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Proposed Location for New Street Light Installation
When spring arrives and all the snow in the backyard melts (this picture is old from over a year ago) I'm going to ask my dad if I can mount a light off the shed. I will use one of my 30" upsweep aluminum arms with this installation. The arm will be bolted to a block, which will be screwed into two of the shed's wall studs. Obviously four little screws won't be enough, so the block will also have two 3/8" or 1/2" carriage bolts going through it (on either side of the mounting arm) and they will also go through another identical block on the inside of the shed, which will also be screwed to the same two studs as the outer one. The blocks, studs, and carriage bolts will work together to create a snug mount. A section of block will also go under the block on the inside between the studs so that the inside and outside blocks won't be over-tightened. The outside block will have caulking applied around it to ensure a watertight seal.

Now that I explained all the mechanical, now the electrical:
There will be a single-gang PVC junction box screwed onto the outside of the shed wall under the fixture mounting location. It will be around 3 or 4ft off the ground (I will make it the same height as the ones on my house are; whatever that is). The box will have a duplex receptacle for convenience. The duplex receptacle will also service as a terminal block for the splice that will be made. Extending out the bottom of the box will be a grounded extension cord, cut to a foot or two. To power this set-up, the set-up will be plugged into an extension cord that will run across the yard, eliminating the need to run an underground feed. Extending from the top of the box will be 3/4" PVC (the actual diameter will be 3/4", so probably will be called 1/2" since the pipe sizes are always wrong when they list diameter...). The PVC will have a coupling at the top, where a liquid-tight flexible conduit elbow will be attached. That will extend about halfway up the mounting arm to [see below:]
Keywords: Miscellaneous

Proposed Location for New Street Light Installation

When spring arrives and all the snow in the backyard melts (this picture is old from over a year ago) I'm going to ask my dad if I can mount a light off the shed. I will use one of my 30" upsweep aluminum arms with this installation. The arm will be bolted to a block, which will be screwed into two of the shed's wall studs. Obviously four little screws won't be enough, so the block will also have two 3/8" or 1/2" carriage bolts going through it (on either side of the mounting arm) and they will also go through another identical block on the inside of the shed, which will also be screwed to the same two studs as the outer one. The blocks, studs, and carriage bolts will work together to create a snug mount. A section of block will also go under the block on the inside between the studs so that the inside and outside blocks won't be over-tightened. The outside block will have caulking applied around it to ensure a watertight seal.

Now that I explained all the mechanical, now the electrical:
There will be a single-gang PVC junction box screwed onto the outside of the shed wall under the fixture mounting location. It will be around 3 or 4ft off the ground (I will make it the same height as the ones on my house are; whatever that is). The box will have a duplex receptacle for convenience. The duplex receptacle will also service as a terminal block for the splice that will be made. Extending out the bottom of the box will be a grounded extension cord, cut to a foot or two. To power this set-up, the set-up will be plugged into an extension cord that will run across the yard, eliminating the need to run an underground feed. Extending from the top of the box will be 3/4" PVC (the actual diameter will be 3/4", so probably will be called 1/2" since the pipe sizes are always wrong when they list diameter...). The PVC will have a coupling at the top, where a liquid-tight flexible conduit elbow will be attached. That will extend about halfway up the mounting arm to [see below:]

gol041215_004.JPG gol040415_001.JPG normal_041514_005~0.JPG gol101314_023.JPG gol100414_004.JPG
File information
Filename:normal_041514_005~0.JPG
Album name:Mike / My Lights In Use
Keywords:Miscellaneous
Filesize:21 KiB
Date added:Mar 03, 2015
Dimensions:289 x 382 pixels
Displayed:304 times
Color Space:sRGB
DateTime Original:2009:03:27 00:52:24
Exposure Bias:0 EV
Exposure Mode:0
Exposure Time:1/144 sec
FNumber:f/2.8
Flash:No Flash
Focal length:28.8125 mm
Light Source:Unknown: 0
Make:Vivicam
Model:V5024
URL:http://www.galleryoflights.org/mb/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=18999
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Comment 1 to 20 of 26
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streetlight98   [Mar 03, 2015 at 10:37 PM]
[cont'd from picture description:] insure a watertight installation. Running from the junction box up to the light fixture will be a length of 14-gauge outdoor-rated (gray in color) romex. And of course, there will be a box cover over the duplex receptacle- forgot to add that...

Let me know what you think and please let me know if you think I've missed anything. Smile
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Mar 04, 2015 at 04:30 AM]
I like it! I'd use a smaller light here for sure though like that Westy NEMA or something. Also I'd run some power INSIDE the shed as well, at least a light and receptacle. It'd still all be powered off an extension cord, but it's be hardwired from then on.

I
streetlight98   [Mar 04, 2015 at 10:27 AM]
Why a smaller light? This should be just as sturdy as the one on the deck (and if not, the deck installation is well below capacity) and the mounting height should be about the same too. If not a drop lens cobrahead, I might install an FCO cobrahead to cut down on light trespass (or at least try it out).

