If you could put any light out front of this shop, what would you put?

haugy · Nov 17, 2010

See picture.

I'm putting a light right in the middle of the two doors, just under the roof line (gutters will be installed later). But I just can't decide on what to put. It's on a switch, and I'm not looking to have it run all the time. There will be motion lights at the two corners.

So if you were doing it, what would you choose?

Wall fixture flood style or Hanging lamp style?
Halogen, Metal Halide, Flourescent?

I'm looking for a good bright light. Not the sun, but something that can really spread a good broad amount of light.

Please help, as I just can't seem to make up my mind. So I'm letting yall choose for me. :bounce:

PaulR · Nov 17, 2010

I got a sodium light high above my garage, I didn't choose it, came with the place, but damn it's like daylight out there after that bad larry warms up.
Not sure what they put in street lamps but it's kinda like that, only whiter.
I'll see if I can't take a pic in the next day or two.

babzog · Nov 17, 2010

I'd put a low pressure sodium light out there with a programmable timer switch (optional, could just use a regular switch) inside.

walrus · Nov 17, 2010

I'd use a metal halide wall pack

A_Pmech · Nov 17, 2010

walrus said:
I'd use a metal halide wall pack

+1 to this.

:thumbup:

haugy · Nov 17, 2010

Well that's two for Sodium, two for MH. Those who have chosen, what wattage do you think is good enough? I'm not looking for the sun, but pretty decent.

Cuda · Nov 17, 2010

I would have said the metal halide wall pak until this afternoon. I was at our local electrical supply house and saw some LED wall pak type fixtures. 28 watt units I believe that are equivlent to 175 watt mh. And they are priced at $150.00 each. I'll try and get back there tomorrow and get you the model number on them.

haugy · Nov 17, 2010

I'm kind of leaning towards something like this:

http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/788/HLF-250HSW250MH.html

kenfath · Nov 17, 2010

I never gave fluorescent flood lights much respect until my son needed to do something to keep the neighborhood pervert at bay. He installed a fluorescent spot light which has 2-13-watt 'U' tube style bulbs near the peak of his 3-car garage. His house is set back about 40' feet from the curb line and the light illuminates the area nicely. It has a photo cell and is on all night. It was a inexpensive (~$25) fixture, is cheap to operate and the original bulbs are still going strong after four years.

walrus · Nov 17, 2010

haugy said:
I'm kind of leaning towards something like this:

http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/788/HLF-250HSW250MH.html

I replaced a bulb for a customer on that exact same light yesterday, 250 watt MH. Nice light, Stainless holddown screws. Very important to have Stainless fasteners on a pot metal light as regular screws will never come out after some time in the weather. Even Stainless will get stuck after awhile

Stuart in MN · Nov 17, 2010

haugy said:
I'm kind of leaning towards something like this:

http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/788/HLF-250HSW250MH.html

Looks like a decent choice to me.

babzog · Nov 18, 2010

I've got a light on the house like the one haugy showed though it's a sodium light, not MH.

I was actually mistaken... the light I was referring to in ym first post as a choice would be a high pressure sodium (not low pressure). This one from home depot, 70 watt, is what I'm eyeballing for the shop peak light.

Greatbear · Nov 18, 2010

I would go with wall-pack lighting, either Metal halide or high pressure sodium, with the choice based on what you plan to do with the lighting. MH (or even fluorescent) has a nice white color, good for working and seeing details at night, but the glare can be a bit extreme in residential settings. HPS lighting is more efficient per watt, the golden color tends to have less glare, does not draw as many insects (it's similar to "bug light" color) but tends to look rather "industrial." I have a single 70watt HPS wall pack mounted between my two garage doors, it has a downward light pattern to keep the light where it's needed and not put so much light up at the house.

Gary S · Nov 18, 2010

I put florescent lights on all sides of my garage 6 years ago. I'd never use anything else. They are all on photocells so they light the area any time it is dark, and they consume very little electricity.
A 250 watt light would eat lots of power and light only one side of the building. I light my entire yard on all sides of my garage with about 100 watts.

Norcal · Nov 18, 2010

babzog said:
I've got a light on the house like the one haugy showed though it's a sodium light, not MH.

I was actually mistaken... the light I was referring to in ym first post as a choice would be a high pressure sodium (not low pressure). This one from home depot, 70 watt, is what I'm eyeballing for the shop peak light.

There is no such thing as "sodium" lighting there is HPS & LPS, high pressure sodium (amber color) & low pressure sodium, (yellow color), of the 2, HPS is the better choice as color rendition is better & fixtures are smaller in higher wattages then LPS. For white light, MH is a great choice, but lamp life in 250 watt & lower wattages MH is less then the equivalent HPS lamp.

Below are a couple of links of the brands/models of wall packs I would choose, not recommending the dealers, they were just EZ links. HD is a poor choice as a seller for outdoor lighting IMO.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/LI...se-_-Lighting-_-Outdoor Area Fixtures-_-3YA78

http://www.goodmart.com/products/lumark-175w-metal-halide-clear-wal-pak-mhwl175mtll.htm

Picture is of a Hubbell 175W MH wall pack.

