Lamp pedistal wiring question

[RedJeep2020]

I'm refinishing all my pedistal lamps. This requires removing them from their concrete block posts and disconnecting the wires.
I've done 4 so far without any issues.
I always take a photo before removing the wire nuts.
Yesterday, after reconnecting the wire nuts on my 5th lamp, I flipped the breaker back on and the light bulb was ON. These lamps are all on a switch, that requires the switch to be ON before the light bulbs get juice.
I turned the breaker off and removed & replaced each wire nut. When I flipped the breaker back ON, the light bulb did not come on. I turned the switch ON & the light bulb DID come on. Curiously, now... none of the outlets work that are installed on the block posts. Prior to disturbing these wires that are beneath this lamp... all outlets did work. This lamp post has a fourth set of wires (BLACK) that the other lamps did not have. I've looked around for a GFI but don't see one. Any suggestions? I was planning to remove the lamp and inspect the additional set of 3 black wires that are wired together. This set of 3 wires is shown in the photo on the far right, (RED wire nut).

 

[Lucien Nunes]

One group of black (hot) wires is probably before the switch i.e. always hot, and the other group after the switch (i.e. only hot when the switch is on). You may have swapped one or more wires between one group and the other, or some are not making proper contact in the wirenut. It may be necessary to trace the destination of each wire to make sense of it.

 

[dmxtothemax]

Do you know if these outlets are on a differant circuit to the lamp posts ?

 

[RedJeep2020]

One group of black (hot) wires is probably before the switch i.e. always hot, and the other group after the switch (i.e. only hot when the switch is on). You may have swapped one or more wires between one group and the other, or some are not making proper contact in the wirenut. It may be necessary to trace the destination of each wire to make sense of it.

Lucien,
That actually makes pretty good sense. I'm a total rookie at electrical wiring. what I had been doing on previous lamps, was taping like wires together that we're going into an existing wire nut. I failed to do that on this lamp. initially when I put the wires back together my light bulb was on without the switch being turned on. that was probably the group of black wires that's always hot. as you can see the outlet is just below the lamp. perhaps I can remove the outlet and Trace the wires from the outlet to the lamp and connect accordingly. I do have a multimeter but I don't really know how to use it. Thanks so much.

 

[RedJeep2020]

Do you know if these outlets are on a differant circuit to the lamp posts ?

No, I do not. Many of the lamps only had 3 wires (black/white/gray) coming up through the blocks. This particular lamp & post/pedistal has many more and it looks like it has 2 sets of blacks. As I mentioned initially when I reconnected the wire nuts, the light bulb was on without flipping the switch, which leads me to believe I connected it to one or all of the outlet black (hot) wires. I believe this post is "the end" of the outlet(s) wiring. When the rain stops (3 days) I intend to remove the outlet and see if I can determine which blacks I need to connect with what. I really have no experience with wiring, so any help/suggestions would be much appreciated.