cities that still use mercury vapour lamps. also, do the new LEDs look like DX?

[bryantm3]

[Mike]

There are LEDs in parking lots here and they look more like MH lamps IMO. Glarey white light, though LEDs are dimmer than the HIDs they replace IMO. In smaller parking lots they're popping up left and right, especially in gas stations and car dealerships. Parking lots with tall shoeboxes like at malls, WalMart, Target, JC Penny's, Sears, etc here are still PSMH though. .

I don't like LEDs. They're too glarey, the light is too directional (not enough light is cast around the fixture, rather there's a spot light shining on the ground below the pole and that's it), most installations are not as bright as the lighting systems they replaced, they are a rip off with the price they sell for, they aren't interchangable among manufacturers, and finally, the manufacturers are straight out LYING about LEDs. They are no more efficient than the HPS and PSMH fixtures out on the roads today and lights out there today have replacable universal parts unlike LEDs which you need to buy an exact part from the same manufacturer. and no doubt prices will be much higher since each company makes their own parts instead of everyone making interchangable parts.

It's for the same reason I don't like apple computers. they aren't 100% compatable with PCs, yet all PCs no metter the manufacturer, are fully compatable with each other just like HIDs. Want a different light source or wattage? Change the ballast and keep the fixture. want more memory on your PC? you can install more memory.

[GEsoftwhite100watts]

LOL I'm a Mac user...IMO PC stands for "Piece of Crud" but I do like the fact that they're compatible with each other.
IMO almost ANYTHING is better than that orangish-pinkish light of HPS that finds it's way into every nook and cranny...MV, induction LED, and MH seem much more peaceful and less invasive at night IMO...especially MV and induction, and to a lesser degree, LED and MH- they're a bit glary for my taste.

[Mike]

yeah i agree about the HPS color being horrible. did you know the DSA wants LEDs with more red in the specturm used for street lighting? this means orangey colored LEDs lol. seems like manufacturers aren't complying thankfully lol

[bryantm3]

ann arbor, MI:


philadelphia, PA:

[Mike]

Hmm the LEDs in the pictures look more like MH then MV to me...

[joe_347V]

LED looks more like a clear MH in a FCO light to me. /DX MV has a greenish hue and diffused soft light that LEDs don't have.

[GEsoftwhite100watts]

IMO LED and clear MH look too glary, but MV and induction have a nice "Moonlight" feeling to them. 
I agree with the Dark Sky's point of view; look at the light pollution above major cities! But still, they shouldn't BAN certain light sources or fixtures.  Just don't make those "Yardblaster" type security lights anymore and replace them with floodlights using the same lamp type- there goes a huge chunk of residential light pollution! Now make all new streetlights FCO- there's another chunk.  Improve glary billboard lighting- there goes even more light pollution! And maybe even turning off some lights late at night? I see some places are doing that already.
Just my opinion...banning MV isn't the answer IMO.

[joe_347V]

Clear MH with a drop lens ain't that bad actually, it's clear MH with a FCO flat glass that's glary.

I believe DSA already wants to promote cutoff and shielded fixtures but for some reason they still have a anti white light agenda (dosen't like MV, MH and white LED for some reason).

Turning off lights late would be a liability most places would not want to carry. If someone got injured or robbed while the lights were off they would mostly likely sue the city for shutting off the lights early...

[Mike]

well floodlights are just as bad as yardbasters... Light "pollution" doesn't hurt the environment, it's just light shining upwards. If you want to see the stars then don't live in downtown! Simple as that! If you care more about seeing the stars than you do being able to see at night then that's your problem IMO. To me, the whole light pollution thing is a bunch of bull. It's not pollution, its just reflected light off of objects on the ground. If you light an FCO light in your basement and shine it at the ceiling, light will be reflectred off the ceiling and light the floor too. Just like with outdoor lights. Even if you use FCO lights, the sky will still be lit since light reflects off of objects. Just like with the walmarts here. They all use FCO shoboxes but you can see those parking lots from another galaxy because light is reflected off the ground.

glare to the driver is a legit problem unlike the sky being lit at night. So properly controlling lights is a good thing if done for the right reasons. Banning a light source is as pointless as banning bottled water like some Massachusetts towns are doing.

[mercuryvaporrocks]

The Dark Sky Mafia only cares about their own comfort rather than the common good, we're losing our lighting choices to these bullies who have no regard for the impact their stubborn stance has on other parties, even if it creates hardships for everyone else. I'm tired of hearing their nonsense.

[bryantm3]

you can see everything that's going on, but the light isn't invasive and you can still see the stars.

[Mike]

i think the LED picture they had a longer exposer to allow more light so it appears brighter than it does in reality. however, i think you could remove every other pole and that road would still be lit above what's needed. that thing is as bright as a nascar race track!lol

 in my area, when the old 100W MV lights were installed many of the houses here today didn't exist so now the 100W HPS is needed. Personally i find 50W HPS too dim for street lighting. 70 or 100W HPS is better.

[bryantm3]

here we have 250 watt HPS lights for residential areas and 400 watt or higher for commercial areas. it's nuts.

[Mike]

In Providence we have 250W lights on residential roads but I'd hate to call them "residential". I mean, yeah there are houses but it's urban and definetly ghetto. The main roads in Providence were originally 400W MV, then 250W HPS but recently the 250W HPS lights have been getting upgraded to 400W HPS lights.