Super worklights?

[BioHazard]

So about an hour ago I was out in the parking lot of my shop with an old mag lite in the rain trying to squirt the mud off the asphalt before the neighbors get pissed. I almost always work at night...I need better worklights, especially for outdoor use. I had a 100w metal halide pointed at me, but that's not even close to enough. I'm thinking about those giant diesel powered light machines on trailers they drag around to various construction sites. I don't think one of those is in the budget but I bet the lights are!

Seems like they usually have four MH bulbs - how many watts are they?

I think I'd like to build some kind of cart, with a telescoping post for the lights to mount and some wheels. Think one of these would make a good worklight?
http://www.1000bulbs.com/1000-Watt-Metal-Halide-BT37-Reduced-Envelope/
More than 100,000 lumens. And I could plug it into the power inverter in my truck.

Or would something like that simply be TOO bright? Maybe it would be better to have multiple smaller bulbs for less shadowing? Is there an "ideal" height for something like that?

 

[kbs2244]

They are real bright!
They are meant to make it look like daylight, and they do.
Most are diesel powered, and are a power source for plug in tools as well.

Check the gov surplus auctions in your area.
Fire departments use them at accident scenes and street departments use them for emergency work.

 

[method]

We have to 500W halogen flood lights in front of our garage, they are bright enough.

 

[Aceman]

I use these quite a bit for area lighting. Not cheap but you won't complain about lack of light. They make various brackets to mount them to wall or on the top of a piece of 2" steel pipe.

http://www.elightbulbs.com/Hubbell-00793-MHSY400P-Commercial-Flood-Light-Fixture

 

[mrb]

heres one for you...available in 400w or 1000w, the fixture is about 2ft square http://www.howard-lighting.com/Documents/FloodLights/ELFL.pdf

 

[BioHazard]

I use these quite a bit for area lighting. Not cheap but you won't complain about lack of light. They make various brackets to mount them to wall or on the top of a piece of 2" steel pipe.

http://www.elightbulbs.com/Hubbell-00793-MHSY400P-Commercial-Flood-Light-Fixture

That's real similar to the 100w version I have out there now. Obviously that's rather small for outdoor flood lighting, but one of the biggest issues is shadowing, since there's only one point of light.

Do you think it would be better to make some kind of pole with two or four aimable lights rather than one single bulb? Or would there be enough reflection from a brighter bulb to not matter?

There's a guy on craigslist selling a bunch of old 400w high bay fixtures for $20 each...I might try to make something out of a few of those.

 

[Norcal]

I cannot find a front view of the flood light but it's a 1000 W MH, & approx. 2' square, & for a bit of useless info, the ballast driving the lamp is a genuine dope grower too.

 

[scooby074]

what about the twin 500 halogens? cheap and portable.http://shopping.canoe.ca/shop/product--catId_1001222__locale_en__productId_1853261.html

 

[Norcal]

what about the twin 500 halogens? cheap and portable.http://shopping.canoe.ca/shop/product--catId_1001222__locale_en__productId_1853261.html

IMO, portable lighting is the only use for halogen, & one has instant on & no warm up or wait for a restrike in the event of a power failure as is the case w/ MH lighting.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I think I'd like to build some kind of cart, with a telescoping post for the lights to mount and some wheels. Think one of these would make a good worklight?
http://www.1000bulbs.com/1000-Watt-Metal-Halide-BT37-Reduced-Envelope/
More than 100,000 lumens. And I could plug it into the power inverter in my truck.

Not really sure your power inverter could carry one. That will consume right at 10 amps at 120 volt.

Charles

 

[BioHazard]

I've had some of those halogen worklights before...they work....but I'm going more for the daylight at night/mothership is landing type thing. I'm really picky about color temperature and I don't really like what the halogens put out...

Not really sure your power inverter could carry one. That will consume right at 10 amps at 120 volt.

That's what the 3000w inverter and 200A alternator are for.

the ballast driving the lamp is a genuine dope grower too.

Is that why the windows are blacked out?

 

[Norcal]

I've had some of those halogen worklights before...they work....but I'm going more for the daylight at night/mothership is landing type thing. I'm really picky about color temperature and I don't really like what the halogens put out...


That's what the 3000w inverter and 200A alternator are for.


Is that why the windows are blacked out?

It was in the process of being painted, the ballast was dumped off at a scrap yard by the county & I salvaged it, to be used as intended.

 

[sams]

I have a bit of a different suggestion, get some 4x4 style spot lights, anything cheap will do. Then get the appropriate type of HID globe and conversion kit from ebay.

The h3 size is probably the most common and cheap and 6500K is the colour you want for pure white light. Then mount these on a stand/trolley/whatever with a deep cycle 12V battery on the bottom to power it.

If you want to do it on a real budget just get one of those el-cheapo china furniture trolleys for $25 or so, strap a second hand van/4x4 battery on it and then extend a pole upwards off the center to hold the two lights. The battery in the bottom would provide enough weight to keep it all steady. This would be cheap, easy to move around and provide the equivolent of about 300W of Halogen light with 2 x 35W HID xenon globes. Not enough? buy more light fittings!