Heres a comparison between 2012 and 2007 when the Black Shoebox's were still common along thee middle east and west of in the city. There are no longer and doubles here anymore. Heres the streetview
it seems usually Shoeboxes are an upgrade from cobra's but ive seen it go the opposite way too. me personally im not a fan of shoeboxes at all. they just look so generic and characterless. now I do like the GE Tiger/Holophane Mongoose and the Cooper ORL I think. now those shoeboxes do have a little bit going for them in my opinion.
These were Sylvania shoebox fixtures with the B2255 lens. I like them a whole lot better than whats used now. They put up tall concrete poles with OVX's
The huge upgrading took place between 2006-2009. I like the Cooper ORL. Those would be a nice alternative to see here instead of those silly OVX's
like 10+ lamps are cycling on Sandalwood between 410 and Kennedy Rd. In many cases, both OVX's on a dual-pole cycle. Looks like half the road is metal halide or something at the right moment.
haha, no no. with all the HPS cycling in sequence, the lights all look white when firing back up lol. the three double arm poles in a row west of kennedy are all cyclers too now lol.
I can't take it anymore, I think I will report the Sandalwood OVX's, they cycle too much and the road isn't lit well in the snow at night. I shall share that they are a faulty design and should be upgraded!
That is also like some Dixie OVX's theres a whole stretch of OVX's that keep cycling and going out. They are getting replaced anyways because they have temporary poles beside them lol. The OVX's on sandalwood lights don't reach the road. Im tired of OVX's in general. They are crap here. Older lights here have a much longer lifespan than these OVX's.
I'm thinking that the cycling has to do with your area using junk lamps. We have OVXs here and we use Sylvania lamps and they do not seem to be frequent cyclers. They probably go through lamps a little faster but I'm guessing the combination of using the OVX and junk lamps is what makes the OVXs up there turn into party strobes.
The only OVXs up here are 400W HPS, any 250W HPS drop lens Coopers here are OVZs. I've noticed that the OVXs have a low service life (about a third of the the fixtures installed seem to get replaced within a few years) but the lamps actually don't seem to fail as early as they do up there. I'm sure they'd last longer in a more spacious fixture though. The OVF is technically a medium cobrahead but I consider it a small luminaire (it's 30" long; the M-250A, which was a small sized cobrahead made by GE until the early 80s is also 30" long) because the reflector is so shallow, ED37 lamps don't even fit! So ED37 lamps fit in the OVX (a small cobrahead) but not in the OVF (a medium sized cobrahead)?
I notice that the OVFs and M-400 FCOs here seem to have some cycling issues. I think that the FCO lights cycle earlier because the optical assembly (space inside the reflector and refractor) is cut in half, because instead of a drop refractor you have a flat glass panel, usually fractions of an inch below the lamp envelope. For lower wattage lamps, premature cycling really doesn't seem to be an issue. I don't notice a difference between FCO and drop lens nor do I notice a difference between fixture manufacturers regarding lamp life.
One thing that I HAVE noticed, is that HPS reflectors have gotten more and more specular, which could contribute to premature cycling. The 80s HPS fixtures had more "diffused" reflectors that were shiney, but not mirror-like. The M-250R2/M-250A2 FCO reflector is "bumpy" to help diffuse the light a little. HPS arc tubes are sensitive to too much energy/heat being reflected back into the arc tube, which is why smaller, more cramped optical spaces aren't good for the lamp. But if the reflector is more specular, it will reflect more energy, possibly killing the lamp sooner.
For manufacturers, this is good for two reasons: a more specular reflector increases fixture efficacy and also kills the lamp sooner, meaning more lamps will need to be bought. It's a combination of crappier lamps being made by certain manufacturers (namely Philips more than anyone else) and reflectors possibly being poorly designed. Do you notice premature cycling with the OVFs up there? Here I notice that Coopers tend to get replaced a lot.
On RIDOT freeways, they installed some OVFs in the mid-2000s and many of them have been replaced with M-400 FCOs. They've also installed M-400 FCOs just slightly after (later mid-2000s to present day) and the M-400 FCOs get spot-replaced too, but almost always because of a pole knockdown whereas with the OVFs, the pole is fine and they just replace the fixture.
On wood poles, low-watage Coopers seem to be targeted for replacement for no apparent reason. I've seen early 90s OVCs and mid-2000s OVZs get replaced a lot, sometimes for no apparent reason. Here the electric company used GEs for 50-100W and Cooper for 250 & 400W (they only install/service 50, 70, 100, 250, and 400W HPS here).
