New curlee 8 foot tapered elliptical bracket and GE M400A2. I'm thinking the two would look nice on my pole out back. The fixture is 200 watt hps so it should light up the yard nicely.
I'm gonna contact my local power company to see if I can acquire some HID street lights from them, I doubt it but it doesn't hurt to try. I would love to get my hands on a GE M-250R 175 or 250 watt mercury vapor, a 400 watt mercury vapor and a 1000 watt mercury vapor street light. I used to buy street lights from Duquesne Light, but they don't accept them at their warehouse on the North Shore in Pittsburgh anymore and they're loaded into box cars which aren't accessible.
Around here, the removed lights come back to the local yard and are thrown into a scrap dumpster. But they won't sell them to the public. What I'd really like to get is some mounting arms from my local utility. Mounting arms are insanely expensive new and besides, I'd want ones that were actually used around here anyway.
There was a guy on LG who used to get street lights from a scrap yard in Missouri and he would sell them for $20-$25 plus shipping. I bought quite a few street lights from him, but he deleted all of his pictures and he never came back.
Was it that "Pat the Ripper" guy? I vaguely remember a guy who used to sell lights on LG. I had never bought anything from him though. There are several longtime members that seem to have just "vanished" off the Net. Most still have their accounts up but are just never active while others have totally deleted their account.
Yeah that's him. He was active on there for about 3 or 4 years and after he deleted all of his pictures, the administrators subsequently deleted his account to save some space.
I miss some of the members on LG who were on there since the site started and after they left, it became a ghost town. Being on LG is like going to a dead mall like Century III Mall in West Mifflin, PA which was once packed, but now 80% of the store fronts are vacant. There's no chance that it's ever gonna come back. I left last year for personal reasons.
Pat was one of the original admins. I bought some Silverliners from him, only paid shipping. Also gotten couple of other items like glass NEMA diffusers, head.
I wonder what happened to him? IIRC, I think he was giving up the hobby? I might be confusing him with someone else though. I do remember him being an admin. I miss the old admin team on LG. Nothing against any of the current admins personally, but the "old leadership" was more proactive and dynamic with the members. The current leadership takes a backseat and doesn't get involved enough with the members IMO. Jace used to do contests and polls and keep up the general interest in the site (more so here than LG) but both sites are kinda static now. Especially this site. Where are all he admins? The members? Seems like there's only a few of us who are still on the site regularly. The rest are on maybe once every six months and then we don't hear from them.
It's too bad. I miss all the street light talk. Too much talk about the science behind lighting on LG. I'm not a scientist or engineer. I just like the fixtures and lamps and want to talk with others who feel the same. I've also noticed LG is becoming increasingly theory-based and less talk about the fixtures themselves. It seems there's a continuous shift toward fluorescent-oriented talk rather than street lights too. I remember it used to be fairly even, possibly even with a shift toward street lights. I'm one of the few diehard street light fans on LG lol. Quite a few members have a street light or two but they could honestly take them or leave them. They're just not as passionate.
Oh well. Still a good site and I still learn new stuff all the time. It's just different that's all...
I sorta remember Pat, He used to obtain streetlights that were scrapped and then pass them of to collectors. Not sure what happened to him though. Yeah, I miss the old LG too. I'm also not sure what happened to most of the members too. I guess lost interest, and some don't have time anymore.
Yeah I miss the street light talk too, and TBH I'm not really interested in the theory most times. I get enough engineering stuff talking to my engineering classmates and collegues lol so I like to talk more about lights instead of the theory lol.
I tend to post streetlight related stuff here on GOL (and in general not on LG which I post fluorescents/xmas/other more general lighting on)...I've always seen GOL as more of a streetlight & HID related site.
I also check out ATL from time to time, but rarely ever post anything these days.
There's another UK based site that I check out fairly regularly, & sometimes post fluorescents or streetlights on.
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Some of the science/technical stuff posted on LG can actually be quite interesting!
