Hey Dave,here's a couple pics of the 400W Mercury Vapour Crouse-Hinds L-150 open that you requested.I replaced the rusty mounting studs and nuts with stainless threaded rod and nuts and painted the brackets which looks much better.
These fixtures aren't designed to be 400W, they're supposed to be 250W max but Westinghouse figured out that they could cram 400W gear into a smaller fixture. The door actually is shorter than the top housing because the door doesn't cover the slipfitter. Here's what the L-150 looks like installed. I'd love to get one of these someday. They're rare in RI.
It could but once integrally ballasted fixtures came out, remote ballasts became a thing of the past. Remote ballast fixtures and ballasts were made into the 60s I think (and after that, integrally ballasted fixtures were available less-ballast). After the 50s, remote ballast fixtures and ballasts were typically just replacements for pre-existing remote ballast installations. Remote ballasting just isn't practicle so they wouldn't sell a new remote ballast kit with ballast and fixture when this was made. You could remote-ballast this for 1000W MH if you wanted and you used a ED37 cram lamp. I STRONGLY advise against it, but sure it could be done lol. The reflector would probably deform under the intense heat lol.
Yeah I can see why...one-piece units are so much easier to install, troubleshoot, etc.
Pardon my ignorance but CAN you even get to the windings in a "paintcan" ballast? Or a Wide-Lite ballast can?
Most remote ballasts are potted in tar just like fluorescent ballasts and then permanently sealed shut (so you'd need to cut the cast aluminum case open with a sawzall or something). There are some out there that were made over the years that were not potted and were held shut with screws. With those, you can mount whatever kind of ballast you want inside, as long as it fits.
Remote-ballasted MV fixtures were pretty rare in wattages under 400 since by the time 100, 175, and 250W MV became popular, integrally-ballasted fixtures were already out. Plus 100-250W MV ballasts are smaller than higher-wattage ballasts so the first integrally-ballasted fixtues were 100, 175, and 250W MV. I think the first integrally-ballasted fixtures were NEMA lights (though with gumball, hi-fi needle, or admiral's hat optics, since the bucket optics didn't come out until the 60s I think.
GE made integrally-ballasted clamshells for both small and medium wattage fixtures, but a 700-1000W MV integrally-ballasted clamshell was never made. They called the small one the Form 175 PowerPack (depsite the name, I'm almost positive it was made in 250W MV too...) and the Form 400 Powerpack. Their remote ballast versions were simply the Form 175 and Form 400. In 1959, when GE came out with their first cobrahead, they stopped using the "Form ###" format and began using the "M-###" format. the M-400 was the first GE cobrahead, released in 1959. The M-250R was released in 1960. Before the M-250R came out, the M-400 was available with a 250W MV lamp and plastic lens and was called the M-250. It was also available in 175W MV too IIRC, but still called the M-250. The 400W MV M-400 was also available with a plastic lens too for "vandal-prone" areas, though plastic won't stop a BB gun any better than glass IMO... Out of interest's sake, here's a broad timeline of GE's cobraheads:
1959- GE introduces the M-400, their first integrally-ballasted "cobrahead" fixture. This was in response to Westinghouse's landmark TYPE OV-25 luminaire, the first ever cobrahead, released in 1957. It was offered with a glass refractor and 400W MV lamp or a plastic refractor for 175 and 250W lamps (no 100W MV at this time). The 175 and 250W versions has a longer socket to center the lamp in the reflector. These lower wattage versions were dubbed the M-250, the only small wattage GE to be called the M-250 unlike their M-400s, where almost every generation is simply called the M-400. The M-400 will be made until 1970.
1960- GE introduced their first small sized cobrahead for 175 and 250W MV lamps, as well as the new 100W MV lamps. This light was called the M-250R, and would be made until 1970. The M-1000 was released sometime around 1959/1960 and production ended in 1986 IIRC, but I don't know dates for any of the updates/design changes over the years...
1965- GE changes the hinge keeper and push-button latch on their M-250R, M-400, and M-1000 luminaires.
