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Homemade Street Light
This is my home made street light... As you can tell its simple, the reflector is a dog bowl which has a nice shiny coating on the inside. It has a pulse rated socket holding a older Sylvania 70watt HPS bulb. The rod holding the light to the pancake electrical box is only threaded on the ends making a nice clean pipe in between. The wire is rated for 600volt and has quick disconnect connectors in the bowl above the socket to connect the socket to the wire which goes to the plug which then connects to the ballast. So there are no wiring connections in the pancake electrical box. On the pancake electrical box there is a hole drilled in the top for a hook to go through to hold the fixture up and a hole on the bottom for the wire to go through. As you can see there is a piece of wood behind the lower half of the electrical box, that is there just to prop the light up higher. - - - I am using a F-Can 70watt HPS ballast, but as you may know that is not made to be exposed to the elements. I would would like to make a outdoor/elements/water proof ballast box. I was looking into a 6x6x4 thick plastic (or what ever they are called) box, but I am worried the ballast might get to hot or the box would melt? I would like to use a 50 or 35watt HPS ballast but just don't know what type of box to put it in? What do you think? Give me your input! Thank You!
Keywords: Misc_Fixtures

Homemade Street Light

This is my home made street light... As you can tell its simple, the reflector is a dog bowl which has a nice shiny coating on the inside. It has a pulse rated socket holding a older Sylvania 70watt HPS bulb. The rod holding the light to the pancake electrical box is only threaded on the ends making a nice clean pipe in between. The wire is rated for 600volt and has quick disconnect connectors in the bowl above the socket to connect the socket to the wire which goes to the plug which then connects to the ballast. So there are no wiring connections in the pancake electrical box. On the pancake electrical box there is a hole drilled in the top for a hook to go through to hold the fixture up and a hole on the bottom for the wire to go through. As you can see there is a piece of wood behind the lower half of the electrical box, that is there just to prop the light up higher. - - - I am using a F-Can 70watt HPS ballast, but as you may know that is not made to be exposed to the elements. I would would like to make a outdoor/elements/water proof ballast box. I was looking into a 6x6x4 thick plastic (or what ever they are called) box, but I am worried the ballast might get to hot or the box would melt? I would like to use a 50 or 35watt HPS ballast but just don't know what type of box to put it in? What do you think? Give me your input! Thank You!

IMG_4885.JPG IMG_1748_new.jpg IMG_1748_new.jpg IMG_1783_new.jpg IMG_1783_new.jpg
File information
Filename:IMG_1748_new.jpg
Album name:Parrot / Light fixtures
Keywords:Misc_Fixtures
Wattage:In the photo: 70
Lamp Type:HPS
Filesize:184 KiB
Date added:Aug 06, 2012
Dimensions:1280 x 960 pixels
Displayed:420 times
Color Space:sRGB
DateTime Original:2012:08:04 21:02:10
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Program:Program
Exposure Time:1/16 sec
FNumber:f/2.4
Flash:Compulsory Flash
Focal length:4.28 mm
ISO:500
Make:Apple
Model:iPhone 4S
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=12566
Favorites:Add to Favorites

Comment 1 to 6 of 6
Page: 1

streetlight98   [Aug 06, 2012 at 10:24 PM]
Nah the plastic will be fine. If you were using something like 400W then I'd be concerned but I never had issues with plastic electrical boxes melting before. Just be sure to get rid of that exposed plug. I believe it's against code and water can seep into the plug and cause a short. When you do fix it remember that there can't be any exposed splices either so you'll either need to repalce the wiring with so splices from the lamp to the ballast or simply put the splice in an electrical box.
Parrot   [Aug 06, 2012 at 11:28 PM]
I understand what you mean about the wiring, and that makes sense. But with the plugs, I want to keep them so I can disconnect the light from the ballast. They are nice ones with rubber gaskets and rubber around the wire where it comes in to keep water out. I know I did not in the photo but if I electrical tape it up where they connect, I think that would be fine. I have done that before and no water has gotten in.
streetlight98   [Aug 07, 2012 at 12:29 AM]
If that's the case you should be fine then. I'm not totally sure if the plug is allowed between a ballast and a load though. Are you using a standard plug that you'd find in a house? If so then it's a big no-no. I'd use a twist-lock plug for a better hold and so no one plugs in, lets say a phone charger or something to the ballast. Shocked that'll lend for a nice toasty phone lol.
Parrot   [Aug 07, 2012 at 12:44 AM]
Well the plug and outlet that connect the lamp to the ballast are rated at 125volts and 15amps. And they are household type but I totally understand where your going... lol
streetlight98   [Aug 07, 2012 at 02:16 AM]
Yeah i'd get a twist-lock one just to be safe. Also, if you get a box for the ballast, you should wire in a photocell too so you can just "plug and forget". Smile
GullWhiz   [Aug 07, 2012 at 02:32 PM]
if you use plastic, I would recommend to use bunch of washers to separate the ballast housing and the interrior of the wall of plastic casing, it is best for them not to touch, and I would use some rubber sheet on the sides of the plastic housing inside. We need to ensure weather
proofing in this case too....

Parrot, I STRONGLY recommend you to PM the member NiMo, since he has the BEST ideas for custom modifications AND do it VERY safely....

Comment 1 to 6 of 6
Page: 1