I'm more of a fluorescent (and Christmas light (hence the username)) guy than any other types
but still thin HID & streetlights are cool (I wish I had storage space for more, and they were easier/cheaper to come by)
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I'll also flat out say I really don't care for certain members on LG (but not gonna mention any names)
I still have my interest, but I haven't been as active lately cause of other things, working, moving to a new place, and having less space to play with lights which has killed my time to well, post pictures and not having space makes it hard to play with them or get new ones. I have three lights in my room currently and I want to get more but I don't have the space right now plus I plan to move to Texas/Oklahoma later this year. I still come on to check and I still do come on, I probably should come on more but I don't really. I keep up to date with hosting payments and domain, as the domain just got renewed earlier this month after I got paid so. This site plans to go nowhere, and I am glad to see active members on here cause most sites I have ever created have been inactive. I want to start doing more things with the streetlight stuff definitely though. I still post pictures when I can.
LOL I agree with you on that last point xmaslightguy, though I try to keep an open mind. A lot of people are different in person than they appear online. I find myself acting like a bit of an @$$ sometimes on LG since certain comments get me fired up and I start typing and click send instead of taking a breath and calming down. In "real life" I'm pretty low-key and avoid confrontation, but usually it's regarding non-lighting topics in "real life". Lighting is one of the few things I'm fiercely passionate about lol. Plus it's easy to speak my mind behind a computer screen. In person I think twice before saying something controversial/offensive. All I can say is that I've gotten better looking at some of my older comments lol.
Yeah I tend to post more fluorescent stuff on LG too, mostly because the HID stuff doesn't seem to get much attention on LG. A few months ago I actually did an experiment and gave all my street lights their own album on LG (something I've always done on LG) to see if they'd get more attention. I figured having them all in one album was making it messy, though it hasn't helped at all. In fact, it's just cluttered my gallery and made it like 4 pages long lol. GoL's user gallery is better in the fact that it has three columns of albums versus two so you can fit more albums per page. TBH I'd like to have them all on one page and make the "last comments for this user", "Last additions for this user", and "last updated albums for this user" sections clickable links at the bottom or something but it's no use making any suggestions since I'd just get shot down by all the "bigshots" on the site who get their behinds kissed every time they cause a ruckus about something petty.
You mean making the suggestions on LG or here? I haven't been on that site in ages though, so I dunno what goes on there anymore. I need to work more on this site though, and learn a bit more coding wise.
Good to see you on here again Lil'Cinnamon, & glad you're keeping up with the domain & hosting .. would be a real shame if the site go away.
It would be nice if this site was more active, but I have no idea how you'd go about getting more people here - or how to make it become more general-light interest...
I do like the fact its not an exact clone of LG though.
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@Mike:
I've been planning to move the HID stuff I have on LG to its own 'album' since at this point I just dump it in a generic 'everything else' one.
I also need to post my more recent finds here too since not everyone checks both sites.
I still check in regularly, I just don't post much these days do to work and recently just moving. I have plans to install a new pole at my new home this spring and will post photos of the process from the conduit to the concrete base i'm going to pour. I still haven't decided the fixture that I'm going to install but it's leaning towards a mercury fixture.
@ Ian: I meant on LG. Other than there not being much activity here I think it's a great site otherwise!
@ xmaslightguy: I actually use to just have four albums: "Rhode Island Street Lights" (which I changed to Outdoor Lighting), "Indoor Lighting" (which still exists), "My collection", and "Miscellaneous".
@ Tony: Yeah looking forward to seeing that set-up! It's gonna look great. Hmm are you doing 100 or 175W MV? If you're doing 100W MV that ITT 13 would look awesome (or OVH if you want FCO). For 175W maybe the 60s M-250R or M-250R1? The OV-15 would also look sweet. Or.... the OVX or M-400R2. Talk about a LOTTA light!
Both my 60's M-250R and OV-15 are 100 watt and that's the wattage I was leaning towards. I also have the 113 that's 175 watt as well. This new setup will be on a switch so it won't be on all night but I will have the photocell option available if I want to turn it on while it's still light out.
The OVX or M400-R2 would be quite the scene lol. I could install one just to see what it's like lol.
Oh for some reason I thought the 60s M-250R was 175W. Must've been thinking about mine lol. Yeah between the M-250R, OV-15, and ITT 13, they're all awesome lights. Are you running a 120V feed or are you thinking of a 240V circuit with a neutral for the option of having a 120 or 240V light on the pole? (just thinking for flexibility, if you have the option of going 240V). I think the OV-15 or ITT13 would look sweet on a tapered arm. The M-250R does too but the OV-15 looks the best out of the three probably.
