Lamps > Modern

cities that still use mercury vapour lamps. also, do the new LEDs look like DX?

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bryantm3:
i thought it might be interesting to list cities that still use mercury vapour lamps en masse for streetlighting— this isn't for the stray one that got missed during the HPS install in a large city.

here in georgia, there must've been some kind of dumb pork-barrel bill passed in the 90s to give business to local lighting companies, because every city and county, no matter how remote, has installed 100% HPS lights. however, as soon as you pass into bordering states, such as south carolina, north carolina or alabama, you see a mixture, and occasionally you'll find a town that has a large section that still uses mercury vapour lights. the most towns i see that still use MV lights are in alabama, and after a recent trip into alabama i saw two mid-sized cities that still use mercury vapour lighting around their downtown areas: gadsden and anniston. gadsden uses DX lamps around their entire downtown area, except for the main street which has newer lights, i believe they may be MH. the whole city seems a lot more calming at night, more nighttimey if that makes any sense. anniston uses DX lamps exclusively also.

i had a question about the new LED lamps for those who've had them installed around them. are the new LED lamps coloured like DX mercury lamps, is it like the old days again? or is the light coloured more like MH lamps? how does it affect the night sky?

Mike:
There are LEDs in parking lots here and they look more like MH lamps IMO. Glarey white light, though LEDs are dimmer than the HIDs they replace IMO. In smaller parking lots they're popping up left and right, especially in gas stations and car dealerships. Parking lots with tall shoeboxes like at malls, WalMart, Target, JC Penny's, Sears, etc here are still PSMH though. .

I don't like LEDs. They're too glarey, the light is too directional (not enough light is cast around the fixture, rather there's a spot light shining on the ground below the pole and that's it), most installations are not as bright as the lighting systems they replaced, they are a rip off with the price they sell for, they aren't interchangable among manufacturers, and finally, the manufacturers are straight out LYING about LEDs. They are no more efficient than the HPS and PSMH fixtures out on the roads today and lights out there today have replacable universal parts unlike LEDs which you need to buy an exact part from the same manufacturer. and no doubt prices will be much higher since each company makes their own parts instead of everyone making interchangable parts.

It's for the same reason I don't like apple computers. they aren't 100% compatable with PCs, yet all PCs no metter the manufacturer, are fully compatable with each other just like HIDs. Want a different light source or wattage? Change the ballast and keep the fixture. want more memory on your PC? you can install more memory.

GEsoftwhite100watts:
LOL I'm a Mac user...IMO PC stands for "Piece of Crud" but I do like the fact that they're compatible with each other.
IMO almost ANYTHING is better than that orangish-pinkish light of HPS that finds it's way into every nook and cranny...MV, induction LED, and MH seem much more peaceful and less invasive at night IMO...especially MV and induction, and to a lesser degree, LED and MH- they're a bit glary for my taste.

Mike:
yeah i agree about the HPS color being horrible. did you know the DSA wants LEDs with more red in the specturm used for street lighting? >:( this means orangey colored LEDs lol. seems like manufacturers aren't complying thankfully lol

bryantm3:
i don't know about the DSA doing that, but i know that on the georgia coast, the sea turtle conservationists are advocating using LEDs that look like LPS lights. personally i think it's kind of pointless the way that they did it on saint simons— they added about 20 more lights than were already there and made the pier a bright orange nightmare!

i get the DSA people for the most part, wanting to have the night back. there are some places that are overly illuminated, like here in atlanta we have a CDC building that has a 1000 watt HPS light that literally shines sideways into the forest, it doesn't even cover the parking lot. however i think some of their requests are unreasonable, like instituting curfews for lighting. why would we need lights in the daytime?

back to the LED issue, there are some pictures online that look really nice, almost like MV fixtures, of LED lamps. however, i haven't seen them in person so i can't vouch for them. but seeing them makes me think that maybe we'll get the old school moonlight glow back to our streets at night.

torrence, CA:


ann arbor, MI:


philadelphia, PA:

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