16 - 1500 watt lights for tennis court
- Thread starter danickstr
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kbsparky
Senior Member
- Location
- Delmarva, USA
What voltage are you using? We are doing a ballfield project soon, and decided to use 480 Volts
The plan that I got from the Lithonia rep shows the lightpoint specs for a regulation court, and I was amazed at the powerload, considering I am stuck with 240v runs.
Actually I was hoping for a fun discussion with any specific info from someone who had done a job of similar scope, but should have figured some "journeyman contactor" would have to throw cold water on my party.
I am looking at all the headaches at once: voltage drop, separation of loads, routing of the PVC (since the tennis court is existing) and realizing this job will take a lot more time than I think the HO is going to approve.
Not to mention 24k watts.
I will probably end up with a watered down job that doesn't get to do the job correctly, due to costs. Or no job at all, once they see how much digging it will take
I just installed a contactor on a sauna job, but it was only an 80 amp load.
I don't remember what contactor it was, but it works fine.
Actually I was hoping for a fun discussion with any specific info from someone who had done a job of similar scope, but should have figured some "journeyman contactor" would have to throw cold water on my party.
I am looking at all the headaches at once: voltage drop, separation of loads, routing of the PVC (since the tennis court is existing) and realizing this job will take a lot more time than I think the HO is going to approve.
Not to mention 24k watts.
I will probably end up with a watered down job that doesn't get to do the job correctly, due to costs. Or no job at all, once they see how much digging it will take
I just installed a contactor on a sauna job, but it was only an 80 amp load.
I don't remember what contactor it was, but it works fine.
Tennis Court Lights
Tennis Court Lights
We do this all the time. We simply us what other say, a lighting contactor, the more circuits the more contactors. But you will need a latching/unlatching contactor, they work best. They will also require a momentary switch for on/off operation.
Get them to pay for an EE to design it, otherwise you should not take the job since it appears they are asking for something for nothing.
Tennis Court Lights
We do this all the time. We simply us what other say, a lighting contactor, the more circuits the more contactors. But you will need a latching/unlatching contactor, they work best. They will also require a momentary switch for on/off operation.
Get them to pay for an EE to design it, otherwise you should not take the job since it appears they are asking for something for nothing.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Done a few like this and or for regulation horse shoe pits, and I always just set a R3 panel close to the loads, and use "SW" rated breakers.
In your case, set a 125 amp ML panel, and run to the poles from there.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I'd use an MB panel.In your case, set a 125 amp ML panel, and run to the poles from there.
the R3 panel makes sense, I guess I just am stuck with a metal box in their fancy backyard. I was thinking about running 4 PVC's with #6's in them, back to the mansion, but not sure if drop would make it, although 5-10% never seems too bad, except in the specs. Still would need a mini-station for the mechanical.
Re control of the system from inside: I saw the brand spanking new LUTRON Radio RA 2 stuff and it looks really powerful. It will probably cannibalize Homeworks a bit.
Re control of the system from inside: I saw the brand spanking new LUTRON Radio RA 2 stuff and it looks really powerful. It will probably cannibalize Homeworks a bit.
only way to go...
weressl
Esteemed Member
You can always cover the metal box with cedar shingles.
What is wrong with a rented Ditch-Witch and direct buried cable? A lot cleaner.
How tall are your poles for 1500W?
weressl
Esteemed Member
16 feet (my message is too short)
They gonna go blind.......
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
What about using overhead wiring?
76nemo
Senior Member
- Location
- Ogdensburg, NY
weressl
Esteemed Member
In the way of the play.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
I got a question, are we talking about an HID installation, or are we talking about 1500 watt quartz fixtures?
If HID, in no way would I want to fire 24kw of HID lamps up all at once, the inrush, and start up current would bring even a 125 amp panel to it's knees.
also If they are MH, pulse start uses only half the current for start up, and less wattage can be used as they produce much more lumen's per watt then standard MH fixtures.
If 1500 watt quartz is the fixture, then I would try to talk them into using PS MH fixtures, as the wattage can be reduced to about a 10th of the power.
a 320 watt PS mh produces about 23k lumen's of light, which will exceed what a 1500 watt quartz fixture would produce.
How big is this tennis court?
If you have room for changes, you can offer the power savings of the HID over quartz. the only draw back is a PS MH has about a 2 minute re strike time, regular MH has up to a 5 minute re strike time.
But I have PS fixtures in service over 7 years and haven't had to replace one bulb, but a regular MH will last about 2 to 3 years. RUUD guarantees there bulbs for 5 years. This would be another advantage over quartz, as they are lucky to last a year.
Just some food for thought.
If HID, in no way would I want to fire 24kw of HID lamps up all at once, the inrush, and start up current would bring even a 125 amp panel to it's knees.
also If they are MH, pulse start uses only half the current for start up, and less wattage can be used as they produce much more lumen's per watt then standard MH fixtures.
If 1500 watt quartz is the fixture, then I would try to talk them into using PS MH fixtures, as the wattage can be reduced to about a 10th of the power.
a 320 watt PS mh produces about 23k lumen's of light, which will exceed what a 1500 watt quartz fixture would produce.
How big is this tennis court?
If you have room for changes, you can offer the power savings of the HID over quartz. the only draw back is a PS MH has about a 2 minute re strike time, regular MH has up to a 5 minute re strike time.
But I have PS fixtures in service over 7 years and haven't had to replace one bulb, but a regular MH will last about 2 to 3 years. RUUD guarantees there bulbs for 5 years. This would be another advantage over quartz, as they are lucky to last a year.
Just some food for thought.
kjw444
Member
- Location
- detroit, mi
Why couldn't you just have the contactor control the sub panel with all the lighting circuits? I have seen a lot of security lights done this way on mansions.
I wired a crapload of tennis courts back in the 80's...maybe 50 or so.
A standard court here used six, 1000 watt metal halides on 20' poles. I would run a 240V 30 amp circuit with a 30 amp 240V toggle switch and it was just legal amperage wise.
Oh yeah....I hand dug them and installed pipe wrapped IMC :tough guy: Drilled and tapped the poles about a foot from the ground and attached a wp box with a rigid close nipple
A super professional court used eight 1000's. I only did a couple of those and I think I pulled a pair of 12's with the feed and used a contactor mounted by the panel..
The direct buried cable
A standard court here used six, 1000 watt metal halides on 20' poles. I would run a 240V 30 amp circuit with a 30 amp 240V toggle switch and it was just legal amperage wise.
Oh yeah....I hand dug them and installed pipe wrapped IMC :tough guy: Drilled and tapped the poles about a foot from the ground and attached a wp box with a rigid close nipple
A super professional court used eight 1000's. I only did a couple of those and I think I pulled a pair of 12's with the feed and used a contactor mounted by the panel..
The direct buried cable
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6 1k watt lights sounds more reasonable. I was just using what the engineer from Lithonia had specc'ed.
These will be quartz due to the accidental on-off issue. But 20' poles with even 4 1k per side seems like it was satisfactory. the cost of the poles isn't huge, but the 24k watts was bugging me. Its seemed too much.
These will be quartz due to the accidental on-off issue. But 20' poles with even 4 1k per side seems like it was satisfactory. the cost of the poles isn't huge, but the 24k watts was bugging me. Its seemed too much.
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