Anyone like street lights?

I was kinda into streetlights growing up, especially ones that the power company would install in people's yards as security lights. In more recent years I've started to pay attention to them again.

AI've gotten a couple of commercial grade lights like the power companies use. I intend to install these someday when I have my own home as security lights.

In my area most newly installed lights are the LED type. However there are still many, many high pressure sodium fixtures around, and a decent number of mercury vapor lights. Some of the mercury vapor lights date back to the early 1960s and still work perfectly. Sodium lights create the orange colored light that reminds me of fall leaves, while mercury vapor is a white or bluish green colored light.

Unfortunately a few of the older fixtures are getting upgraded to LED as they fail. I wish I could save some of those old lights as they are getting rare.

Two of the commercial grade fixtures I have are the NEMA head variety with the round plastic lens, which are typically installed as security lights, but can be seen on residential roads as well. One is mercury vapor, while the other is sodium. The mercury vapor one is from the 1980s while the other is newer.

I also have a sodium cobra head fixture which is usually installed for street lighting. This one is brand new also.

Probably my favorite fixture is the GE Powr/Bracket, which was a NEMA style light that incorporated the ballast into the arm. I saw a few of these around growing up mostly as security yard lights leased from the power company, unfortunately none are in use any longer, and the remaining ones have essentially been abandoned, until/unless the customer starts paying for them again, which will result in them being replaced with LED fixtures. I'd really like to have one of these for my yard in the future. The ones here use 400 watt mercury vapor lamps, which with these fixtures used a larger than normal round lens, which I particularly like about these fixtures.


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Post# 433626 10/16/2020 at 21:55 (1,281 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I was kinda into streetlights growing up, especially ones that the power company would install in people's yards as security lights. In more recent years I've started to pay attention to them again. AI've gotten a couple of commercial grade lights like the power companies use. I intend to install these someday when I have my own home as security lights. In my area most newly installed lights are the LED type. However there are still many, many high pressure sodium fixtures around, and a decent number of mercury vapor lights. Some of the mercury vapor lights date back to the early 1960s and still work perfectly. Sodium lights create the orange colored light that reminds me of fall leaves, while mercury vapor is a white or bluish green colored light. Unfortunately a few of the older fixtures are getting upgraded to LED as they fail. I wish I could save some of those old lights as they are getting rare. Two of the commercial grade fixtures I have are the NEMA head variety with the round plastic lens, which are typically installed as security lights, but can be seen on residential roads as well. One is mercury vapor, while the other is sodium. The mercury vapor one is from the 1980s while the other is newer. I also have a sodium cobra head fixture which is usually installed for street lighting. This one is brand new also. Probably my favorite fixture is the GE Powr/Bracket, which was a NEMA style light that incorporated the ballast into the arm. I saw a few of these around growing up mostly as security yard lights leased from the power company, unfortunately none are in use any longer, and the remaining ones have essentially been abandoned, until/unless the customer starts paying for them again, which will result in them being replaced with LED fixtures. I'd really like to have one of these for my yard in the future. The ones here use 400 watt mercury vapor lamps, which with these fixtures used a larger than normal round lens, which I particularly like about these fixtures.

Post# 433632 , Reply# 1 10/16/2020 at 22:48 (1,281 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)
Checkrate/Likes Chicago was a completely high pressure sodium city. Vast swaths of it are now the ugly cool white LED. I like LEDs, but the cool white they chose to use is nasty. Right outside my house has already been updated. The crappy thing is that sodium lamps were already about as efficient as LEDs. I imagine LED units are cheaper initial expense, though, as they probably don't need a big old ballast, and electronics are cheap. Outside of my shop is a street light that I always assumed was some kind of something like metal halide maybe. One day I decided to look at it and to my surprise, found that it was actually induction fluorescent. Despite that light, which is in an industrial area, the suburb my shop is in is awfully fond of their decorative street lights, which I believe are mercury. Can't really tell as the glass is not transparent. Though I think even they are being replaced with LEDs. No, what I'd really like to acquire some day is an old carbon arc lamp. Those are freakin' cool.

Post# 433642 , Reply# 2 10/17/2020 at 01:55 (1,280 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes Yes,I like streetlights and other HID lights as well. Was able to salvage a few of the GE and Westinghouse Silverliner lights used in the parking lot and lot lights here at work.Tjhey are mercury vapor.The were replaced with AEL 215W LED.The LEDS do work well and can be pleasing----but when you get close or under them they are GLARE BOMBS.They need the diffuser lenses the older lights had.I run the ones I got at home,250W and 400WMV.One of the Silverliners had a blown ballast-I replaced it with a 400W HPS ballast I have in my junkbox.The BIG problem with LED lights is there is NO ANSI standards for these lights -LED elements and drivers(ballast for LED lights-produce DC out)So if a LED light goes out you have to replace the WHOLE fixture-wasteful in my mind.The Food Lion here got new LED lights-they give the same warm color the older halide ones did-but a few are out--these are new!!!Hope the bad ones will be replaced under warrantee.LED lights are getting better-Feel that HID should still be used in the meantime-and HPS gives the same or better lumen per watt than LED-and these are reapirable-you can replace ballst,bulb,caps,or ignitors.Also ceramic metal halide lights are being overlooked-these are more efficient than present LED.Popular with grow lamp folks.Have many in my collection-give off a beautiful light-and the bulbs can run for 20,000 hrs with little color change or lumen output drop.Philips developed them to be a replacement for 250W mercury and HPS,400W mercury,HPS 315WCMH,210WCMH.Some of my CMH ballasts have a 210W setting so they could use 210W CMH bulbs,or put the setting at 315W for 315W CMH bulbs.

Post# 433649 , Reply# 3 10/17/2020 at 09:48 (1,280 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)
Checkrate/Likes I have a compressed sodium light on the side of my chimney to illuminate the driveway. The only problem is I put up a metal carport right below it to protect my convertible. Fortunately, I had replaced the bulb shortly before the carport went up so I'm hopeful I won't have to worry about replacing it again anytime soon because I am not sure how I'm going to get to the fixture now. Oh well, I'm just borrowing trouble thinking about it at this point.

Post# 433651 , Reply# 4 10/17/2020 at 10:23 (1,280 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes ~ ~ "Urban Lights" installation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art CLICK HERE TO GO TO electrolux137's LINK View Full Size

Post# 433694 , Reply# 5 10/18/2020 at 02:03 (1,279 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes The website in the link doesn't say what kind of light source or bulbs are used in the "Urban Lights " display.From the pictures looks attractive.Nice white lights.Most of the post lights like what is in the display I have seen use mercury or HPS lamps.Occasionally Metal Halide-white light.