LOL yeah at least for the OVX, you could tilt it downward and stick an FCO glass in it and have a neighbor-friendly miniature sun in your yard. I installed my OVX outside briefly but since I'm using a 1-1/4" arm you can't always aim the light all the way down. With Coopers it's not as big of a problem but I've noticed GE M-250R2s with the "leveling steps" won't secure onto a 1-1/4" arm all the way if they're on the lowest step. 2" arms work much better (plus it helps to keep the bugs and crap out since the bird guard only does so much).
I'm assuming you don't adjust the distribution on the lights you install since it's not worth it for the time it takes, but in general, centering the lamp will give you Type II and having the socket toward the "house side" will give you Type III. For GE M-250R2s and M-250A2s with 50-150W HPS and acrylic lens, Type II is socket position "2" and Type III is position 2-1/2. For FCO it's position 1 for Type II and position 1-1/2 for Type III. For the 113 and 115 fixtures, setting the socket as far back as it will go will give you Type III and centering the lamp gives you Type II. Same goes for Cooper. Not sure about the M-400R2/A2 fixtures though, but the principles are the same: centered gives you something like Type II and toward house side gives you Type III. Aside from us collectors, most lineman might not even realize there's different distribution patterns since the fixtures are just ordered with a certain distribution from the factory.
I know National Grid uses Type III distribution for their 250 and 400W HPS lights. Not sure if the same is true for their lower wattage lights. My Connecticut Light & Power cobraheads were both Type II. Type II seems more common. I think NEES used Type II lights. Type II stretches down the road further with less light trespass onto property bordering the road. Type III is more rounded. It lights wider roads better but the lights have to be closer together for even lighting. Personally, I'd use Type III for 250 and 400w and Type II for 50-150W lights since those wattages are often on neighborhood roads, which are narrower. 250W and 400W-lit roads tend to be wider.
I didn't even think about 240 volts but I may do that, that's a good idea. My panel is small at the new house so I'll be replacing that as well to a 200 amp 42 ckt panel. The current one is 200 amps but only 30 ckts and it's packed lol.
Yeah I don't adjust the light distribution on fixtures when I install them. Everything we get is type 2. Usually for light complaints, we end up painting the refractor black in the direction where the light isn't desired.
Ah we have 100A service at my house. The main panel has quite a few breaker slots but only about half to 3/4 are filled. We have a subpanel in the basement specifically for the basement that is smaller and about 2/3 full. Both panels and all the breakers are GE. The meter is also an analog GE that NGrid installed when the house was built in 2003.
Ah for light complaints NGrid justs removed the refractor and puts a flat glass in its place lol. Messes up the distribution on the M-250R2s big time. A drop lens M-250R2 with no drop lens leaves two sharp streaks of light angled together to make a giant "V" and everything else is spotty. their FCO reflector is much better. Newport Electric used to paint the refractors where light trespass was a concern and Narragansett Electric used "dog cone" glare shields but when Narragansett Electric went HPS they didn't transfer the shields over from the MV lights.
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It's too bad. I miss all the street light talk. Too much talk about the science behind lighting on LG. I'm not a scientist or engineer. I just like the fixtures and lamps and want to talk with others who feel the same. I've also noticed LG is becoming increasingly theory-based and less talk about the fixtures themselves. It seems there's a continuous shift toward fluorescent-oriented talk rather than street lights too. I remember it used to be fairly even, possibly even with a shift toward street lights. I'm one of the few diehard street light fans on LG lol. Quite a few members have a street light or two but they could honestly take them or leave them. They're just not as passionate.
Oh well.
Yeah I miss the street light talk too, and TBH I'm not really interested in the theory most times. I get enough engineering stuff talking to my engineering classmates and collegues lol so I like to talk more about lights instead of the theory lol.
I also check out ATL from time to time, but rarely ever post anything these days.
There's another UK based site that I check out fairly regularly, & sometimes post fluorescents or streetlights on.
--------------
Some of the science/technical stuff posted on LG can actually be quite interesting!
