Thanks Darren! How common are the door-mounted ballasts in the R37s? This is actually the first I've head of them. Also, that's a big ballast! Did Powerlite have options for single volt ballasts or did they just supply multi-tap as standard like Hubbell?
Is the terminal block located under that flap thing? Hopefully there's enough slack in the wiring on the fixtures I'm after so that I can let the light dangle and cut the wires without opening the fixtures. On the pole with the rebar exposed, the wires are exposed going up the pole so I can cut the wires where they're exposed going up the pole and then the light will just pull the 10ft or so of slack out of the pole with it.
Perhaps if the other one doesn't have enough slack I could use my pipe-cutter and cut the mast arm and then squeeze the tin snips in there and snip the wires. The hand hole on these poles is very low. On the one with the exposed rebar, it's right at grade level and on the other pole with the caution tape around it, it's totally buried underground.
No problem! It seems the door-mounted ballasts in the R37's is fairly common when multi-tap ballasts are used from what I've seen. The single-tap 208V and 347V are mounted in the top housing. Yes the terminal block is under the plastic flap,there should be enough slack in the wiring to stretch it and slip the fixture off the arm.
Ah I see. I assume both were an option back in the day? Or was door mounted standard for multi-tap? I'd prefer top mounted but I guess a "Powrlite/Door" would be cool too. I'm assuming these have 120V reactor ballasts but who knows, they could be multi-tap. I'd assume they're at least wired 120V if there's incandescents on the system. Higher voltage incandescents are pretty inefficient.
Another question is, are the R37s known for a poor refractor seal? I ask because all the R37s there have lots of crap in the lenses. I'm wondering if there's some way water is intruding on just the ones in that campus or if it's a common issue.
Both were probably an option,but seems all the multi-tap that I've come across were door mounted. It's possible the fixtures you are after may have reactor ballasts,most likely they have 120/240V ballasts for more power supply choices. Not sure why those fixtures have so much water and crap in them,the seals are good as I've only seen one fixture with the refractor half full of water.
Yeah I believe the door mounted ballast was a option but if the R37 is similar to the B2255 you can readily convert top mounted ballast to door mounted. You need to supply your own molex connector though as the top mounted ones didn't have it.
Yeah the B2255 used the same screws and bracket for both mounting positions. Mine had a factory top mounted ballast so the holes for the bottom ballast mount were left untapped but Powerlite used self tapping screws so it was only a matter of using more force to tighten the screws to the bottom on the first try.
Well, I found one of those Ladd School R37s with a broken pole that fell! Check it out! I grabbed the door and will be back for the rest Monday.
Turns out the ballast is top mount and is 150W HPS. There's a capacitor involved and the ballast looks pretty big but there were so much crap in it I couldn't really see the insides too well. Here's what the inside looked like. They apparently didn't use bird guards on any of them so they just filled up with crap over the years lol. Lamp was an 80s Philips Westy BT25 but was cracked so I left it. Photocell was a May 1998 compact blue ALR but was waterlogged with rusty water so I left that too.
Inside of the door here. No trace of a label and some pitting on the inside of the door from water intrusion I suppose. The inside of the door is pretty stained but most of the junk was attached to the upper housing lol.
Outside looks pretty good! Almost looks like the fixture was originally painted silver since it's so shiny. I'll have to inspect the upper housing for paint wear when I get it. I doubt bare aluminum would remain this shiny, although it LOOKS like it's just shiny bare aluminum. Either way, depending if the stains wash out I might repaint it with some silver paint.
I did get it! The ink stamp on the upper housing is "86 3" (March 1986?). The Philips lamp in it is "J6" (also 1986). the photocell, which I thought was dated "98" is actually dated "86" (I read it upside down lol). Makes perfect sense that everything is from the same year! So the light was installed and never touched again! The ballast core laminations are separating though and the wires are all chewed up from whatever was living inside it. Needs a good cleaning. I bought a 100W MV Advance HX ballast on Ebay for $18.50 shipped, which will be arriving Monday. That will be installed in the R37!