1966- GE changes the paint color of their cobraheads from silver to light gray, which is the color still used today. Also in 1966, GE introduced their landmark "Powr/Door" lights, the M-250A and M-400A (no idea where the "A" comes from lol). The M-250A was offered in 100-250W MV just like the M-250R but unlike the M-250R, the M-250A was offered with a series circuit ballast option and an "Astrodome" photocell option (where the photocell is mounted inside the fixture and faces upwards, out of a clear window on top of the light where the PC socket would normall be). The M-250R never had those options. The M-400A was available in 400W MV and also 400W HPS, which had come out that same year. Any M-400As from that era that are HPS are true rarities. Like with the small lights, the regular M-400 never had the option of HPS.
1970- GE abandons their traditional M-250R and M-400 fixtures for a newer lineup that better matches the Powr/Door lights. Also in 1970, they thinned out the castings on their lights. The new fixtures to supercede the M-250R and M-400 are the M-250R1 and M-400, repectively (yep, new light was also called the M-400 but it's nickname is the M-400 split-door so people know which one you're talking about). The M-400 was available in HPS just like the M-400A. The 1970s M-400 and M-400A are essentially the same light, just one's got a top-mounted ballast and one's got a door-mounted ballast. They have different socket brackets though for some reason... The M-250R1 was different from all the other GEs of its time. It had an external bail-type latch, which would set the standard for the current GE lights today. The other 70s GEs had the block latch (like your godparents' M-400A). The M-250R1s also had an inherent hinge issue, where the hinges would bind and snap off like a twig if the door was shut carelessly. With the M-250A and M-400/M-400A, this wasn't an issue since the doors were shorter (since the units has two doors). The M-1000 kept the 60s hinge style IIRC.
The 70s GEs were made in any HPS wattages available at the time, with no preference given to the Powr/Doors, as there had been with 400W HPS in the 60s.
Mid-1970s: Full cut-off fixtures were introduced. The M-250R1 was made in FCO and the M-400A was made in FCO with a special reflector and lens shape. In the early 80s, the M-250A was made in FCO with a special door with a less-steep refractor angle for a better true 90-degrees full cut-off. M-400 split door was never made in FCO. Sometime between 1977-1979, GE began using NEMA tags on the doors of the lights, HPS lights saw the NEMA tags first I think.
Early-1980s: GE introduced the M-150A, which was a 50-150W HPS Powr/Door luminaire designed to get people to use HPS. It was far different from any GE of the time. First off, it had a very boxy housing, which is unlike any other GE made before or after. Also, it was the first to use all the new features that every GE after would use including the current bail latch, the plug-in igniter, tool-free photocell socket, squarish plastic refractor, and maybe others i'm forgetting. Soon after introducing it, GE realized they could cram 250W gear into the light and they discontinued the M-250A and renamed the M-150A the M-250A2. The renamed M-150A could now handle 50-250W HPS and 100-250W MV. The M-150A was also the first GE to have a 4-bolt slipfitter BTW.
1985: The M-250R1 was discontinued and superceded by the M-250R2. It too had a 4-bolt slipfitter like the M-150A/M-250A2 and was made in 50-250W HPS and 100-250W MV. The M-400/M-400A were also discontinued too and the new M-400R2 and M-400A2 came out. The M-400R2 was the first single-door 400W GE fixture since the 60s M-400. The M-400R2 and A2 used the same top housing (almost the same as the older 70s housings) and had the new tool-free PC socket, bail latch, and all the other showy features GE had just came out with. The M-400R2 and M-400A2 still used the same 70s rocker slipfitter though.
either 1984 or 1987: The M-250A2 got a redesigned top housing, with a more rounded top. The refractor door and power module remained the same.
1992: GE tried a new door design for the M-250R2 before reverting back to a door similar to the original.
1994-ish: GE discontinued the 4-bolt fitter on the M-250R2 but kept it on the M-250A2 as far as I know. The M-400A2 and M-400R2 had their 2-bolt rocker fitters replaced with 4-bolt fitters like the M-250R2 used to have until that year. The 1994 M-250R2 was the first GE to use the "leveling steps" with the 2-bolt fitter, which is the industry standard for all cobraheads now.