For freeway lighting owned by the electric company, they're almost always not working. NGrid-owned freeway lights are all 250W HPS drop lens M-250R2s (with a few 250W HPS OVZs from 2013-present with the new refractors). Many of the lights haven't been touched since they were installed in the 90s. Many of them are actually cycling, dayburners, or both and they don't work due to electrical problems, not the lamp istelf. NGrid has fixed the wiring issues (no relamping or fixture replacements, just replacing inground fuses probably) but apparently not fixed them enough, since a week to month later the whole string is out again. RIDOT eventually plans to have all the NGrid owned lights on the state freeways replaced with their own RIDOT lights, which run off relay cabinets as opposed to photocells. RIDOT is now using LEDs but NGrid (electric company) is still all drop lens HPS, so the remaining NGrid freeway lights will remain 250W HPS drop lens M-250R2s until RIDOT replaces them with their own lights. NGrid is nothing short of a joke with maintaining freeway lights here. With wood pole lights they're OK. Mostly because I report all the not-working lights I see (which is a lot. I've probably submitted 200+ reports over the past four years).
I've only seen OVF's start being used in my area about 3 years ago, and I have not seen any cycle yet. I've seen many 250W OVZ's from around 2000 get replaced, and it tends to be the only small fixture specifically avoided for any 250W works moving forward.
I've noticed of your area's freeway agencys' neglect in your other postings here. How sad. At least your reports for local roads are heard.
To be honest, I wonder why they don't just offer the OVZ in 400W. It's not like the deeper door on the OVX really helps the fixture run any cooler and all the components can probably fit inside the OVZ. The OVX is just a glorified small fixture anyways lol. I wish Cooper made a "real" medium fixture. The last "real" medium fixture they made was the OVM, which was made from the mid-to-late 80s to the early-mid 90s I think. Or they could just keep the OVX and get rid of the OVZ. The deeper door can't be that much more expensive than the shallower door. Wouldn't it be something if the OVX was the only drop lens light available from Cooper? lol. I'm not a fan of any of the current cooper lights anyway so I really wouldn't care to be honest. I kinda like the OVF though...
Yeah most of the freeway lights are owned by RIDOT (the equivalent of your MTO) but there's a good number of freeway lights owned by the NGrid, the electric company, and those lights are leased to the state just like wood pole lights are (except wood poles lights are leased to the city/town, not state). The DOT-owned lights are actually maintained fairly well. It's the NGrid-owned lights that are terrible. NGrid went around a couple years ago and relamped a LOT of freeway lights and got a lot of them working again, but many of them are out again. It's not the lamps or fixtures themselves either, it's got to be the wiring (perhaps blown fuses in the handholes next to each pole) since the lights tend to go out in strings/groups and I've all of a sudden seen lights that have been dead for a decade "come back from the dead" and be cycling dayburners one day after being out for who knows how long.
RIDOT doesn't have pole numbers on most of their light poles, so I can't report individual lights. They go around and spot-replace all the dead lamps maybe once a year or so. Most of RIDOT's lighting systems installed from the 80s to present day have relay cabinets, with one PC. Sometimes the whole relay circuit will go out (they probably use "fail off" photocells to avoid 100+ 250 and 400W HPS lights running 24/7) and I'll report the group of lights via their customer service email with something like "Hi, I'd like to report a section of freeway lights that do not work at night. All of the lights at Exit "X" on Rte "X" do not work.
Some RIDOT freeway lights are controlled by individual PCs but I think they are on metered circuits. Those somtimes go out too. I'll report them and within a couple months the lights are on.
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![2012/2007 Double Shoebox
Heres a comparison between 2012 and 2007 when the Black Shoebox's were still common along thee middle east and west of in the city. There are no longer and doubles here anymore. [url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.706214,-79.769154,3a,50y,210.13h,91.65t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sq5Wp_lDW_B_apxErelgLzA!2e0] Heres the streetview[/url]
Keywords: American_Streetlights](albums/userpics/normal_Untitled~7.jpg "Click to view full size image
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2012/2007 Double Shoebox
Heres a comparison between 2012 and 2007 when the Black Shoebox's were still common along thee middle east and west of in the city. There are no longer and doubles here anymore. [url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.706214,-79.769154,3a,50y,210.13h,91.65t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sq5Wp_lDW_B_apxErelgLzA!2e0] Heres the streetview[/url]
Keywords: American_Streetlights")
![20140423_154844[1].jpg](albums/userpics/thumb_20140423_154844%5B1%5D.jpg "Filename=20140423_154844[1].jpg
Filesize=146KiB
Dimensions=1500x2000
Date added=Apr 24, 2014")
The huge upgrading took place between 2006-2009. I like the Cooper ORL. Those would be a nice alternative to see here instead of those silly OVX's
Are you sure its not LED?
