# Parking lot light installation



## Joe Momma

Or perhaps just scared of heights and trying not to puke.

Were they raising the poles with the snorkel lift or just attaching heads?
We did them from a JLG once, but they wre on wood poles, normally we mount the heads on the ground and have a crane out for a couple hours to raise all the poles.


----------



## MDShunk

Joe Momma said:


> Were they raising the poles with the snorkel lift or just attaching heads?.


Hard to tell. 

I always bolt the heads on while on the ground, and go ahead and run the conductors down to the handhole and get everything wired up at the heads. That way, all you gotta do is stand them up and get them level. Myself, I generally get them all stood up and "eyeball level", then go back and fine tune level them all at once. Sometimes you need to tape a nickel to the end of your level to compensate for tapered posts. I know people have lots of different tricks for leveling tapered posts. Some guys hang a plumb bob at arm's length, and stand back and sight the post off that hanging plumb bob.


----------



## Joe Momma

We always hang them as fast as possible too, with crane costs and all. Last summer me and a JW I'm used to did 26 in less than 2 hours, we were pretty proud of ourselves. Then he leveled for the rest of the day while I wired (and fought wasps in one pole, I batted down at least 4 with a shovel I found).

I like that trick of taping a shim/nickel to the level. Once you get it set then all the poles will be the same.


----------



## Pinhead

MDShunk said:


> Sometimes you need to tape a nickel to the end of your level to compensate for tapered posts. I know people have lots of different tricks for leveling tapered posts. Some guys hang a plumb bob at arm's length, and stand back and sight the post off that hanging plumb bob.


Wow, those are really good tips.


----------



## perley03

What we generally do (this is our 3rd Lowe's this year, and have done a few other styles of lights in the past) is level the lugs first on the concrete pads. Then just stand up the built pole with either the boom truck or rent a crane and set them on, and then all you have to do is burndy the leads together. Most of the lights we do are either 277 or 480, 2awg to the base, 4awg from the base to the heads. Longest pull for the parking lot lights was 760' of 4awg, that one took a while with the old tugger just a tuggin.


----------



## Pinhead

Why such large wire? Voltage drop? Thanks for your reply, it was very informative. Oh, never mind, I just re-read your post and see the extreme lengths of the runs.


----------



## perley03

Use such wire because the engineers who designed the plans for Lowe's wanted to use them on the long pulls. On the shorter runs, I believe it's either 6 or 4awg to the base, 10awg to the heads. There is alot of overkill in these stores, I guess they didn't want to mess around.


----------



## Pierre Belarge

Larger conductors have less heat loss...hence a savings of some $ during the use of the lights, which probably burn for quite a few hours each day. Long term savings for Lowes.


----------



## Speedy Petey

I did the parking lot lights for a Sam's/Lowes. MAN those were some long hard pulls. 

perley's description is exactly how I do it.


----------



## 480sparky

Pinhead said:


> Why such large wire? Voltage drop? Thanks for your reply, it was very informative. Oh, never mind, I just re-read your post and see the extreme lengths of the runs.


I've done some WalMart light runs that were fed with #0, #6 up the pole.


----------



## reddog552

*long pulls*

have worked on several TV towers 2000Ft 4/0 pulls for strobe lites.


----------



## nap

reddog552 said:


> have worked on several TV towers 2000Ft 4/0 pulls for strobe lites.


was that mostly up?


----------



## Celtic

MDShunk said:


> I always bolt the heads on while on the ground, and go ahead and run the conductors down to the handhole and get everything wired up at the heads.


Before we stand them up, we heat 'em up :thumbsup:

If the bulb, ballast, etc turns out to NFG - it's a quick swap on terra firma :thumbup:


----------



## nap

Not a bad idea there celtic.


----------



## HighWirey

On that tower work:

Any work you can perform on the ground is a plus. How much can a few strobes consume, even considering the VD, the 4/0, must have been aluminum, and must have been spec. Enlighten me here gents . . .

"was that mostly up?".
Cannot imagine feeding from the top down . . . 

Best Wishes


----------



## Celtic

nap said:


> Not a bad idea there celtic.


