Outdoor Ring Lighting?

[RL1]

I am going to mount lights in the outdoor arena at the new barn where I’ll be boarding. It’s a private facility and they have never needed to ride in the dark before. What’s the best way to go about this? Would it be ridiculous to buy portable construction lights and mount them in the trees for a temporary fix on extension cords? How much work/expense is required to hardwire a big floodlight? (Would it have to be 220V?) What is the most economical to run (forget initial cost)?

Those of you with your own rings, I invite you to please lend your experience to an electrically-challenged newbie. The ring is large, but I would settle for having it half-lit. It has no fence, but does have some border trees without many low branches. DIY is preferred, if possible.

[Mukluk]

I’ll be interested to hear what other’s have to say.

[melody1]

Too bad Ric is away this week - I’m sure he’d be more than willing to share his expertise with you.

[csaper58]

If there is a power pole close by, most power co. will install a vapor light ( it comes on at dusk off at dawn, like a street light) for a small fee.

[Jim_in_PA]

The portables are really not designed to “live” in the weather. You really need to use floods that are made for that and also have brightness and “coverage spread” appropriate for the height of the poles and the arena area when you consider overlap. At least to “do it right”. You could use a portable or three to “test out” how things might be, but ultimately, it’s best to do a permanent install of outdoor flood lighting made for the purpose.

The actual type of lamp you choose will determine its electrical requirements and any wiring must be done to code. While I know it’s likely not what you want to hear, this is really a job for a licensed electrician, whether you provide the equipment or not. Used utility poles can often be sourced and placed to support the lighting, too.

[RL1]

No power pole and the location wouldn’t really to have it on all night – never knew that though, thanks.

My apartment lease only goes through next August, so I don’t want to make a huge investment – however, I do want to be able to ride and make the most of my board money. I’m a firm believer in doing everything the “right” way and I often save money in the end, too. I certainly won’t be hardwiring anything myself, fear not, but this is a small facility and I’ll likely be the only one using them so I don’t mind if the lights are spotty. I could do a bunch garden/construction lights for a couple hundred bucks. I have no idea how economically those will use electricity.

How comparable is the cost for having an electrician out to do the work? Would any electrician consider mounting on trees or is that against code? Cost of running one or two powerful lights vs. a bunch of weak ones?

[wildlifer]

I cannot find the exact one right now, but one of these types of lights someone else was using to light an outdoor area. They are portable so you can put and take them wherever you want.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200379202_200379202

They have a bunch of different kinds and also a live chat feature so you can ask what would be suitable for outdoor use. There are battery powered LED ones as well, and you wouldn’t have to spend a lot of money depending on how creative you are with mounting solutions (PVC, hose clamps or wire on branches, etc…).

[katarine]

[QUOTE=RL;7277306]
No power pole and the location wouldn’t really to have it on all night – never knew that though, thanks.

My apartment lease only goes through next August, so I don’t want to make a huge investment – however, I do want to be able to ride and make the most of my board money. I’m a firm believer in doing everything the “right” way and I often save money in the end, too. I certainly won’t be hardwiring anything myself, fear not, but this is a small facility and I’ll likely be the only one using them so I don’t mind if the lights are spotty. I could do a bunch garden/construction lights for a couple hundred bucks. I have no idea how economically those will use electricity.

How comparable is the cost for having an electrician out to do the work? Would any electrician consider mounting on trees or is that against code? Cost of running one or two powerful lights vs. a bunch of weak ones?[/QUOTE]

Depends on how much power is available in the existing panel. Depends on how far from the panel to the lights. depends, depends, depends.

Are you authorized by the property owners to do this work?

Get some quotes. Quotes are free.

You can buy quartz 1500 watt lights for cheap. And replace a ton of bulbs because they just don’t last. I don’t know that any contractor worth his/her salt will hang a light in a tree, depends on whether you’ll have to pull a permit or not and/or how ‘corporate’ they are (uniform + fancy van? = no).

[RL1]

Thanks, wildlifer.

Katarine – the owners have given their blessing to get lights and have even offered to cover all or part of the cost. My sense is that they are very detached from the operation and don’t want to be bothered with it. I am new and have not yet moved in, so I’m just not in a position to be overly proactive or intrusive. Getting a quote would certainly give me the chance to hear options and ask general questions, though. I will look into electrician’s in the area. Thank you.

[csaper58]

For a really cheap solution, I have seen a freind use puck lights (in zip lock bags to keep the damp out). He taped them to gallon milk jugs and put a little sand in the jugs for ballast. the lights were $1.00 ea at the Family Dollar store. the moon helps when it is out, If your horse does not mind you could wear a head lamp while you ride There is a thread on which is the best one

[johnreynell]

You should not be trying a deep ring lighting because outdoor lighting can be dangerous at times when shaped a deep round. Rather than this try for pentagon shaped design in putting the lights. More the simple way more will be the lighting and appearance will automatically enhance. Recently i visited my aunt in New Zealand, they have a totally different way of putting lights . They made a conical shape with lights spread over different trees. Outdoor lighting in NZ have a trend from very long time, in trying different shapes and designs.

