Metal Halide garden street lamp

[Click-Sure]

Evening all, I've never dealt with street lamps and the supplies for but I have picked up a nice olde-worlde street lamp for my garden from a local reclaim yard.

Its got no electrical gear in it at present but has a decent amount of space at the base of the stantion for cutout etc.

A standard bayonet bulb is not really for me, as I actually want it to give out some light without costing me a fortune to run, tell me if its a bad idea but I would like to use a metal halide type bulb in it which gives a whiter light than others and shouldn't be too bad to run considering the amount of light I'm after.

Problem is, I have no idea what I'll need apart from a bulb, fitting and cutout. Any ideas what I'm going to need for this little project of mine? Any help greatfully received.

 

[Steve]

How about a standard bayonet fitting with a low energy lamp? A 28 watt one will give off a respectful amount of light.

Discharge lighting starts at around 70 watts.

 

[Click-Sure]

Allready thought about that, a neighbor has one in and its just not enough light for me, 70w or so of discharge lighting seems the way to go.

Plus, I'd like the experience of doing it!

 

[Steve]

It all depends on the space available, the type and shape of head etc. Do you have a photo?

 

[333rocky333]

Metal halide runs at extremely high temperature so you would need safety glass.

You would be better with
Mbf , 80 or 125 watt, will need a ballast

White son 70 or 150 watt, will need a ballast, ignitor and capacitor
These will not run as hot
You will need a ES lampholder as well

 

[Click-Sure]

Thanks for the speedy reply 333rocky333.
Yeah, I was thinking the safety glass (laminated I take it?) would raise its ugly head.

I'll get you a piccy as soon as poss, at the very least some measurements of the lantern.

White SON looks like the way to go then. As regards the ballast, ignitor and capacitor are they all installed at the base or are some up in the lantern with the bulb?
Will SON allow me to get around the glass issue?

 

[333rocky333]

Look at the average son fitting it is plastic, and pub lanterns are usually normal 3 or 4mm glass.
They are usually only 70w when normal glass, so not sure about 150w with normal glass, you could fit clear perspex i suppose.

Metal halide may shatter the glass or melt perspex though
If you dont mind yellow light buy a 70w fitting and take the gear out of that.
It will most likely not have an igniter.

If you go for white son (ext ignited usually) the lamp is dear and will usually need an igniter

The igniter if used usually needs to be within metre of the lamp, but have found it to work at 3 metres, you can pay more and get a 5 metre ignitor if you want.

I personally would go for the made up 70 w int ignited yellow son fitting.
Break it up fit the ballast at base and just series into the live up to the es holder, taken from the fitting,may have a capaciter across the supply as well, fitting including the lamp cost about £20.

If not good then get an ignitor about £20 and a white son lamp about £25

The 125 mbf lamp is worth looking at and fit the ballast anywhere you like.

 

[streetlighter]

Id go for the MBFU lamp they are either 3-pin bayonet or E/S cap, 80watt version should be plenty bright enough and will only requre a ballast which is quite compact.
You can mount the ballast above the cutout on the backboard.
Metal hailide would be far too bright youd need sunglasses

 

[RF Lighting]

I'm sure years ago I installed some MBFU lamps which didn't require any control gear.

I'll do some digging

 

[Click-Sure]

What sort of light do the MBFU lamps give off, really cant be doing with something really orange like an old fashoned SON.

Say I do go the MBFU route, do they just take an ordinary SON ballast?

Ta very much chaps!

 

[RF Lighting]

They were actually MLL lamps I fitted.

They light they (and MBFU) lamps give off is similar to metal halide, but slightly less harsh due to the phosphor coating outer elliptical bulb.

http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/variant_detail.asp?var=4132

 

[streetlighter]

Let me know if you need a 80w MBFU ballast im sure i have one spare i the shed. I keep the control gear from old lamp cols when they are removed some of it is brand new.
Ive also got a few cutouts going spare.

 

[Stoday]

I'm sure years ago I installed some MBFU lamps which didn't require any control gear.

I'll do some digging

I came across these many years ago. I think they have a built-in tungesten filiament as a ballast. Much less efficient than a SON or MBFU or metal halide.

I have a 70W metal halide lamp in my front garden. I wanted the white light. The lamp must be totally enclosed in shatterproof glass, bec\ause the lamp can explode. A used lamp goes dim because of the grey deposit inside the lamp. That absorbs the heat & light so makes it more likely to explode at the end of life. As someone says, it's very bright; my light is indirect so you can't see the lamp itself.

Oh the lamp's the size of your thumb and costs £20.

 

[333rocky333]

Mbf light gives off white with a bluey tint,they get more bluey green as they die with age.
A lot of the 3 foot high bollard lights in carparks tend to be 50 watt mbf
The life is not as good as a son though.
Mbf are 50, 80 or 125 watt

Son ballasts are not made in 80 or 125 watt so not really compatible.
Like the son you can buy a made up mbf fitting and break it up for parts.

An 80 w ballast should be run with a 8mfd capaciter also

a suitable ballast would be a parmar MG083B
That is known as a drip proof ballast and more suitable as it is better sealed for the moisture etc within the post

 

[Click-Sure]

I've done a little digging and found 'Open Rated' MH bulbs, are they suitable like they claim to be? The lantern is glazed with ordinary float glass. The one I have sourced also has a capacitor thrown in for use on SON ballasts, where does the capacitor go?

Thanks for all your advice so far.