PaulR · Nov 18, 2010

Found this HPS versus MH comparison on Google:

http://www.darkskysociety.org/handouts/white_paper--mh_vs_hps.pdf

Like I say mine came with the place a few months ago so I don't know exactly what it is, but I assume it's HPS, the light is very close to white. I'm no scientist but I can plainly see (as an example) the difference between regular 4100K and 6500K bulbs like night and day.

I'm sure whatever you'll get you'll be very happy, the choice is splitting hairs really.

haugy · Nov 18, 2010

Thanks for all the feedback guys, I started thinking about how I'll be using this light, and I'm not sure I want the blinding white light. After looking at the reference sheet from PaulR and reading about the colors I decided on a High Pressure Sodium wall pack just like the picture above, but HPS instead of MH.

This light will be on a switch for when I need it only. I have dual brights on the corners already to light the perimeter, this light was for when I really needed some ooomph.

After pricing it out, a 400w HPS was cheaper than the the 250w MH. So I went with that. Like I said, it won't be on all the time, so power draw is a minimal concern, but when I need it, I want it to put out some light.

Thanks for all the thoughts and comments.

This is what I went with:

http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/53948/TL-106EXTHPS400.html

Ezzie · Nov 18, 2010

If I may offer an opinion. I would think a 400W HPS is kind of overkill and would be excessive unless you are doing a very large area such as a parking lot. I have a 70W HPS Cooper Wallpack about 28' up on the front peak above my overhead door and it throws a nice light all around the front of a 60' wide building.

haugy · Nov 18, 2010

Ezzie said:
If I may offer an opinion. I would think a 400W HPS is kind of overkill and would be excessive unless you are doing a very large area such as a parking lot. I have a 70W HPS Cooper Wallpack about 28' up on the front peak above my overhead door and it throws a nice light all around the front of a 60' wide building.

My friends call me Captain Overkill. :lol_hitti

Well it's 80' from the front of the shop to the back of my house. I've got a very wide and large driveway, and we've put 12 vehicles just behind the house on concrete. So it kinda is a parking lot. Oh well, it's as cheap as the 70w HPS, so might as well go all out. :bounce:

I'll take pictures when it's up, if the camera can adjust to the light. HA!!

Grumpy365 · Nov 18, 2010

I would put one of these.

haugy · Nov 18, 2010

Grumpy365 said:
I would put one of these.

We have an 8' bedroom window at the front of the house. I want to put one of those in it sooooo bad. Wife says, "only during christmas". :bounce:

knobby · Nov 18, 2010

Ezzie said:
If I may offer an opinion. I would think a 400W HPS is kind of overkill and would be excessive unless you are doing a very large area such as a parking lot. I have a 70W HPS Cooper Wallpack about 28' up on the front peak above my overhead door and it throws a nice light all around the front of a 60' wide building.

The man knows his lights I agree 100%

haugy · Nov 18, 2010

knobby said:
The man knows his lights I agree 100%

It's too late. It was too late when he said that. I already ordered it. I guess we'll see how overkill it is. :lol_hitti

I can always get a smaller wattage bulb if I need to.

chew · Nov 18, 2010

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but with HID lighting (HPS,LPS,MH,MV) the ballast is matched to the bulb. If you look inside, it well say on the ballast what wattage bulb it's meant to be used with.

haugy · Nov 19, 2010

Oooops. I noticed the bulbs sizes and made sure there were others available. Didn't know about the ballast. Oh well. Too late now.

bdkruger1 · Nov 19, 2010

A smokin' hot naked chick holding a coleman lantern. Ok, she can wear an old leather aviator helmet. Hey, you asked and said," any ".

Greatbear · Nov 19, 2010

Grumpy365 said:
I would put one of these.

I'd think that "leg lamp" might be a bit inappropriate for a shop setting. It's rather, um, "fra-gee-lay". :lol:

Jokeman · Nov 20, 2010

RAB floodzillas

cabman · Nov 22, 2010

It is a good idea to think about light pollution with outdoor lighting.
You can still have good if not better lighting, shielded fixtures help you control both the placement and the amount of light so you only the light you need and less glare.
more info:
http://docs.darksky.org/PG/PG3-residential-lighting.pdf

haugy · Nov 22, 2010

cabman said:
It is a good idea to think about light pollution with outdoor lighting.
You can still have good if not better lighting, shielded fixtures help you control both the placement and the amount of light so you only the light you need and less glare.
more info:
http://docs.darksky.org/PG/PG3-residential-lighting.pdf

I understand what you are saying, and I agree. But this light will be on a switch for when I need it only. Not all the time. And with lights bright enough to melt my retina's inside my shop I don't see me using it all the time. Just when I really need it.

If you could put any light out front of this shop, what would you put?

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