[islgrl]

We put up two flood lights on the edge of our ring. It doens’t light the whole ring, but enough to be able to ride. The lights cost $40, the electrician was pretty cheap (can’t remember how much) and the post, which is pretty tall (20feet ??) we had lying around. We run a loonnggg extention cord to the barn and plug them in when we ride, then unplug and roll up the cord when we’re done. Its a bit of a pain, but worth it so we can ride…

[gumtree]

It sounds like you looking to put up something that will not be perfect but effective does not have to “look pretty” and not cost a lot of money so as to get you through the next 8 months? You didn’t say if there is anything to “hang” some lights fixtures on. Be it trees, perfectly safe for this sort of short term thing, poles, building etc.
Assuming there is an power outlet or 2 within a reasonably short distance of the ring to plug into it would be pretty simple to “MacGyver” something that should work well enough using the stuff in the links below. Or something of the like. Basically you are just making bright “shop” lights that plug in. Have done this for outdoor party lights. If there is not anything high enough to attach them to a 12-16’ 2X6 will be plenty to support them. Just make sure to dig the hole 30+" deep and tamp tight. Or set a 4X4 and then attach the 2X6 with screws or nails screws are better. You want the lights up high enough so as to shine down and not at you. Which will be annoying when riding into them.
Put all of the below together then screw the light fixture box to the pole/board, run the wire down the pole, and secure it to the pole with duct tape, zip plastic ties or nail on wire holders and set the pole in your hole and tamp tight. And plug in. You may have to make adjustments to the light position so you may want to have your helper hold it in the hole, turn it on and then turn/twist the pole until the light shines where you want it then tamp securely. This is all perfectly safe, will do the job for not much money or effort and look OK.
If you are lucky your local Home Depot or Lowes may have a retired electrician that help you with everything you need. Ours has a great guy. But some can be full of themselves.

These light are pretty bright but the bulbs can be a bit problematic sometimes.
Or could use the standard incandescent outdoor flood light bulb and fixture but would not be as bright.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-2-Lamp-Outdoor-Bronze-Floodlight-OFTM-300Q-120-LP-BZ-M6/100652906#.Uqct-eIbiYk

This box fit’s the above I believe. Depending on the fixture, some are round some are square, rectangle. Fit the box to what ever you fixture you are buying. These are outdoor rated boxes. You will also need to get the cover that the light fixture screws into.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Bell-1-Gang-5-Hole-Non-Metallic-Round-Electrical-Box-PRB57550GY/202284547#.UqcwEOIbiYk

These screw into the box, some boxes have a 3/8 hole, some 3/4 size to the box you will be using. The wire/extension cord goes through these into the box and you screw the clamp down to hold the wire from pulling out.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Halex-3-8-in-Twin-Screw-Non-Metallic-Cable-Clamp-Connectors-5-Pack-20511/100133208#.UqdFkeIbiYk

The longer the “run” meaning the distance from the fixture to the outlet the bigger the wire should be so as not to get a voltage drop due to resistance build up on long run wire runs. You will cut the female end off, strip back the outer cover to expose the wires inside. There will/should be a black, white and green covered wires. Strip their cover off to expose the wire about ¾ of inch. The light fixture wires and the extension cord wires should be of the same color. So you twist black to black, white to white, green to green and twist on the wire nuts. If one of the wires “sets” has a red a wire instead of a black just twist the red to the black. Sometimes the light fixture will just have a bare copper ground wire if so connect it to the greed ground on the extension cord.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Workforce-50-ft-16-3-Extension-Cord-HD-809-543/100650559#.UqdGXeIbiYk

These are used to connect the wires from the light fixture to the wires from the extension cord. Twist the wires together then screw the wire nut on them. The a couple of wraps of electrical tape around the wire and nut.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-74B-Yellow-Wire-Nuts-100-Pack-30-074P/202894272#.UqeW6-IbiYk

Or you can just get a couple of these and secure to a pole, board, building, tree, etc and plug an outdoor extension cord in to them.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Globe-Electric-150-Watt-Portable-Halogen-Work-Light-with-Heavy-Duty-Clamp-60555/203976560#.UqdEq-IbiYk

To get someone to do this will be a few hundred $$ depending on who it is. Any decent handy person can do this and far cheaper then an electrician . It’s about as basic as it gets.

[equinelover]

I have one of these: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200585836_200585836

I am able to light a good 20-30 m circle to work in and can walk around the rest of the arena with just one light. The facility I am leaving doesn’t have lights but I got approval to plug my own lights in. They have been great for being able to ride after dark, but I do not advise jumping. It comes with a tripod so no worries about attaching it anywhere. My mare was a little skittish about the shadows at first but is getting used to it. Once I am done i just roll extension cord and put the light in the locked tackroom.