1997: GE relases the all-new totally redesigned 200-400W cobrahead with a newrefractor shape. You guessed it, they called this new fixture the M-400! The Powr/Door companion was called the M-400A. The M-400R2 and M-400A2 remained available as a custom order. Also in 1997, GE modified the M-250A2 again to its current look. The front was now rounded off too, which meant a new refractor door shape, but the power module remained unchanged. The new top housing sported the leveling steps in place of the 4-bolt fitter. The new M-400/M-400A have the option of a standard 2-bolt leveling step fitter or a 4-bolt fitter.
1997 was the last year GE made any significant changes to any of their cobraheads, though some very slight changes have been to their fixtures since then.
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Pardon my ignorance but CAN you even get to the windings in a "paintcan" ballast? Or a Wide-Lite ballast can?
Remote-ballasted MV fixtures were pretty rare in wattages under 400 since by the time 100, 175, and 250W MV became popular, integrally-ballasted fixtures were already out. Plus 100-250W MV ballasts are smaller than higher-wattage ballasts so the first integrally-ballasted fixtues were 100, 175, and 250W MV. I think the first integrally-ballasted fixtures were NEMA lights (though with gumball, hi-fi needle, or admiral's hat optics, since the bucket optics didn't come out until the 60s I think.
GE made integrally-ballasted clamshells for both small and medium wattage fixtures, but a 700-1000W MV integrally-ballasted clamshell was never made. They called the small one the Form 175 PowerPack (depsite the name, I'm almost positive it was made in 250W MV too...) and the Form 400 Powerpack. Their remote ballast versions were simply the Form 175 and Form 400. In 1959, when GE came out with their first cobrahead, they stopped using the "Form ###" format and began using the "M-###" format. the M-400 was the first GE cobrahead, released in 1959. The M-250R was released in 1960. Before the M-250R came out, the M-400 was available with a 250W MV lamp and plastic lens and was called the M-250. It was also available in 175W MV too IIRC, but still called the M-250. The 400W MV M-400 was also available with a plastic lens too for "vandal-prone" areas, though plastic won't stop a BB gun any better than glass IMO... Out of interest's sake, here's a broad timeline of GE's cobraheads:
1959- GE introduces the M-400, their first integrally-ballasted "cobrahead" fixture. This was in response to Westinghouse's landmark TYPE OV-25 luminaire, the first ever cobrahead, released in 1957. It was offered with a glass refractor and 400W MV lamp or a plastic refractor for 175 and 250W lamps (no 100W MV at this time). The 175 and 250W versions has a longer socket to center the lamp in the reflector. These lower wattage versions were dubbed the M-250, the only small wattage GE to be called the M-250 unlike their M-400s, where almost every generation is simply called the M-400. The M-400 will be made until 1970.
1960- GE introduced their first small sized cobrahead for 175 and 250W MV lamps, as well as the new 100W MV lamps. This light was called the M-250R, and would be made until 1970. The M-1000 was released sometime around 1959/1960 and production ended in 1986 IIRC, but I don't know dates for any of the updates/design changes over the years...
1965- GE changes the hinge keeper and push-button latch on their M-250R, M-400, and M-1000 luminaires.
1966- GE changes the paint color of their cobraheads from silver to light gray, which is the color still used today. Also in 1966, GE introduced their landmark "Powr/Door" lights, the M-250A and M-400A (no idea where the "A" comes from lol). The M-250A was offered in 100-250W MV just like the M-250R but unlike the M-250R, the M-250A was offered with a series circuit ballast option and an "Astrodome" photocell option (where the photocell is mounted inside the fixture and faces upwards, out of a clear window on top of the light where the PC socket would normall be). The M-250R never had those options. The M-400A was available in 400W MV and also 400W HPS, which had come out that same year. Any M-400As from that era that are HPS are true rarities. Like with the small lights, the regular M-400 never had the option of HPS.