Thats a first here for MH if thats the case. I guess the city wants to phase out HPS
I notice that the OVFs and M-400 FCOs here seem to have some cycling issues. I think that the FCO lights cycle earlier because the optical assembly (space inside the reflector and refractor) is cut in half, because instead of a drop refractor you have a flat glass panel, usually fractions of an inch below the lamp envelope. For lower wattage lamps, premature cycling really doesn't seem to be an issue. I don't notice a difference between FCO and drop lens nor do I notice a difference between fixture manufacturers regarding lamp life.
One thing that I HAVE noticed, is that HPS reflectors have gotten more and more specular, which could contribute to premature cycling. The 80s HPS fixtures had more "diffused" reflectors that were shiney, but not mirror-like. The M-250R2/M-250A2 FCO reflector is "bumpy" to help diffuse the light a little. HPS arc tubes are sensitive to too much energy/heat being reflected back into the arc tube, which is why smaller, more cramped optical spaces aren't good for the lamp. But if the reflector is more specular, it will reflect more energy, possibly killing the lamp sooner.
For manufacturers, this is good for two reasons: a more specular reflector increases fixture efficacy and also kills the lamp sooner, meaning more lamps will need to be bought. It's a combination of crappier lamps being made by certain manufacturers (namely Philips more than anyone else) and reflectors possibly being poorly designed. Do you notice premature cycling with the OVFs up there? Here I notice that Coopers tend to get replaced a lot.
On RIDOT freeways, they installed some OVFs in the mid-2000s and many of them have been replaced with M-400 FCOs. They've also installed M-400 FCOs just slightly after (later mid-2000s to present day) and the M-400 FCOs get spot-replaced too, but almost always because of a pole knockdown whereas with the OVFs, the pole is fine and they just replace the fixture.
On wood poles, low-watage Coopers seem to be targeted for replacement for no apparent reason. I've seen early 90s OVCs and mid-2000s OVZs get replaced a lot, sometimes for no apparent reason. Here the electric company used GEs for 50-100W and Cooper for 250 & 400W (they only install/service 50, 70, 100, 250, and 400W HPS here).
For freeway lighting owned by the electric company, they're almost always not working. NGrid-owned freeway lights are all 250W HPS drop lens M-250R2s (with a few 250W HPS OVZs from 2013-present with the new refractors). Many of the lights haven't been touched since they were installed in the 90s. Many of them are actually cycling, dayburners, or both and they don't work due to electrical problems, not the lamp istelf. NGrid has fixed the wiring issues (no relamping or fixture replacements, just replacing inground fuses probably) but apparently not fixed them enough, since a week to month later the whole string is out again. RIDOT eventually plans to have all the NGrid owned lights on the state freeways replaced with their own RIDOT lights, which run off relay cabinets as opposed to photocells. RIDOT is now using LEDs but NGrid (electric company) is still all drop lens HPS, so the remaining NGrid freeway lights will remain 250W HPS drop lens M-250R2s until RIDOT replaces them with their own lights. NGrid is nothing short of a joke with maintaining freeway lights here.
I've noticed of your area's freeway agencys' neglect in your other postings here. How sad. At least your reports for local roads are heard.
Yeah most of the freeway lights are owned by RIDOT (the equivalent of your MTO) but there's a good number of freeway lights owned by the NGrid, the electric company, and those lights are leased to the state just like wood pole lights are (except wood poles lights are leased to the city/town, not state). The DOT-owned lights are actually maintained fairly well. It's the NGrid-owned lights that are terrible. NGrid went around a couple years ago and relamped a LOT of freeway lights and got a lot of them working again, but many of them are out again. It's not the lamps or fixtures themselves either, it's got to be the wiring (perhaps blown fuses in the handholes next to each pole) since the lights tend to go out in strings/groups and I've all of a sudden seen lights that have been dead for a decade "come back from the dead" and be cycling dayburners one day after being out for who knows how long.
RIDOT doesn't have pole numbers on most of their light poles, so I can't report individual lights. They go around and spot-replace all the dead lamps maybe once a year or so. Most of RIDOT's lighting systems installed from the 80s to present day have relay cabinets, with one PC. Sometimes the whole relay circuit will go out (they probably use "fail off" photocells to avoid 100+ 250 and 400W HPS lights running 24/7) and I'll report the group of lights via their customer service email with something like "Hi, I'd like to report a section of freeway lights that do not work at night. All of the lights at Exit "X" on Rte "X" do not work.
Some RIDOT freeway lights are controlled by individual PCs but I think they are on metered circuits. Those somtimes go out too. I'll report them and within a couple months the lights are on.