Area/flood lighting

[dtrojcak]

I'm wanting to put up some lighting, probably LED, on the back side of my shop to light up cattle pen area.
The area is approximately 100'x100'.
I don't need it to be 'daylight' bright, but want it brighter than a full moon.
The light will be mounted approximately 18' high.

Any suggestions from anyone who has done similar?

 

[markushofer27]

we installed a few RAB 150 watt floods for customers the last few years

 

[markushofer27]

One 150 watt will light up a pretty good area

 

[dtrojcak]

Anyone have any experience with something like these?

 

[Lelandwelds]

we installed a few RAB 150 watt floods for customers the last few years

Anyone have any experience with something like these?

That's comparing a Hugo to a Cadillac.

 

[dtrojcak]

That's comparing a Hugo to a Cadillac.

I wasn’t comparing the two.
Will it get the job done?

I’m sure the RAB one is nice, but I am not trying to light up a parking lot bright enough for my security cameras to pick up a license plate.
I simply want to light up a cattle pen.
I can’t justify spending $600 on a light I will use once it twice a year.

 

[dtrojcak]

I have purchased led light from this company. it is good. http://www.evershining.cc/

I’m always leery of companies that won’t post their prices.

 

[Bretny]

I just put this on the side of my house. It will for sure cover well over 100x100ft. I got another socket and installed it in the center. I like being able to change from spot to flood light. I have found that LED spot lights aimed on the outer perimeter of your area will light up below them very well.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/BELL-Wh...Weatherproof-Lampholder-Kit-5829-6G/204208056

Im going to be adding 2 more of these lights for different night/winter tasks i need to do. Walking the dogs, loading firewood and working in front of my garage.
I had a double head flood that had two hallogen bulbs in it and was very disappointed in the light output. I also would stay away from CFL bulbs in any cold climate, they take for ever to warm up if they ever do. Also if a bulb says its 120w, uses only 75w and dosnt say led...its a CFL.

 

[Bretny]

Anyone have any experience with something like these?

A two pack of 120w LED lights is $17 at homedepot and if they blow you stil have a good housing. Those are prety $$ for throw away led lights.

 

[dtrojcak]

A two pack of 120w LED lights is $17 at homedepot and if they blow you stil have a good housing. Those are prety $$ for throw away led lights.

Those are 120W equivalent, not 120w.

But I’m thinking they may be enough for what I want to light up.
If they’re not, I can use them in another location, so no money lost on my part.

Thanks

 

[cowboy73]

Look at mercury vapor lights. Similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GBSXJS/?tag=atomicindus08-20


That's what we use on the farm to light up large areas. Won't be as efficient on electricity but they do a good job.

 

[Bretny]

Those are 120W equivalent, not 120w.

But I’m thinking they may be enough for what I want to light up.
If they’re not, I can use them in another location, so no money lost on my part.

Thanks

Yes thats what i said. The equivalent is really the only watt rating thst matters for light output in this situation.
If you feel that two $100 lights are better than two $30 leds buy them.

 

[Bert_]

Look at mercury vapor lights. Similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GBSXJS/?tag=atomicindus08-20


That's what we use on the farm to light up large areas. Won't be as efficient on electricity but they do a good job.

Unfortunately there are no mercury vapor lights made anymore. Government regulations and all that BS.

Most of the NEMA "bucket lights" are high pressure sodium (HPS). Still a good light for dusk to dawn operation. I would suggest staying with name brands though, better quality fixtures for not much more money. I put up lots of the GE SAM line, a 150w is about $150.

If this light is only going to be switched on a few times a year I would be tempted to just put up an incandescent or halogen flood light. A 500W halogen flood is like $30. An LED or HID will offer almost no energy savings with the amount of usage we are talking about

 

[theoldwizard1]

If this light is only going to be switched on a few times a year I would be tempted to just put up an incandescent or halogen flood light. A 500W halogen flood is like $30. An LED or HID will offer almost no energy savings with the amount of usage we are talking about

Halogen for sure, if the usage is low.

 

[markushofer27]

Stop at A local supply house and see what they have

 

[Pwaley]

LED stuff off of Amazon is the best bet.

 

[Bert_]

LED stuff off of Amazon is the best bet.

I really hope that was meant as a joke. A lot of the stuff sold on amazon is junk. It might be one step up from ebay but thats not saying much.

Why are so many people willing to buy low quality LED stuff that will neither outperform nor outlast traditional light sources? Just a quick look at the spec sheet for any of these low end lights shows how crappy they really are, some of them don't even provide a spec sheet but that just means they are even worse.

Most of these cheap LED lights really overdrive the LED chips in order to get the lumens up. But that means the chips (which were low quality to begin with) will either just plain burn out or they gradually get dimmer over a year or two of use.

 

[ForceFed70]

Anyone have any experience with something like these?

They're a cheap fixture. There's a reason you can spend $500 for essentially the same light.

Having said that - they do work. Just be warned about the wattage. While advertised as 150W in reality they'll put out less than 100W of light.

 

[cybrdyke]

Why are so many people willing to buy low quality LED stuff

Lack of information.
LED lighting is still relatively new. Most people dont understand it. Compounded with the fact that most people dont understand lighting in general. Remember, for decades all we had was incandescent lamps. There was virtually no difference between the various brands in quality and performance. So we have been trained that all lamps are the same.
How many forum members understand the difference between a thousand brands of chips, drivers, and fixtures? Maybe 5. Most just barely understand how to compare lumens. Have you noticed how many people still try to use lumens per square foot as a design criteria?
It's not their fault, though. It's not common knowledge. And after all, we're lighting garages....
CD