The radial waves and their arms!!!! Not so much the floodlight.

I like everything, that flood is actually on the 1949 CGE catalogue! It was converted from incandescent to metal halide (the ballast is in the box a few feet below the flood). All of these lights work, not nightly but are controlled by switch for when they are needed, though the MH drowns out the radial waves.

Ahh. In that case i like the flood. I thought it was a modern sports light.

LOL, I tell you it's older and you like it! I can't help but wonder how we will relamp the MH light when the lamp dies, but that will take a while since it only does about 7 nights a year.

The same way they did when it was incandescent. You'll probably have to rent a bucket truck. Then you can rescue the M-250R

Or fix it up and make it work! I'd actually sooner trade one of my M250R2s, give it a new ballast and put it up and take the M250R. I think this flood was installed with this pole, both where used at the time and I think it became MH at that time with the same lamp it has today, so no one has ever been to it in that location. The main issue would be all of the bare 600 volt DC wires around.

Wear nice thick rubber boots. You won't get shocked then because you won't be giving the electricity a path to the ground.

Well almost all bucket trucks are insulated, but I was more referring to even getting the bucket (or ladder) around all of the wires and in a good working location. I doubt it will need to be relamped any time soon anyways, the arc tube is still clear.

My metalarc is extremely black, but is still working great. I'm using it when i light my walpack until it dies. Then i'll use the brand new metalarc I have. I also have a 250w mercury vapor sylvania lamp i sometimes use.

Uh that might not be a great idea, MH lamps do have this habit of exploding at EOL.

I know. I never operate it without the door in place though.

It will release mercury though, whether the door is open or not.

If the door is shut, I'll have some time to take the wallpack out side because there are no vent holes in the fixture. At least if I open it outside the mercury won't be confined to the house. I know it's not the best way to go, but for all I know the lamp could have some time left.....

I would say probe start lamps are much less likely to explode. A pulse start lamp would scare me more. There is no risk to operate a MH lamp enclosed, if it ever explodes, simply take the wallpack outside.

And anyway the mercury content of a MH lamp, despite being higher than other HIDs, still won't pose any serious risk. I have myself a dozen of mercury switches from defective thermometers we had at school, the total mercury content is over 50g! Compared to maybe 15 - 20 mg inside a metal halide lamp LOL.

what's the chance of a rupture? And is it bad if that white paint peels off? (it's happening)