1970- GE abandons their traditional M-250R and M-400 fixtures for a newer lineup that better matches the Powr/Door lights. Also in 1970, they thinned out the castings on their lights. The new fixtures to supercede the M-250R and M-400 are the M-250R1 and M-400, repectively (yep, new light was also called the M-400 but it's nickname is the M-400 split-door so people know which one you're talking about). The M-400 was available in HPS just like the M-400A. The 1970s M-400 and M-400A are essentially the same light, just one's got a top-mounted ballast and one's got a door-mounted ballast. They have different socket brackets though for some reason... The M-250R1 was different from all the other GEs of its time. It had an external bail-type latch, which would set the standard for the current GE lights today. The other 70s GEs had the block latch (like your godparents' M-400A). The M-250R1s also had an inherent hinge issue, where the hinges would bind and snap off like a twig if the door was shut carelessly. With the M-250A and M-400/M-400A, this wasn't an issue since the doors were shorter (since the units has two doors). The M-1000 kept the 60s hinge style IIRC.
The 70s GEs were made in any HPS wattages available at the time, with no preference given to the Powr/Doors, as there had been with 400W HPS in the 60s.
Mid-1970s: Full cut-off fixtures were introduced. The M-250R1 was made in FCO and the M-400A was made in FCO with a special reflector and lens shape. In the early 80s, the M-250A was made in FCO with a special door with a less-steep refractor angle for a better true 90-degrees full cut-off. M-400 split door was never made in FCO. Sometime between 1977-1979, GE began using NEMA tags on the doors of the lights, HPS lights saw the NEMA tags first I think.
Early-1980s: GE introduced the M-150A, which was a 50-150W HPS Powr/Door luminaire designed to get people to use HPS. It was far different from any GE of the time. First off, it had a very boxy housing, which is unlike any other GE made before or after. Also, it was the first to use all the new features that every GE after would use including the current bail latch, the plug-in igniter, tool-free photocell socket, squarish plastic refractor, and maybe others i'm forgetting. Soon after introducing it, GE realized they could cram 250W gear into the light and they discontinued the M-250A and renamed the M-150A the M-250A2. The renamed M-150A could now handle 50-250W HPS and 100-250W MV. The M-150A was also the first GE to have a 4-bolt slipfitter BTW.
1985: The M-250R1 was discontinued and superceded by the M-250R2. It too had a 4-bolt slipfitter like the M-150A/M-250A2 and was made in 50-250W HPS and 100-250W MV. The M-400/M-400A were also discontinued too and the new M-400R2 and M-400A2 came out. The M-400R2 was the first single-door 400W GE fixture since the 60s M-400. The M-400R2 and A2 used the same top housing (almost the same as the older 70s housings) and had the new tool-free PC socket, bail latch, and all the other showy features GE had just came out with. The M-400R2 and M-400A2 still used the same 70s rocker slipfitter though.
either 1984 or 1987: The M-250A2 got a redesigned top housing, with a more rounded top. The refractor door and power module remained the same.
1992: GE tried a new door design for the M-250R2 before reverting back to a door similar to the original.
1994-ish: GE discontinued the 4-bolt fitter on the M-250R2 but kept it on the M-250A2 as far as I know. The M-400A2 and M-400R2 had their 2-bolt rocker fitters replaced with 4-bolt fitters like the M-250R2 used to have until that year. The 1994 M-250R2 was the first GE to use the "leveling steps" with the 2-bolt fitter, which is the industry standard for all cobraheads now.
1997: GE relases the all-new totally redesigned 200-400W cobrahead with a newrefractor shape. You guessed it, they called this new fixture the M-400! The Powr/Door companion was called the M-400A. The M-400R2 and M-400A2 remained available as a custom order. Also in 1997, GE modified the M-250A2 again to its current look. The front was now rounded off too, which meant a new refractor door shape, but the power module remained unchanged. The new top housing sported the leveling steps in place of the 4-bolt fitter. The new M-400/M-400A have the option of a standard 2-bolt leveling step fitter or a 4-bolt fitter.
1997 was the last year GE made any significant changes to any of their cobraheads, though some very slight changes have been to their fixtures since then.