Floodlighting

[Bsharp]

Evening people, just a quick post, looking for any advice or opinions on lighting for sports pitches.
I have been asked to quote on replacing the existing lighting on the local rugby teams training pitch and was looking for people's opinions on best lights to use. Metal halide or maybe L.E.D. Any input would be really useful thanks in advance. Cheers.

 

[telectrix]

metal halide, unless they got a big pot of money for decent LEDs.

 

[dan86]

what lighting is used currently, and why is it being replaced? do they have a budget?

 

[ian.settle1]

Speak to floodlight manufacturers they may be able to a proper design for you if you use their fittings

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

As above, send a company dimensions, Lux levels required and height of columns. Send a few pictures as well and then let them do the donkey work!

 

[LeeH]

If you ask your wholesaler they will get a rep from a lighting supplier to come and do a survey. They take lux levels if indoors and then map out a plan diagram with suggested fittings.

They don't charge.

 

[Bsharp]

Probably the best solution, let somebody else do the donkey work.
Would you individually fuse every individual floodlight at each post or just fit isolators? Job involves
typical committee deciding on how much work they actually want doing to get lights up and running again, in my opinion new armoured installed ,as underground joints causing issues, isolated at each post and new lamps fitted. But ad I said committee deciding on costings so probably the usual waste of an evening pricing something as a proper job which will end up being cobbled together by somebody. Haha.

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

Probably the best solution, let somebody else do the donkey work.
Would you individually fuse every individual floodlight at each post or just fit isolators? Job involves
typical committee deciding on how much work they actually want doing to get lights up and running again, in my opinion new armoured installed ,as underground joints causing issues, isolated at each post and new lamps fitted. But ad I said committee deciding on costings so probably the usual waste of an evening pricing something as a proper job which will end up being cobbled together by somebody. Haha.

Could not tell you how to supply it, don't know the runs or anything, I would have no underground joints though, have the cables looped through each column into cutouts, future proof then! I would also have all my control gear in the bottom of the column as to get rid of as much weight as possible out if the fittings. Unless they are led.

 

[Bsharp]

Exactly my opinion also, cables looped at base of each post. This is only a training pitch so doesn't need lighting to any league standard, the existing metal halides when working where more than sufficient so will probably be reused or replaced like for like. Was just interested in any possible led option. In your opinion Spinks would you protect at each post or just at initial supply point. We are only talking two circuits (one either side of pitch) five post to each each fitted with 150w hqi flood as is. Approx length of each circuit would be 150metres.

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

You need to do some calcs for your protection at the board for each circuit and cable sizes cause the volt drop on those size runs will come into play. At the base of each column I would have a cutout with a 6 or 10A BS88 fuse in. This way you can use whatever sized supply and cable needed up to the cutout and then protect the cable after with the correctly rated fuse.

 

[Bsharp]

Sounds like a plan to me. Done a few calcs and looks like 4mm s.w.a. to cutouts then fused down from there. Just to double check am I right that ambient temp for swa underground is 20 degrees?.

 

[Hawk]

Metal halide. What's the point spending a lot of money on LED's when the lights are probably only going to be on twice a week for 2-3 hours?

 

[ian.settle1]

Cut outs at the base of each column, if you have a problem then should only take out that fuse before the supply fuse for the circuit.

 

[Engineer54]

Sounds like a plan to me. Done a few calcs and looks like 4mm s.w.a. to cutouts then fused down from there. Just to double check am I right that ambient temp for swa underground is 20 degrees?.

4mm sounds a little on the light side to me over a 150 m run. Are you also including the length cable from post supply point to lamp, ...i hope so!! lol!! How about increasing the cable size to the first lamppost on each circuit, it'll be a big help in lowering circuit volt drop/loss.... Unless you're installing the SWA in duct, make them 3 core, or risk losing the steel wire CPC, due to corrosion from torn or penetrated cable sheath during installation etc... and in a lot less time than you may think!!