Ball Field Sport Lights

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KWH

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I am looking @ a job installing pole lights around a ball field, the print show's nothing but the pole locations ( wood ) what is a typical installation dealing with about 6 lights per pole. I was wondering if you had to install a small panel at each pole with seperate breakers for each light , this job is on the cheap.

Thanks
 
.. typical would have a single panel located at the secondary of the transformer that's feeding the lights, or at a distribution board that feeds the lighting. That panel will have one or two circuits for each of the pole lights.
JM
 
Ball Field Lights

Ball Field Lights

I went to an older local park to see there setup, it looks like they ran like a #4/0 urd to each pole set a junction box changed to SEU up the pole then had a junction box for all of the lights to terminate. I am assuming there is one breaker protecting the whole pole is there some kind of tap rule if the lights are only rated at 20amps but are protected by a breaker sized to carry the full load similar to a lamp plugged into a 20amp outlet.
 
I like what Ken said, frankly this is really their forte. I think there's only three manufactures in the USA. I can't say for sure but if your going through a supply house, you'll never bet their price! You'll need a two package-price.

A local EE did some parks like this and was greatly disappointed that more electrical companies weren't involved.

Only the lighting manufactures where there at bid opening, go figure!
 
cadpoint said:
Only the lighting manufactures where there at bid opening, go figure!
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Probably because they sought out a place to convince them they needed - some of their product.... Then went through the rigmarole of finding someone to put it in for them. ;) ;)

Anyway there are probably a 100 ways to do it - but that depends on how you're getting the circuits there (trenching/over-head circuit length) - what other needs they might have, how they want to control it and from where, and how much control they want over it.

Since you're talking cheap... A disco with a lock on it for a feeder tapped at small panels at each is effective and covers the voltage drop you would have for long circuits better than a bunch of branch circuits from a single location. That is if they want them to come on all at once and have no other electrical needs out by the poles... And the switching inrush current of firing up whatever type of lighting they want, and how much of it there is... (Higher voltage = smaller wire size)

But a good place to start is finding out more about what they want or might want down the line, (like a score board - maint recepts, etc.) And what voltage and VA the lights are available in.

Anyway take a peek at this - a sizable install but informative of what you could be up for...

You should also want to ask how and who is going to control them, a while back I installed one of these at a soccer field - it was neat - you called on the phone to turn on the lights. (Well to the manager - who called and turned on the lights... Because the coaches had apparently made unauthorised keys to the electrical room...)
 
Agreed there are many ways. You best be good at math and price out labor and material for all the normal systems. With voltage drops figured in this could take a few hours. Don't let them cheap you to the point of making nothing. It is a dirty nasty job and if in the heat plan on it going slow. Last one i was involved in was about 4 years ago. We had a central location and several fields not all on at same time and add in score box and shower room and concession stands. In Florida heat and rain and mud i was very tempted to walk off.
 
We are doing a design/install ballfield lighting project right now.

We chose to use a 480 Volt service and fixtures, to minimize voltage drop, and reduce the costs of wire, since copper is at an all time high these days.

We have 6 50' wooden poles around each of 2 fields, with a total of 26-1500 watt sportlighter fixtures for each field. 6 fixtures on each outfield pole only requires 12 Amps to operate at that voltage -- plenty of capacity on a 20 Amp circuit.

We configured the layout this way:

2 infield poles, w/3 fixtures each
2 middle poles, w/4 fixtures each
2 outfield poles, w/6 fixtures each

I got the fixture manufacturer to give us a layout of where to aim each fixture for optimum efficiency.

Total load when both fields are lit up: 104 Amps. No problem with a 200 Amp service.


Edit to add: Voltage drop = 4.5% at 500 feet run, using #12 AWG conductors. No upsizing of conductors necessary!
 
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I did one of these for the County and local Optimist Club. The county provided the materials and the club provided the labor. Service was three phase-480 volts with a three pole 30 amp breaker to each 90 foot pole. As i remember there were twelve 1000 watt sportlighter MH fixtures on each pole. The plans called for remote locating the W/P ballasts on gutters attached to the poles 15 feet above ground. I actually only had two other electricians helping--but the club members did their part. Transporting the poles was tricky--we must have knocked down ten stop signs !! :D But the job wasn't that bad --we wired the poles on the ground (lights-gutter-ballasts) then stood them up with a crane. Gas contractor did the ditching and members backfilled. Did the whole thing in four weekends. Found a lineman to climb the poles and aim the fixtures. County was happy.
 
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