That would be cool, but I need to draw the line somewhere. Having one light and an outlet powered off a cord is one thing but having the while shed wired up off a cord is a totally different story. Much more expensive too. I'm not wiring up the inside of the shed.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Mar 05, 2015 at 12:10 AM]
Because a larger one would look strange mounted so close to the ground (At least IMO). You could always wire the shed later though too.
streetlight98   [Mar 05, 2015 at 01:01 AM]
Ah I see. It would actually be about the same height as the one mounted of the deck, which I don't think looks strange. I'd like it to be higher, but I also want it to be as far away from the fence as possible, so I need to find a balance. I think 8ft is a good enough height. If it was a long arm it might look strange though. BTW, here's a M-250R just like mine with a browned out lens and all, mounted in someones yard. I've never seen it on so I don't know if it works. The PC looks like a Fisher Pierce but I can't tell how old (70s or 80s it looks like). Would be awesome to get it some day.

There's no practical reason to wire up the shed. We're never in it at night.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Mar 05, 2015 at 03:45 AM]
Yeah you can only go so high LOL. I thought about doing something like that at that house in Atascadero from the railing of the deck that was 12' or so in the air and functioned as a carport underneath (second-story deck).
streetlight98   [Mar 05, 2015 at 11:00 AM]
I suppose I could get a piece of EMT conduit (like what i used for the display in my room) and then run it up as high as I want, but that wouldn't be as a secure and I wouldn't be able to remove the door with the light on the "pole". The higher it is the more light will go into the neighbor's yard though (but like I said, that camper is almost always parked there, and when it's not they're usually in it so they're not home). BTW, this picture is actually a shot off my deck. I was originally taking a pic of the insulator (you can see a little to the right) but I saw the good shot of the shed so I saved it to my computer, cropped it, and edited it.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Mar 06, 2015 at 01:07 AM]
Yeah the neighbors might not like a high-up light running dusk to dawn LOL.
streetlight98   [Mar 06, 2015 at 01:13 AM]
It won't run dusk-to-dawn though. It'll only be used when needed like the one on the deck.
lite_lover   [Mar 06, 2015 at 04:45 AM]
Looks like a good plan Smile An underground feed would be convenient,but more work.
streetlight98   [Mar 06, 2015 at 09:08 PM]
Yeah if it was my own house and I planned on living here forever I'd put in an underground feed but this is really just a temporary set-up, which will come down when I move out. My parents wouldn't let me hardwire the light anyway lol.
Mercuryvapor123   [Mar 10, 2015 at 11:06 PM]
I like this idea too, but one thing is missing..............High masts!!!! Forget all the guess work just light it all up. Laughing
streetlight98   [Mar 10, 2015 at 11:37 PM]
Laughing Razz
streetlight98   [Mar 25, 2015 at 12:52 AM]
It's been APPROVED!!!! My dad OK'ed it, as long as the way I mount it is very sturdy and water-tight.
Model25FanForever   [Mar 25, 2015 at 02:20 AM]
Awesome! I hope it goes well and see the progress of the installation Cool Very Happy
lite_lover   [Mar 25, 2015 at 07:08 AM]
Good stuff!! Looking forward to the installation. Cool
streetlight98   [Mar 25, 2015 at 11:14 AM]
Thanks guys! Will keep you posted. Smile Won't probably do it until late June though because of time. I have to do it before July though.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Mar 25, 2015 at 03:20 PM]
Yeah have you decided what light you're going to use yet?
streetlight98   [Mar 25, 2015 at 07:38 PM]
Nope lol. It will either be the 175W MV OV-10IB, 50W HPS OVC, 100W MV M-250A, 175W MV M-250R (transferring it from the existing one to the new one) or maybe the M-250A2 FCO when I get it. Or maybe the incandescent crescent moon when it get that.

The lights that will not be mounted are the M-250R1s, the OV-15 TuDor FCO, or the M-400 split door since they're NOS lights (well, the OV-15TD had so much work put into restoring it that I don't have the heart to put it back out in the elements lol.)

As for my existing installation, I'm thinking about putting up the 1964 M-400 for Marco for pictures and too see what it looks like. It won't be wired up though since there's no capacitor inside the fixture (light won't work right, and the slip-on terminals on the ends of the leads are just floating around in the fixture so the fixture would be live. I'll probably connect it to the cord and then install an open cap so that if I forget and somehow the fixture ends up being plugged in, nothing will happen.
GEsoftwhite100watts   [Mar 26, 2015 at 02:52 AM]
An incandescent crescent moon?! WHAT? Neat! When's that happening? And are you gonna stick a giant CFL in there? Laughing (Or in all seriousness remote ballast it as 175w MV/MH?) Laughing

Comment 1 to 20 of 26
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