Thanks! Unfortunately it needs a good amount of work. The steel socket brackets are all rotting apart and one of the screws holding the latch catch to the upper housing sheared when I tried to remove it. Even the latch catch itself is starting to rot. And the gasket around the socket is all chewed up.
Darren, do your other R37s or B2227s have a different style socket bracket? Mine doesn't use a hose clamp. There are also no screws in the reflector holding it to the top housing. There's a bracket that comes off the reflector which screws into the housing.
Would you possibly want to do a trade for some fabricated parts? Not sure if you could easily make replacement parts but if it's not too difficult to do and you're willing to I can send some stuff as a trade.
I guess this picture of a B2227 solves our socket bracket mystery. Seems like the early revision R37s aka B2227s have a similar socket bracket as the B2255. The later ones sound like they use the same bracket as the R47.
Mine is from 1986. That's still one of the early ones? How common are the R37s/B2227s still up there? I'm thinking negotiating a deal with a Canadian member who has access to removed lights is the best way for me to go. I'm thinking of just filling in the hole in the reflector with a piece of sheet metal and bolting the socket right onto that but that's a last resort thing...
Or, I could replicate the hose clamp method if it's simple enough. What's it consist of? Think it's doable?
Yes my B2227's have the same socket bracket, also I do have an R37 reflector that is in fairly good shape with the same type of socket bracket already attached if you would like it.
Oh wow you have a complete spare? Sure, I'm interested in it if you're sure you don't need it. Thanks! Want anything in return for a trade? I have some 100W MV mogul base lamps and an interesting PL13 NOS outdoor wall light if you're interested in those. I just bought the wall light at the Restore the day I found the R37. I'll post pics of it later.
Yes it has the rubber boot,there is supposed to be a fiberglass or similar material disk that fits into an opening in the boot, but I made an aluminum disk for it.
Ah OK. You know, I bet that's what was all over the inside of the light. The birds probably chewed up the fiberglass piece to use for a nest since this white fiber stuff was all over the inside of the light. Was gross lol. I'll PM you in a little bit...
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Is the terminal block located under that flap thing? Hopefully there's enough slack in the wiring on the fixtures I'm after so that I can let the light dangle and cut the wires without opening the fixtures. On the pole with the rebar exposed, the wires are exposed going up the pole so I can cut the wires where they're exposed going up the pole and then the light will just pull the 10ft or so of slack out of the pole with it.
Perhaps if the other one doesn't have enough slack I could use my pipe-cutter and cut the mast arm and then squeeze the tin snips in there and snip the wires. The hand hole on these poles is very low. On the one with the exposed rebar, it's right at grade level and on the other pole with the caution tape around it, it's totally buried underground.
Another question is, are the R37s known for a poor refractor seal? I ask because all the R37s there have lots of crap in the lenses. I'm wondering if there's some way water is intruding on just the ones in that campus or if it's a common issue.
Turns out the ballast is top mount and is 150W HPS. There's a capacitor involved and the ballast looks pretty big but there were so much crap in it I couldn't really see the insides too well. Here's what the inside looked like.
Inside of the door here. No trace of a label and some pitting on the inside of the door from water intrusion I suppose. The inside of the door is pretty stained but most of the junk was attached to the upper housing lol.
Outside looks pretty good! Almost looks like the fixture was originally painted silver since it's so shiny. I'll have to inspect the upper housing for paint wear when I get it. I doubt bare aluminum would remain this shiny, although it LOOKS like it's just shiny bare aluminum. Either way, depending if the stains wash out I might repaint it with some silver paint.
Darren, do your other R37s or B2227s have a different style socket bracket? Mine doesn't use a hose clamp. There are also no screws in the reflector holding it to the top housing. There's a bracket that comes off the reflector which screws into the housing.
Would you possibly want to do a trade for some fabricated parts? Not sure if you could easily make replacement parts but if it's not too difficult to do and you're willing to I can send some stuff as a trade.
Or, I could replicate the hose clamp method if it's simple enough. What's it consist of? Think it's doable?