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Homemade Mini-HighBay Fixture
Pretty nice if I don't say so myself. It's not don yet though. I'm gonna stack two more of those round JB extenders on top of the one that's there to make room for a 35W HPS choke. Right now it's just wired for incandescents. That JB extender that is in there now will be exclusively for the lampsocket and the upper two sections will be for the ballast and igniter. Hopefully I can squeese the igniter in there somehow. If not this thing is going to be rediculously tall with four of those box extenders lol.
Keywords: Indoor_Fixtures

Homemade Mini-HighBay Fixture

Pretty nice if I don't say so myself. It's not don yet though. I'm gonna stack two more of those round JB extenders on top of the one that's there to make room for a 35W HPS choke. Right now it's just wired for incandescents. That JB extender that is in there now will be exclusively for the lampsocket and the upper two sections will be for the ballast and igniter. Hopefully I can squeese the igniter in there somehow. If not this thing is going to be rediculously tall with four of those box extenders lol.

basement_recessed_lites.jpg bathroom_lite-skylite.jpg gol073014_002.JPG gol073014_005.JPG gol073014_006.JPG
File information
Filename:gol073014_002.JPG
Album name:Mike / Indoor Fixtures
Keywords:Indoor_Fixtures
Filesize:383 KiB
Date added:Jul 31, 2014
Dimensions:1500 x 2000 pixels
Displayed:140 times
Color Space:sRGB
DateTime Original:2009:03:27 01:24:16
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Time:1/6 sec
FNumber:f/2.8
Flash:No Flash
Focal length:28.8125 mm
Light Source:Unknown: 0
Make:Vivicam
Model:V5024
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=17926
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 15 of 15
Page: 1

HPSM250R2   [Jul 31, 2014 at 12:11 AM]
That's pretty cool Mike Cool . Do you plan on actually using it somewhere?
streetlight98   [Jul 31, 2014 at 12:20 AM]
Thanks! Very Happy Not right now. Maybe someday at my own house it could be used as a low bay. It's technically not a low bay though because it's not lensed. Though they offer lenses for high bays, they're flat prismatic (or clear) while low bays have drop dish lenses. Anyway, I would have preferred MH but I think this thing would get too hot plus a MH ballast probably wouldn't fit. A 35W HPS ballast should fit barely... Even though this is a indoor fixutre, I used outdoor rated junction box extenders since they look nicer and are more robust. I used a pretty fat chain for thos too, probably could have gotten away with using a thinner chain but I usually prep fixtures like they're 400 pounds when I install them lol (for fluorescent fixtures I use hooks that are 3.5" long and made of 3/16" steel wire. those things could probably hold a crapload of weight. The chain above was rated for either 800 pounds or 1200 pounds for a safe load so you can say I over-did it a little bit lol. Kinda wish I got a longer chain though. This one is long enough but I'd like a little longer.
traffic light1   [Jul 31, 2014 at 12:35 AM]
I like it incandescent, It is cool! I could give you a Mastercolor for it.
streetlight98   [Jul 31, 2014 at 12:49 AM]
Ah thanks! Glad you like the fixture design. My mom got a bunch of shampoos and body washes that all came in the bucket and when she took everything out I was like "so... can I have the bucket?" and she let me have the bucket so I turned it into a light naturally lol. I'd love a CMH for this but since the Mastercolor is a flood light I think it might look strange in the light lol. If they made the MasterColor SBMH lamps in ED17 it would work great for this though! I might be able to put 100W MV in this but I would have to remote ballast it.
HPSM250R2   [Jul 31, 2014 at 12:57 AM]
Actually I didn't even think of that til you just mentioned it. You could remote-ballast this light instead of having multiple box extenders.
streetlight98   [Jul 31, 2014 at 12:58 AM]
Yeah remote ballast is a PITA but it could be done... I think I'll stick with 35W HPS. Hopefully I can fit the ballast in there and mount it well enough so it's not just rolling around free inside the boxes.
lite_lover   [Jul 31, 2014 at 01:13 AM]
Cool little mini high bay project Mike! Cool
streetlight98   [Jul 31, 2014 at 01:17 AM]
Thanks. Very Happy I guess this is the utilitarian version of your 100W PSMH can light. Razz The 35W HPS lamp and ballast is about 35 bucks so when I set aside some extra money I will get them. I have to get one more box extender first and I'll probably get some sheet metal to create my own ballast bracket.
lite_lover   [Jul 31, 2014 at 01:50 AM]
Yeah this is the utilitarian version. Razz
streetlight98   [Jul 31, 2014 at 02:01 AM]
Based on your experience, do you think this "fixture" is suitable for 35W HPS? I don't know how much heat 35W HPS generates but hopefully it's a little less than 100W incandescent... The color from this is gonna pretty pretty sickly but HPS will have to do. It should make for some interesting lighting effects though. Smile
lite_lover   [Jul 31, 2014 at 02:19 AM]
I would say it's suitable with a 35W HPS.
streetlight98   [Jul 31, 2014 at 02:42 AM]
Ah okay thanks. I wasn't really too sure since I wouldn't want to build a fixture that runs too hot. I think this fixture would be best suited outdoors under a canopy or somthing. Somwhere it'll get plenty of airflow. I can always remove a couple of those plugs in the boxes to allow air to the ballast.

Do you think i should punch holes around the junction box in the reflector or leave it solid? I was thinking it would allow some uplight and would allow excess heat to escape. Not positive if i want to do that or not though.
lite_lover   [Jul 31, 2014 at 03:26 AM]
I would leave it solid for now until you can test it out to see if it requires additional ventilation.
joe_347V   [Jul 31, 2014 at 08:08 AM]
Interesting concept. I guess with 35w HPS, the ballast shouldn't get that hot so a solid ballast case will work.
streetlight98   [Jul 31, 2014 at 02:21 PM]
@ Darren; ah okay yeah I guess I will leave it alone for now.

@ Joe; I meant punch holes in the top of the reflector around the outside of the ballast case. There's a ring around the outside of the ballast case. The holes would be about the size of a nail hole (since that's what I'd probabaly use to make them lol) and would provide a little uplight, heat escape, and would allow water to drip through if it gets wet for whatever reason.

If the top is solid and water gets on the fixture somehow, it'll build up on top of the reflector until it's over the lip on the base of the bucket. That might be bad since the water could potentially short out the socket. Then again, there are two open kncokouts on top which is how the chain comes out (i used one of those chain connector things to make the chain into a "necklace" of sorts. I can't wait for it to be all done. Very Happy

Comment 1 to 15 of 15
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