Author Topic: LED roadway lights appearing in San Jose, CA  (Read 3097 times)
tmcdllr
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LED roadway lights appearing in San Jose, CA « on: October 29, 2009, 05:27:05 AM » Author: tmcdllr
Sorry, I have no pics but I was driving on 280 the other night and noticed as I got to the 101 interchange some of the 400 watt HPS fixtures had been replaced with some new, really bright LED heads. The light output was a beautiful white and seemed almost as nearly as bright. I do not know the make/model of the fixtures. Has anyone else seen these and do you know the make? I knew San Jose was testing this type of fixture but didn't realize they would be trying them out on the freeway.
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Silverliner
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Re: LED roadway lights appearing in San Jose, CA « Reply #1 on: October 29, 2009, 11:52:00 AM » Author: Silverliner
First of all, welcome to L-G! I'm located in California as well. There are at least 8 lighting guys in CA, 3 up north and 5 down here in SoCal, me included.

I knew about the city of San Jose installing LEDs, but that's a first I've heard of on freeways (except on a couple bridges). Freeway lighting, FYI, is maintained by Caltrans. Here in Southern CA the city of LA installed LED street lights in some areas but I haven't seen any on the freeways yet. There are still some old mercury lights on the freeways here.
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tmcdllr
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Re: LED roadway lights appearing in San Jose, CA « Reply #2 on: October 29, 2009, 08:11:16 PM » Author: tmcdllr
Yeah I thought the city of San Jose was going to start  replacing some of the lights around the city first. I saw a few about a year ago in one of their test areas by the juvenile hall and read they were going to eventually replace all 65,000 of the streetlights in the city with LEDs. I was totally surprised when I saw these fixtures on the freeway, which, as you said, is maintained by CalTrans. So I wonder now if CT has done this anywhere else around the bay area or is this just isolated to San Jose?

I will try to get a pic of one the next time I drive it. They are really nice fixtures and I was surprised at how bright they were and how much light covered the area, considering they are LEDs and are that high up.

You know I'm glad I found this site. This has been a fascination of mine ever since I can remember. when I was a kid, my uncle worked for PG&E and got me a new streetlight fixture and a bunch of HPS bulbs, plus I was already reading tech bulletins on all the different lamp types. I don't know what it is but these fixtures and light sources are so interesting they draw you to them. I just started up my hobby again, although my collection is quite small right now, I hope to eventually build it up. At one point I had a multitude of MV, HPS, MH fixtures as well as a traffic signal and a neon don't walk signal, all in good working order. Most of that is gone now but I am starting over. So far, I have a 175watt Mh ballast for my clear and coated 175watt MV lamps, don't have any MH lamps yet, and I also have a clear and a coated 160watt SBMV lamp. I have also got a Regent SFL type floodlight that was origainally a 100watt MV fixture that I converted to a 70MH fixture, very nice light. And our neighbor across the street has a 175watt MV yard-type-light over the driveway with a coated bulb, it's probably been in there for 10 years, still nice and bright but the ballast makes all kinds of noise. And yes, I am in favor of bringing back MV lighting simply because it's a good- less expensive and long lasting light source plus it's kind of neat.

Ok I rambled a bit but I'll try to get a pic of the LED roadway light.
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chapman84
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Re: LED roadway lights appearing in San Jose, CA « Reply #3 on: December 04, 2009, 10:40:35 AM » Author: chapman84
My city has also been experimenting with LED streetlights though I haven't seen any on the roads though they do want to replace all 40,000 of their old streetlights.
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Re: LED roadway lights appearing in San Jose, CA « Reply #4 on: December 04, 2009, 05:32:58 PM » Author: KEDER
I'm glad xcell energy never uses LEDs. the only LEDS you will see in Denver are at the 7-11s.

everything else is HPS, which is MUCH better than LED.
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Re: LED roadway lights appearing in San Jose, CA « Reply #5 on: December 04, 2009, 08:47:46 PM » Author: icefoglights
The city here put in a test installation of LED street lights about a year ago.  I had my doubts but having seen them at the dark now, they are starting to grow on me.
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tmcdllr
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Re: LED roadway lights appearing in San Jose, CA « Reply #6 on: December 04, 2009, 11:31:06 PM » Author: tmcdllr
Yeah I don't know, I'm not too crazy about them just because I don't want them everywhere, energy savings or not. But I will say the color of the light is brilliant and a beautiful white. I would not complain if they replaced the horrible LPS streetlights all over SJ with LED fixtures, at least that way you wouldn't have streetlights making everything look awfull.  I just wonder if the nearby observatory approves of the new, white light source and how it would affect their viewing.
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