in order to reduce power usage,i bought a Lithonia Yardblaster that uses a 70 Watt High Pressure Sodium Lamp,i didnt like the color so i stripped out the Caster Ballast and used
an Advance 100 Watt Metal Halide,along with a Regent 100 Watt Deluxe White Mercury Vapor lamp.

Where did ya get the MH ballast?

Where did ya get the MH ballast?

i was looking around in ace,there was one lone ballast that looked like a H.I.D Ballast,suprised that i found it,it was 25 bucks.

Dude 100 watt MH and 100 watt MV are NOT the same.........so the 100 watt MV lamp is actually being overdriven with a 100 watt MH ballast

Only 175 watt and higher are compatible........and same values...

i am well aware of the diffrences in values,but the lamp is working just fine with no problems,this setup uses a mercury vapor lamp on a Metal Halide ballast,so i see no reason to change it.

Dude 100 watt MH and 100 watt MV are NOT the same.........so the 100 watt MV lamp is actually being overdriven with a 100 watt MH ballast

Only 175 watt and higher are compatible........and same values...

Ye could fix that with a 125w MV lamp. They might be a bit hard to find. As for a hardware store having HID ballasts. Ye lucky! The stores I have been the only way to get ballasts is to buy the fixture. Usually a barn-burner.

25 watt overdriven yes......but if I were really wanting to use correct setup....use a 70 watt MH ballast for 100 watt MV....its closer actually...

5w under driven? So if I find a 70w MH fixture. I could simply unhook the igniter and screw in a 100w MV. Good they come in medium base. (Actually they're the same physical size and shape. Harder to distinguish if they're coated.)

@fgs yep a 125 watt mercury vapor ballast would be hard to find,but the lamp is only overdriven by 25 watts,so again it works.

and getting a ballast out of a barnblaster is not an option for me,the mercury vapor ones have virtually been wiped out around here by HPS and Flourescent,i tried it on the hps ballast and the lamp cycled,so i used the MH ballast,which was a special close-out item.
 
@jace yes a 70 watt ballast is a closer match,but i used what was avalible locally.

@Form109 - Bulbman sells the 125w Mercs. Good new it's an EYE brand. Bad news it's coated and cost $19.95 for one plus S&H.

As for security lights at my house, I'm sure I totally overdid it, especially since my property is small. Only one side of my house doesn't have a light, but it's so close to my neighbor I really can't put one there. I have two 50w HPS wall packs in the back, plus 12 solar lights throughout the property (path & spot) and 15 low-voltage lights (path & spot, all 10w or less) that all run dusk to dawn (several converted to LED). The front yard has three 35w HPS wall packs (on most nights) and one 100w wall pack with a clear merc (on only when needed). Side yard has another one of these merc wall packs converted to a 70w MH & an 80w mercury flood (also only on when needed). Back corner yard has my 175w mercury gumball (rarely on), and wall pack converted to use a 13w PL fluorescent lamp.

If that's still not enough (like for finding that lost contact lens in the grass), I have a 160w SBMV portable tripod light, a 70w halide worklight and my 35w HID flashlight. On full moon nights I use as few lights as possible, and I can see the stars OK, but it's usually cloudy every night in the Pacific Northwest. The real glare offenders in my area are the golf driving range & high school track & field, all lit my numerous 1000w metal halides, almost every night until 10 or 11.
 

Around my property, I've only attacked one side in front of the garage with a 250W metal halide Sylvania B3000 street light (used to be 150W Sodium but doing electrical work under yellow light stuffs up colours!)and under the carport I have 2 100W + 1 250W floodlights when I need a little more light... I'm always chopping and changing anyways...

I have one Utliltech 70 watt Pulse Start Metal Halide fixture, three TCP CFL's in my porch lights and 3 Lights of America Candelabra CFL's in my mailbox light fixture.

I use this lantern converted from HPS70W to MV80W with added photocell control. Btw do somebody know something with similar optical characteristic (strong in one "forward" direction and then "pool" below - not as usable for street lighting application) for replacement? The plastic body on the my one has strong UV-caused corrosion and will likely not last long anymore... I need this pattern, as i want to illuminate long triangle-like area and the only point, where it does not cause light intrusion into windows is on one corner of the short side and where is the pole...

In the front yard a 50 watt mercury lamp post.