Outdoor spotlights - power?

[andyxxxx]

Right, I have a unit/workshop in an industrial estate for my general tinkering and hobbying, it has a yard which is roughly equal in size to the indoor area, I enjoy working in the yard (mostly because it means I don't have to remove trailers etc. to clear the indoors area), so especially on nice warm summer nights I prefer to work outside, however there's a few times recently I've wanted to carry on but ran out of light, so I'm going to light the outside by welding up some 2.5m high moveable tripods and mounting floodlights to the top

Now, my question is, what power halogen floodlights would be sufficient, the area is around 35ft by 25ft and I'm planning to use 3 or 4.

Off to toolstation to buy them tomorrow but don't want to buy them and find out they're not bright enough and don't want to buy ones that are too bright/wasteful. How would 500w fare?

So hopefully someone has a rough idea

Cheers.

 

[Alex.]

500 should be plenty,you can always put smaller bulbs in them if you find they're too bright/expensive to run. Putting them in the right places is just as important as power - eg do you need to light the whole area, or just where you're working?

 

[gavuk]

I bought a fold up tripod on offer a few years ago,came with 500w halogen bulbs ,as they have blown i have replaced them with 300w ,can't say I noticed much difference ,unless someone says go sodium or something i would say 500w halogens are cheap to buy ,and are easy to downgrade ,i'm not sure a 300w would take a 500w bulb safely .Wouldn't have thought they are that economical to run ,

 

[julianthegypsy]

I'd prefer two 250 watt ones mounted seperately, otherwise the shadows are a pain.

 

[jon62]

There are low energy versions available, might reduce your electric bill

http://www.screwfix.com/p/energy-saving-flood-wall-light-matt-black-2-x-26w/51601

 

[rikrobson]

If they are to be on for extended periods you may find that metal discharge (sodium or murcury) may be better

 

[andyxxxx]

I'd prefer two 250 watt ones mounted seperately, otherwise the shadows are a pain.

Very good point.

There are low energy versions available, might reduce your electric bill

http://www.screwfix.com/p/energy-saving-flood-wall-light-matt-black-2-x-26w/51601

The cost of them is a lot more and I'd guess they'll only be used maybe twice a week for a few hours each time.

Electric is inclusive in my rent so I'm not hugely fussed.

If they are to be on for extended periods you may find that metal discharge (sodium or murcury) may be better

In what way? Don't know much about this subject.

 

[rikrobson]

street lamps use them

dark orange is low pressure sodium
light orange is High pressure sodium
Bluey white is Mercury

the give off more light per what than tungtsen/halogen lamps

if you aint pating for the leccy then go for halogen floods.

for that size you might get away with the 4 small ones 150W x 4 = 600W

if they are spaced correctly roungd the yard then you should reduce shadows.

my arch is 6m x 8m and has 6 double flourescent. 2 on 3 walls. this gives plenty light

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Ever considered using some LED light banks running from a pair of 12v ledger batteries or similar and putting them on wheels like some of the new traffic light sets are.

Simply have them parked in the shop and on charge with a new style intelligent charger.

Put the lights on telescopic sticks that can be locked to a height as well ..that way you are free of long trailing cables and have many hours light source that can also let you play if there is a power cut.
You can also take them off premises for the odd occasion you may need them.
They give a white /bluish light and are far more robust than any flood lamp that has a tungsten wire filament in it.

Your charger can also be used else where if needed.
Due to having the lights being counter weighted by the batteries they are very stable even in strong winds.
You can also have fully charged batteries for slave charging or 240v mobile power tool supply if using an inverter of say around 600 watts.

Finally being on wheels ( if you use four 100 mm castors two of which are locking ) you will be able to move a light to a specific position to give you maximum light where its needed.

 

[andyxxxx]

Ever considered using some LED light banks running from a pair of 12v ledger batteries or similar and putting them on wheels like some of the new traffic light sets are.

Simply have them parked in the shop and on charge with a new style intelligent charger.

Put the lights on telescopic sticks that can be locked to a height as well ..that way you are free of long trailing cables and have many hours light source that can also let you play if there is a power cut.
You can also take them off premises for the odd occasion you may need them.
They give a white /bluish light and are far more robust than any flood lamp that has a tungsten wire filament in it.

Your charger can also be used else where if needed.
Due to having the lights being counter weighted by the batteries they are very stable even in strong winds.
You can also have fully charged batteries for slave charging or 240v mobile power tool supply if using an inverter of say around 600 watts.

Finally being on wheels ( if you use four 100 mm castors two of which are locking ) you will be able to move a light to a specific position to give you maximum light where its needed.

You do make a very good argument for LED however it's the cost that's putting me off, the lamps are more expensive and even batteries from the scrapyard would quickly shunt the price up. Halogens would cost me around a fiver each for the lamps, then whatever scrap I have lying around the workshop to do the tripods and some of the reel of 3-core I bought ages ago and have hardly used.

It would be an ideal solution but I'm saving up for a better welder and a second compressor so the cash is best saved for that I think.

 

[Hitch]

Halogens get quite hot, i find moving them straight after they have been turned off doesn't do the bulbs any good.

Sodium floods take time to warm up to full power, not that long, but theyre not instant.

If you want cheap, and you don't pay for leccy, id get a couple of 500w jobbs, mounted on the wall.