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Cracked American Electric 125.
Found this on the ground... yesterday. FCO due to the grey paint. This thing sure got a big beating when a car crashed into the pole. But you usually expect that from a fallen streetlight. xD

4 bolt slipfitter in this one. As you can see on the piece that is in the door.

Lamp was broken and capacitor wasn't with the light, terminal board got busted too and didn't pick that up.

Ballast works. I tested it using the capacitor (That is connected, not the one by the refractor door) in this pic, but the cap isn't the right kind so it won't brighten up much at all. Unless the capacitor is bad because this cap was in the M-250 r2 that got fried, so this cap probably wouldn't work either.

What about the capacitor that is next to the refractor door? From that 480 volt 250 watt Mercury Vapor Ballast.. It says 300 VAC on it.

At least the ballast is in good condition. I am going to get a new cap for this and make it into a 400 watt High Pressure Sodium ballast box. Like the Metal Halide one that I made.
Keywords: American_Streetlights

Cracked American Electric 125.

Found this on the ground... yesterday. FCO due to the grey paint. This thing sure got a big beating when a car crashed into the pole. But you usually expect that from a fallen streetlight. xD

4 bolt slipfitter in this one. As you can see on the piece that is in the door.

Lamp was broken and capacitor wasn't with the light, terminal board got busted too and didn't pick that up.

Ballast works. I tested it using the capacitor (That is connected, not the one by the refractor door) in this pic, but the cap isn't the right kind so it won't brighten up much at all. Unless the capacitor is bad because this cap was in the M-250 r2 that got fried, so this cap probably wouldn't work either.

What about the capacitor that is next to the refractor door? From that 480 volt 250 watt Mercury Vapor Ballast.. It says 300 VAC on it.

At least the ballast is in good condition. I am going to get a new cap for this and make it into a 400 watt High Pressure Sodium ballast box. Like the Metal Halide one that I made.

DSCN4616.jpg DSCN4446.jpg DSCN4392.jpg DSCN4394.jpg DSCN4396.jpg
File information
Filename:DSCN4392.jpg
Album name:Lil'Cinnamon / My Lights
Keywords:American_Streetlights
Company and Date Manufactured:American Electric
Model Number:125
Wattage:400 watts
Lamp Type:High Pressure Sodium.
Filesize:166 KiB
Date added:Jun 19, 2011
Dimensions:1000 x 750 pixels
Displayed:152 times
Color Space:sRGB
Contrast:0
DateTime Original:2011:06:18 21:25:52
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Program:Program
Exposure Time:1/25 sec
FNumber:f/3
Flash:Compulsory Flash
Focal length:6.6 mm
ISO:400
Light Source:Unknown: 0
Make:Nikon
Max Aperture:f/2.7
Model:COOLPIX S620
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=6945
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 19 to 38 of 38
Page: 1 - 2

LilCinnamon   [Jun 28, 2011 at 07:38 PM]
What does 55 + 5 UF mean? Would that work with this?
SeanB~1   [Jun 28, 2011 at 08:08 PM]
Airconditioner motor run capacitor, with a fan capacitor. Probably for a 24000BTU or 36000BTU unit. It is rated for high current, and will work, just leave the 5uF unit disconnected. It will have 3 separate terminals on it, with the markings being "C", "HERM" and "F". Common is "C" and the 55Uf section is connected to "HERM" with the 5uF unit being connected between "F" and "C". It will easily withstand running a HID lamp, with no problems, though it may be physically bigger than the one you have. Tolerance on these is typically 5%, but most of them are generally within 2% of the nominal value.
LilCinnamon   [Jun 28, 2011 at 08:40 PM]
Would THIS capacitor work with this balast?
TiCoune66   [Jun 29, 2011 at 01:45 AM]
Yes it should normally work fine. Wink
LilCinnamon   [Sep 29, 2011 at 09:20 PM]
I really dunno what to do with this ballast... I just need an ignitor!
streetlight98   [Sep 29, 2011 at 09:40 PM]
Use one of the ignitors from your 115 to test the ballast. You can use it was a temporary ignitor until you get one.
LilCinnamon   [Sep 29, 2011 at 09:48 PM]
The 115's ignitors won't work on it cause the ignitors I have for the 115 both are for 35 to 150 watt (50 volt) HPS ballasts, so it won't ignite the lamp.

I used a GE one on here though and it lights the lamp up just fine. But the problem is over time the GE ignitor may fry the ballast.
streetlight98   [Sep 29, 2011 at 09:51 PM]
Why do you say that? As long as the ignition voltage and that wattage rating are acceptable, you should be fine. I wouldn't recommend using the GE ignitor for prolinged use though unless you're sure it's fine.
LilCinnamon   [Sep 29, 2011 at 10:01 PM]
Jace told me that it could wear out the coils overtime. And he knows A LOT about electricity, so I am listening to him.
streetlight98   [Sep 29, 2011 at 10:03 PM]
Jace knows more than i do about electrical stuff, so yeah, I'd listen to him.
LilCinnamon   [Nov 03, 2011 at 03:19 AM]
This ballast.. I was making it into a ballast box, and I must of wired it wrong because when I plugged it in I saw a spark in the box and it tripped the GFCI outlet.

Then I went in to see what was wrong.. And The ignitor SHOCKED me! And it wasn't even plugged in. Why would the ignitor shock me if it isn't plugged in?
streetlight98   [Nov 03, 2011 at 03:29 AM]
How shocking! Laughing On a serious note, I hope the shock wasn't too painful. Sad i have never heard of an ignitor pulsing after power is remoived.... Neutral
LilCinnamon   [Nov 03, 2011 at 03:44 AM]
It just shocked me again! Where the heck is this ignitor getting the electricity?? I was just working around putting wires in different places, and the ignitor just shocked me!
GullWhiz   [Nov 03, 2011 at 03:46 AM]
if it was unplugged...seems like it is coming from the capacitor...does it have a resister between the leads?

Next time put a screwdriver between the cap leads and you'll see sparking for a short time and it will be discharged
joe_347V   [Nov 03, 2011 at 03:46 AM]
It could be the cap INSIDE the ignitor discharging.
LilCinnamon   [Nov 03, 2011 at 03:48 AM]
Yeah I think it is the capacitor INSIDE the ignitor discharging. How would I stop the shocks?
GullWhiz   [Nov 03, 2011 at 03:48 AM]
Short all the connections together with a screw driver or something...just like I mentioned above...or have all the wires touch something that is grounded...(like a metal outlet plate) to discharge all the charges in itl...
LilCinnamon   [Nov 03, 2011 at 03:51 AM]
I just did it to the main capacitor and it sparked. Do I have to do more contacts?
GullWhiz   [Nov 03, 2011 at 04:06 AM]
I don't think so.....remember capactiors job is to STORE electricty...so it was still storing what was left of it and didn't have a place to GO...so when you touched it....you were also touching the grounding.....so it went through you and to the ground......

So if the cap does not have a big brown resister on top....then short it if you need to work on it..........the resister you find on most caps is to decharge the electricty...but without resister it stays inside the cap until something conductive touches it.....
joe_347V   [Nov 03, 2011 at 06:31 AM]
Also for the plastic caps some of them will say something like "internal discharge resistor" to indicate that there's a resistor inside.

Comment 19 to 38 of 38
Page: 1 - 2