:thumbsup:

While going up in the lift is "oh so glamorous"....being the "re-do crew" in freezing weather is for the birds :laughing:


----------



## nap

HighWirey said:


> On that tower work:
> 
> Any work you can perform on the ground is a plus. How much can a few strobes consume, even considering the VD, the 4/0, must have been aluminum, and must have been spec. Enlighten me here gents . . .
> 
> "was that mostly up?".
> Cannot imagine feeding from the top down . . .
> 
> Best Wishes


I was referring more to was most of that 2000' running the tower as opposed to getting to the tower.

Top down? How could you ever so that?


----------



## HighWirey

Marc,

Meisner Electric came into central Florida like gangbusters, was awarded a large project from under us locals, learned their lession, then went back to Delray Beach. Seems it took ten years to settle their claims in court. My NASA contracting officer had a room full of court docs concerning that contact.

Correct me if it is not gospel. 

Been incorrect before, and done that.

Best Wishes


----------



## reddog552

*tower lighting*

yes its up. we pre assemble 250' runs,then raise them to tower. this is quite tricky. The 3" rigid will crack at couplings.the reason for 250' ft runs is a strain releaf box+ light is required.We use a special rigging,lifting at 3 points.


----------



## nap

I honestly do not envy your work reddog.

work safe, be safe


----------



## scrooge

reddog552 said:


> yes its up. we pre assemble 250' runs,then raise them to tower. this is quite tricky. The 3" rigid will crack at couplings.the reason for 250' ft runs is a strain releaf box+ light is required.We use a special rigging,lifting at 3 points.


Comsat RSI ?


----------



## reddog552

*Scrooge*

If you are referring to what company I work for. Theres been several, Comstat a little,Bell south,Crown,United Riggers,Edmiston Tower.RF SpecltiesOf Pa.I work as a Electrican/Rf Troubleshooter.


----------



## Joe Momma

Pinhead said:


> Why such large wire? Voltage drop? Thanks for your reply, it was very informative. Oh, never mind, I just re-read your post and see the extreme lengths of the runs.


Sorry for draggin up an old post, but

The street lighting we did not long ago (though an overkill) was pulled with #4's to the j-box on a 40A breaker and #12's up the pole. The connection at the j-box had a 10A fuse on both phases up to the pole.

Wiring this way allows a lot more lights on a circuit to save on wire, but the weatherproof break away fuse holders had to cost a pretty penny each.


----------



## gilbequick

Joe Momma said:


> Wiring this way allows a lot more lights on a circuit to save on wire, but the weatherproof break away fuse holders had to cost a pretty penny each.


If they're what I'm thinking of, those little suckers are about $30-$35 a piece.
You're right, not cheap!


----------



## scrooge

reddog552 said:


> If you are referring to what company I work for. Theres been several, Comstat a little,Bell south,Crown,United Riggers,Edmiston Tower.RF SpecltiesOf Pa.I work as a Electrican/Rf Troubleshooter.


I used to work on some Comsat radar tower jobs and we lifted the 3'' the same. Not nearly to that scale though.


----------



## topak

*electrical installation*

any safety precaution about xxxxxxx


----------



## BackInTheHabit

MDShunk said:


> The following picture shows men installing parking lot lighting from a JLG boom lift. Special thanks to Derek Pasch, Staffing Specialist at Meisner Electric in Delray Beach, FL for the pictures. The fella on the left must have been on break. He appears to be asleep. :jester:


I wouldn't use a JLG lift or other type simply for safety. I use the bucket truck I operate. Will either half-hitch or feed the rope, which is attached to a winch and jib, through the top of pole.

To each his own.


----------



## dezwitinc

If those poles are down here, they are probably direct buried concrete and are drilled anywhere from 8' to 10' down into the ground.
We generally like to get them set while site work is going on because of the raw conditions and the fact that you have alot of dirt to remove later.
Because of the size and weight of the poles, unless you are able to set them perfectly square (not) you can end up with some misaligned heads.
I just find it easier to mount brackets and heads after the poles are set.
Generally, you can get the poles faster than the heads so you end up installing the heads from a lift or bucket truck.
Unless they are small poles, most everything in South Florida is direct burial concrete.
I don't even recall the last job that had poured bases with anchor bolts.


----------

