
I wonder if you can adjust the sensitivity on the Ripleys since they're computerized. I'd imagine that with the proper software, a laptop or phone can set them to turn on/off later or earlier. The reason I think they have PCs is that each one still tends to switch on randomly instead of all at once like what you would expect a centralized control would do.
Hmm maybe they're centralized to report failed lights instead of controlling them? I know the ripleys can detect dayburning (and stop it by disabling the light aka fail off mode) and i think they detect dead and cycling lamps (so a dead LED) so maybe instead of having patrolmen they just got lazy? lol or they're slowly advancing the technolgy since I'd imagine that's a lot of cash to cough up at once.
Hmm, maybe . Anyways they're only using them on the newly installed LED fixtures. The HPS lights installed in 2012 and the first wave of test LEDs just use regular PCs.
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![[Gone] Sylvania Powerlite B2217
Here's a older Powerlite cobrahead that wasn't replaced when HPS came in the early '90s instead it was retrofitted to HPS and wired up to a remote PC mounted on the pole.
There's roughly around 15-20 of these left in service here but they're being replaced with AEL/Cooper lights when they fail. Thanks to Darren for confirming that this is a Sylvania Powerlite B2217.
Keywords: American_Streetlights](albums/userpics/normal_P5160213.JPG "Click to view full size image
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[Gone] Sylvania Powerlite B2217
Here's a older Powerlite cobrahead that wasn't replaced when HPS came in the early '90s instead it was retrofitted to HPS and wired up to a remote PC mounted on the pole.
There's roughly around 15-20 of these left in service here but they're being replaced with AEL/Cooper lights when they fail. Thanks to Darren for confirming that this is a Sylvania Powerlite B2217.
Keywords: American_Streetlights")
The B2217 is safely mounted on it's new home along with the remote PC socket and braced S arm.