It was 1996 when my mother sent me that very same mercury light from a store here in California. Well, I am a woman of two sons, and after I pleaded for two years to install it in my garage, guess what happened? It's in the same spot where I set it 30 years ago. Never used, never moved, and never opened. My mother has been dead for 15 years, and I'm now 74 years old and just paid off my mortgage. My sons are too large and in their late 50's, so they laughed at the thought of trying to install it now. I just rediscovered it last week, and this video gives me hope that it still can be used. All my neighbors put up solar lights, but I hope this "baby" can light up my 55 by 126 property nicely. Bless your heart for posting this video. 😊 I ❤ it.
I've been following your channel four a few years now. I too am a lighting buff, especially the HID fixtures, just so fascinating how they operate. I have two HID fixtures, a 150w high pressure sodium flood fixture and my favorite, an 18w low pressure sodium slimline wall fixture I use for a front porch light. Too bad these fixtures are falling by the wayside in favor of LED. LED is bright and efficient, but they lack the character of the HID's, in my humble opinion.. Anyway, it is nice to know of people like yourself not letting these awesome older fixtures completely fade away into history. Thanks so much for the content!
Man you've been killing it finding these older MV yard lights recently! These are my favorite out of all of the ones this style, and are probably THE original ones too. I loved (and still love) seeing these as a kid. They're pretty easy to identify with the bump (as you mentioned) along with the fact that it has an actual, good quality photocell socket which means that the photocell is higher than the others and you can also see the socket for it too. The ballast was also used in their street lights at the time as well, and I think by the time lost their American Electric printing when the Electripak name was started being used. I have a 100w MV ballast from a transitional 1992 AE yard light with the square Electripak photocell and it has 'American Electric 100w MV' or something like that but it definitely said American Electric on it although faded. I also love that the label is thicker and is even engraved just like the older lights before it that had them. That too was used in their street lights, however one thing that is missing is the 'work place' followed by some numbers. That seemed common on AE's stuff in the 90s. I think around this time that went away on their yard lights but I'm not sure about their street lights. The lamp is great too. I believe late '95 or early '96 was when the Lifeguard electrodes went away. And around '88 for the BT-28 shape. AE sold these lights back Westinghouse when was still around and they came with clear BT-28 Lifeguards. I think they may have even been sold under the ITT name at one point. All in all these were essentially shrunken down NEMA heads (which were used as street lights in a lot of places) that came with a higher quality (I wouldn't call it high quality solely due the fact that the ballast is sloppily wound lol, but it certainly is better than a lot out there) ballast, actual photocell socket, quality lamp (the Westinghouse and Philips lamps with the Lifeguard electrodes), and decent (except for those square ones, and maybe those translucent ALRs) photocells.
Funny that you mention this being potentially branded as ITT; I have one of these I saved during an abandoned cabin remodel for a friend. Dated to be 1982, I believe. It still had its original PC (FP, like this one), Westy 175W MV lamp, and refractor. Absolute art. I fired it up minutes after taking it down; no issues: quiet ballast, functional lamp!!! Modern products would never survive 20+ years up in a tree, constant sunlight, and heavy winter snow... really says a lot about the quality of products back then.
My light is 25 feet up, finally got the 30+year old Mercury vapor bulb out with a 30' extension pole and bulb changer on it, I put in a 175w H39 Feit bulb. I installed it and it finally came on after waiting overnight, but it is dim?
If your fixture looks exactly like this one in the video, these only came in 175 watt for mercury vapor. These bulbs do take a couple minutes or more to warm up, which is normal. If after about 10 minutes of being on it is still dim, then it might be a different style fixture.
If it has the latches on the sides then it could be one of three wattages of mercury vapor: 100, 175 or 250. 100 and 250 are quite rare with 175 watt being the most common by far. I'd still guess yours 175 watt though.
@@Parrot175 Thanks for the info, this fixture was installed at our house in the country before we moved in 30 years ago and I have never replaced the bulb until now. I think it could be a ballast issue, it sometimes takes hours to light up, but sometimes it comes right on. Thanks again!
I love it when things come to life after sitting around for years or even decades!
It was 1996 when my mother sent me that very same mercury light from a store here in California. Well, I am a woman of two sons, and after I pleaded for two years to install it in my garage, guess what happened? It's in the same spot where I set it 30 years ago. Never used, never moved, and never opened.
