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My Holophane Prismalume Highbay Lights
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I got these from my grandpa. Six in all. I have more lamps than fixtures, since he can't scrap the lamps. He has over 120 of these and saved me six. They're 277V units. They were originally 277V 400W MH/MV but were converted to 350W PSMH 277V. If they were multitap 400W MH/MV i would have asked more fixtures or at least more ballasts.
Anyways:
A) The inside of one of the units. The capacitor and igniter were removed in this pic. You can see the ballast was just wedged in there, as were all of them.
B) The highbays with my OVC standing up for comparison. They're about the same height as the OVC.
C) The lamps. This is all of them. One of the lamps had a bad base and I couldn't reattach it since a weld was broken. I threw it out (i know, i know, a big no-no but I don't have time to hand deliver it to Eco-Depot :roll: )
D) The highbays with the OVC laying down for comparison. You can see a big size difference now lol. these beasts are heavy too! About 30 pounds with a ballast and roughly 25 with no ballast. about three quarters of the weight is the glass lens, naturally. The aluminum reflector and acrylic highbays are much lighter I'm sure...
E) The ballasts, igniters, capacitors, and wirenuts.
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320W PSMH is another common "highbay wattage" for PSMH. It's actually slightly dimmer than 400W probe start MH, at about 30000L. I think the idea behind this wattage is that, although brighter than a new 400W MH, because probe start MH lamps depreciate in output so much while PSMH lamps maintain their output better, a facility can get away with the reduced initial output and make up for it as the lamps age.
Currently I have no plans to install them. I have some Utopian idea that I'm going to have a small warehouse-style outbuilding on my future property with an open-beam ceiling about 20-25ft high, where I will mount the highbays. The approximate dimensions I have in my head are like 30ft X 70ft or thereabouts. I also have those two 175W MV Benjamin mini-merc highbays I could install as well. In addition, when I don't want to use the HIDs, I plan to have rows of fluorescent lights (4ft shoplights mostly) mounted to strut about 10ft off the floor or so, which could be used instead (or in supplement if I needed a ton of light, but my plan is to be able to use one or the other with ample lighting. Perhaps HIDs in the winter and fluorescent in the summer).
Part of the building would have a "loft type" second floor with a balcony railing as a "wall", overlooking the rest of the shop. Up there would be all storage. Handing off the balcony, hanging over the shop would be my NOS or rare street lights, on display indoors. Underneath the loft area would be a first floor. A portion of that first floor would be separate from the open shop area, separated by a lockable door. On the separate part would be a hallway with a drop ceiling and my troffer lights. Off the hall would be a bathroom, perhaps with magnetic PL recessed cans with shower trims and a fluorescent vanity. The bathroom would have a drop ceiling too. This would serve as a guest toilet if I had parties outdoors or whatever. The outside door would be unlocked, people would come in the hallway to use the bathroom, and my open shop area would be locked off. The electric room would be in the low-ceiling area as well and more storage as well. Perhaps a small "hang-out" area with a TV and a couple old couches and a pool table or something too for when the guys are over.
Not an incredibly realistic idea (if money were no object that's exactly how I'd do it but we will see what really happens in the future lol.)