I'm more of a fluorescent (and Christmas light (hence the username)) guy than any other types
but still thin HID & streetlights are cool (I wish I had storage space for more, and they were easier/cheaper to come by)
---------------
I'll also flat out say I really don't care for certain members on LG (but not gonna mention any names)
Yeah I tend to post more fluorescent stuff on LG too, mostly because the HID stuff doesn't seem to get much attention on LG. A few months ago I actually did an experiment and gave all my street lights their own album on LG (something I've always done on LG) to see if they'd get more attention. I figured having them all in one album was making it messy, though it hasn't helped at all. In fact, it's just cluttered my gallery and made it like 4 pages long lol. GoL's user gallery is better in the fact that it has three columns of albums versus two so you can fit more albums per page. TBH I'd like to have them all on one page and make the "last comments for this user", "Last additions for this user", and "last updated albums for this user" sections clickable links at the bottom or something but it's no use making any suggestions since I'd just get shot down by all the "bigshots" on the site who get their behinds kissed every time they cause a ruckus about something petty.
It would be nice if this site was more active, but I have no idea how you'd go about getting more people here - or how to make it become more general-light interest...
I do like the fact its not an exact clone of LG though.
-----------
@Mike:
I've been planning to move the HID stuff I have on LG to its own 'album' since at this point I just dump it in a generic 'everything else' one.
I also need to post my more recent finds here too since not everyone checks both sites.
@ xmaslightguy: I actually use to just have four albums: "Rhode Island Street Lights" (which I changed to Outdoor Lighting), "Indoor Lighting" (which still exists), "My collection", and "Miscellaneous".
@ Tony: Yeah looking forward to seeing that set-up! It's gonna look great. Hmm are you doing 100 or 175W MV? If you're doing 100W MV that ITT 13 would look awesome (or OVH if you want FCO). For 175W maybe the 60s M-250R or M-250R1? The OV-15 would also look sweet. Or.... the OVX or M-400R2.
The OVX or M400-R2 would be quite the scene lol. I could install one just to see what it's like lol.
LOL yeah at least for the OVX, you could tilt it downward and stick an FCO glass in it and have a neighbor-friendly miniature sun in your yard. I installed my OVX outside briefly but since I'm using a 1-1/4" arm you can't always aim the light all the way down. With Coopers it's not as big of a problem but I've noticed GE M-250R2s with the "leveling steps" won't secure onto a 1-1/4" arm all the way if they're on the lowest step. 2" arms work much better (plus it helps to keep the bugs and crap out since the bird guard only does so much).
I'm assuming you don't adjust the distribution on the lights you install since it's not worth it for the time it takes, but in general, centering the lamp will give you Type II and having the socket toward the "house side" will give you Type III. For GE M-250R2s and M-250A2s with 50-150W HPS and acrylic lens, Type II is socket position "2" and Type III is position 2-1/2. For FCO it's position 1 for Type II and position 1-1/2 for Type III. For the 113 and 115 fixtures, setting the socket as far back as it will go will give you Type III and centering the lamp gives you Type II. Same goes for Cooper. Not sure about the M-400R2/A2 fixtures though, but the principles are the same: centered gives you something like Type II and toward house side gives you Type III. Aside from us collectors, most lineman might not even realize there's different distribution patterns since the fixtures are just ordered with a certain distribution from the factory.
I know National Grid uses Type III distribution for their 250 and 400W HPS lights. Not sure if the same is true for their lower wattage lights. My Connecticut Light & Power cobraheads were both Type II. Type II seems more common. I think NEES used Type II lights. Type II stretches down the road further with less light trespass onto property bordering the road. Type III is more rounded. It lights wider roads better but the lights have to be closer together for even lighting. Personally, I'd use Type III for 250 and 400w and Type II for 50-150W lights since those wattages are often on neighborhood roads, which are narrower. 250W and 400W-lit roads tend to be wider.
Yeah I don't adjust the light distribution on fixtures when I install them. Everything we get is type 2. Usually for light complaints, we end up painting the refractor black in the direction where the light isn't desired.
Ah for light complaints NGrid justs removed the refractor and puts a flat glass in its place lol. Messes up the distribution on the M-250R2s big time. A drop lens M-250R2 with no drop lens leaves two sharp streaks of light angled together to make a giant "V" and everything else is spotty. their FCO reflector is much better. Newport Electric used to paint the refractors where light trespass was a concern and Narragansett Electric used "dog cone" glare shields but when Narragansett Electric went HPS they didn't transfer the shields over from the MV lights.