Help w/ Mercury Vapor Light Analysis

[luvit]

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i just bought this house a few months ago and know nothing about this light.
i climbed my pole.

the bulb glass is clear, no markings, i forgot to check bulb base. (i don't know the precise bulb wattage)
**there are such things a self-ballasted MV lights.**
i'm planning to remove this bulb in favor of a lower wattage bulb with possibly motion sensing.

what is the quickest and easiest way to determine if this fixture has a ballast without tearing the fixture open?
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[luvit]

UPDATED ORIGINAL POST
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[pattenp]

The warm up time on a mercury vapor bulb is to long to be on a motion sensor. You should change out the fixture to halogen to be on a motion sensor.

 

[pattenp]

Forgot to add... the wattage bulb in your MV fixture is the only wattage that it will take. The ballast is sized for the bulb wattage. It's probably a 175W bulb, so you can't go down to 125W. This is my limited understanding of MV lights.

 

[luvit]

here's the thing.
i'm wanting to go to no-ballast and to change to another bulb that does not require a ballast.
if anyone can help me find the easiest way to determine if there is a ballast for sure, i would be grateful.

it's safe to assume there is a ballast in this light, but i want to know for sure since there are *some* self-ballasting MV bulbs.
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[Charles (in GA)]

I'll bet a fixture housing that large has a ballast in it. Are there any markings on the metal base of the bulb? Indeed, you don't want a motion sensing on a MV lamp, it will kill it real quick.

Charles

 

[luvit]

i have no intention of keeping this bulb.. especially on motion sensing.
i'll go pull the bulb again to check the base.

 

[luvit]

I'll bet a fixture housing that large has a ballast in it. Are there any markings on the metal base of the bulb?

alright, no marking on the base, except for the letter R which appears at the top of the base (closest to the bulb base) and the R is printed twice,each at 180degrees.

(on the tip there are 0-9 and JFMAMJ-JASOND, which does not mark any date code)

Thanks for factoring-in the size as a good-measure factor.

Can the ballast be bypassed and still keep this fixture?
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[pattenp]

There is a ballast in the upper part of the housing. See the set of coils in picture.

 

[luvit]

sweet, i got everything i need to prepare!
thanks, guys!

Double Thanks!

 

[pattenp]

Okay... so what's your plan? Just curious.

 

[luvit]

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optimizing needs vs. cost

i'm going to modify the fixture and the bulb socket, stuff 1 or multiple standard CFL bulbs into the lens
**totals about the same price as a new MV bulb.

lumens will be greatly reduced, but 7800 lumens is too much for the area i'm trying to light.
**i don't like it's nightlight effect bleeding into the house each night.

lower the wattage and operation costs from about $8-$9/mo.
**new operation cost will be about $1.3/mo
(before/after calc'd only on 12hr average runtime each night)

i will likely not fiddle with a motion sensor after all and use halogen w/motion sensors under my home's eves.
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[pattenp]

You may want to check this as an option.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002I0GSJW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[SGKent]

use LED's. They are the newest and best technology. Most bang for the buck. We have two that put out more light than a sodium 70 watt and are on a motion sensor. The 70 watt sodium fixture replaced a high wattage mercury lamp. IMHO stop wasting your time with that unit and move on to LED.

 

[MoonRise]

If you really don't want the mercury vapor fixture (and bulb) there, then just remove the entire fixture and replace it with what you want instead.

CFL bulb, outdoors, and base-up configuration? Not generally what I would choose (too many experiences of 'bad' CFLs).

Option that I generally like is a motion-sensor with 'dual-brightness' option that can either directly or via a relay also trigger secondary lights when 'triggered' to high-power. Normal operation is thus just a relatively low-powered 'night-light' setting, but when the motion sensor is triggered the light goes to 'full-power' as well as triggering additional lights.

Low powered light most of the time, and then you get to choose just how much 'daylight' comes on when the motion sensor detects motion.

 

[luvit]

i'm aware of off the shelf options. i can out-perform yard buster's advertised bulb specs which are:
$30, 65W, 550 lumens, 8,000hrs

i'll be:
$10, 23W 1500 lumens, 10,000hrs

i just can't beat the lifespan of MV bulbs (no interest in matching 7K lumens, either)
i have had excellent luck with CFL for over 8 years
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[Gary S]

Homework time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-vapor_lamp

 

[luvit]

Homework time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-vapor_lamp

pattonp's pic and charles statement on fixture size answered my question about "is there a ballast on this one".

wikipedia typically doesn't get to the level of detail i need.
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[casetractorfarmer]

How about a florsent replacement light that is the same as what you have now only florsent i have one on my barn and love it only uses about 65 watts

 

[luvit]

How about a florsent replacement light that is the same as what you have now only florsent i have one on my barn and love it only uses about 65 watts

This is what I posted a few posts ago:

i'm aware of off the shelf options. i can out-perform yard buster's advertised bulb specs which are:
$30, 65W, 550 lumens, 8,000hrs

i'll be:
$10, 23W 1500 lumens, 10,000hrs

i just can't beat the lifespan of MV bulbs (no interest in matching 7K lumens, either)
i have had excellent luck with CFL for over 8 years
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