My mother has been dead for 15 years, and I'm now 74 years old and just paid off my mortgage. My sons are too large and in their late 50's, so they laughed at the thought of trying to install it now. I just rediscovered it last week, and this video gives me hope that it still can be used. All my neighbors put up solar lights, but I hope this "baby" can light up my 55 by 126 property nicely. Bless your heart for posting this video. 😊 I ❤ it.
The lamp was made in Bath, NY. That is what the triangle symbol between the USA and the date code means.
I've been following your channel four a few years now. I too am a lighting buff, especially the HID fixtures, just so fascinating how they operate. I have two HID fixtures, a 150w high pressure sodium flood fixture and my favorite, an 18w low pressure sodium slimline wall fixture I use for a front porch light.
Too bad these fixtures are falling by the wayside in favor of LED. LED is bright and efficient, but they lack the character of the HID's, in my humble opinion..
Anyway, it is nice to know of people like yourself not letting these awesome older fixtures completely fade away into history. Thanks so much for the content!
Sounds like you have a wonderful little collection, especially the 18w LPS light! Glad you enjoy the videos!
Nice. Interesting to see the comparison with the Heath fitting
Man you've been killing it finding these older MV yard lights recently!
These are my favorite out of all of the ones this style, and are probably THE original ones too. I loved (and still love) seeing these as a kid. They're pretty easy to identify with the bump (as you mentioned) along with the fact that it has an actual, good quality photocell socket which means that the photocell is higher than the others and you can also see the socket for it too.
The ballast was also used in their street lights at the time as well, and I think by the time lost their American Electric printing when the Electripak name was started being used. I have a 100w MV ballast from a transitional 1992 AE yard light with the square Electripak photocell and it has 'American Electric 100w MV' or something like that but it definitely said American Electric on it although faded.
I also love that the label is thicker and is even engraved just like the older lights before it that had them. That too was used in their street lights, however one thing that is missing is the 'work place' followed by some numbers. That seemed common on AE's stuff in the 90s. I think around this time that went away on their yard lights but I'm not sure about their street lights.
The lamp is great too. I believe late '95 or early '96 was when the Lifeguard electrodes went away. And around '88 for the BT-28 shape. AE sold these lights back Westinghouse when was still around and they came with clear BT-28 Lifeguards. I think they may have even been sold under the ITT name at one point.
All in all these were essentially shrunken down NEMA heads (which were used as street lights in a lot of places) that came with a higher quality (I wouldn't call it high quality solely due the fact that the ballast is sloppily wound lol, but it certainly is better than a lot out there) ballast, actual photocell socket, quality lamp (the Westinghouse and Philips lamps with the Lifeguard electrodes), and decent (except for those square ones, and maybe those translucent ALRs) photocells.
Funny that you mention this being potentially branded as ITT; I have one of these I saved during an abandoned cabin remodel for a friend. Dated to be 1982, I believe.
It still had its original PC (FP, like this one), Westy 175W MV lamp, and refractor. Absolute art.
I fired it up minutes after taking it down; no issues: quiet ballast, functional lamp!!! Modern products would never survive 20+ years up in a tree, constant sunlight, and heavy winter snow... really says a lot about the quality of products back then.
Nice light and cool color it gives off
I have 3 of those in the box still.
I had the same one back in the 90's
Nice! I've wanted one of these since my childhood farm, but for some reason they just keep eluding me.
very nice! I've got one from February of '87
you can get a retro hps bulb for it to change from mercury to sodium
How can identify my Mercury vapor fixture?
My light is 25 feet up, finally got the 30+year old Mercury vapor bulb out with a 30' extension pole and bulb changer on it, I put in a 175w H39 Feit bulb. I installed it and it finally came on after waiting overnight, but it is dim?
The slow on is still happening, could this be a wattage mismatch with the ballast?
If your fixture looks exactly like this one in the video, these only came in 175 watt for mercury vapor. These bulbs do take a couple minutes or more to warm up, which is normal. If after about 10 minutes of being on it is still dim, then it might be a different style fixture.
@@Parrot175my fixture looks similar, but it has the latches on the refractor, like on your Westinghouse fixture?
If it has the latches on the sides then it could be one of three wattages of mercury vapor: 100, 175 or 250. 100 and 250 are quite rare with 175 watt being the most common by far. I'd still guess yours 175 watt though.
@@Parrot175 Thanks for the info, this fixture was installed at our house in the country before we moved in 30 years ago and I have never replaced the bulb until now. I think it could be a ballast issue, it sometimes takes hours to light up, but sometimes it comes right on. Thanks again!
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