I know not everybody has such things in your location. But if so, how does the utility company in your area handle lease lights or private area lighting that is no longer used?

Here where I am they typically would remove the photocell but leave the lamp in the fixture. Which to me is kind of pointless because rain will corrode and spoil the inside without a photocell in place. However in some instances I’ve seen the wires disconnected and photocell and lamp left in place.

It very interesting to me, because it kind of leaves a “museum” of fixtures on poles even if those fixtures were installed decades ago by the utility. I’ve noticed in the next two streets from me, unused HPS and MV NEMA heads in some yards, along with an American Electric 165 bracket fixture. In another area there are a few abandoned GE 400 watt Powr/Brackets.

Some NEMA heads are in various states of disrepair, one is missing the entire bucket/reflector/lamp and photocell, another has the ballast, socket and ignitor hanging by wires, while another Mv one has a BT shaped lamp hanging down, seemingly the socket has come loose from the ballast.

It’s a shame to see all of these fixtures just left unused and unappreciated, wish they could be saved, but it’s nice to pass by and see them, since LED is really taking over now here. A few HPS and even one MV NEMA head lease lights still are on active duty here, for now. I’m hoping the MV one can last for a very long time yet, since MV doesn’t cycle, there isn’t much reason to report it by the homeowner. 

I ended up passing on it, there was some rust in an area that wasn’t immediately visible and I want a rust free example. Still stinks because I don’t think another will show up again locally. It’s not a huge issue if I never find one though, I’ll just stick with one vehicle.

I see, but I'm also asking this because I've heard some brands of HPS lamp have slow startup sequences. I had made a comment on a street light video like two years ago with a question that was similar to this topic and someone mentioned a brand but I don't remember now.

I’ve found they only tend to stay white longer as they age?
When new all sizes to me have the same ‘white’ time when running up.

@RRK @Medved
Ahh I see, that does make sense I suppose.

Though at least in the US I really don't know if it is worth the effort, since our type A and B plug prongs can easily be touched and screw-base sockets can easily be probed with fingers. But I suppose it can't hurt to add extra niche protection where possible.

Splendid

The Japanese produced fluorescent lamps with a green glow in the dark coating.

This is good to know. Another thing I've wondered... is it possible to run those kind of Metal Halide lamps on ballasts that use mains electricity?
It seems as if those kind of Metal Halide lamps are made specifically for vehicle use only, but I know I could be wrong about that.

They were. Because for general lighting they would be way too expensive, inefficient and short lived.

The automotive application has way more frequent starting, then there is the instant output requirement. Plus they need to be quite geometrically precise in the arc positioning.
These features cost a lot of money, lower efficacy and shorter life, but are not needed for general lighting.

On the other hand in car headlights they do not make that many total hours, so rated bulb life is in the 1000 hours ballpark is sufficient for car use, but totally unacceptable for general lighting use.


One consequence of the Xenon buffer gas is quite high ignition voltage, above what standard MH ballasts are not able to support. Dunno if the lamps with integrated ignitors (with superimposed igniotors in their base, like D1S) would work on a sinewave ballast OCV, there is a chance they will be actually able to work. But these weren't that common as the systems having ignitors within the ballasts.

So best way would be to really use the 12V DC power supply and then the original automotive ballast for them. Just make sure it is able to deliver at least 10A, at least for a short time, the ballasts tend to draw that power for the warmup boost function. Also don't forget the ballast efficiency during the boost does not have to be that great, so their input current at the 12V could really be in the 10A ballpark.
With most "aluminum brick" power supplies you may crank up the voltage by a trimpot (up to 16V at least), that way you get more power from them, as the overload protection uses to respond to output current and not the true power, but the HID ballast really draws the power, so at higher input voltage their input current will be lower.

I remember getting an Advance F20T12 trigger start ballast from a Home Depot store in the USA that also required a circuit interrupting lampholder.

Home Depot, no never got one there...but Hugh M Woods(a store now long since out of business), yes I bought a couple of those ballasts(don't remember brand). I never used them lampholders - just going with a standard one instead(I don't remember the stores even selling the interrupting type)
Also I've had various 1xF40 fixtures that had those...my tendency was to get rid of the circuit interrupting lampholder because they suck!

You can power the automotive ballast from an external power supply