1000W balloon light tower: 165,000 lm on a tripod
The head that replaced a pair of 1000 W metal halide lamps on a trailer. 165,000 lm from an 11.4 kg unit, an 100 cm balloon and a 4.8 m mast, set up by one person.
Specification
What the sheet states for this build, and what is confirmed per order.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Power | 1000 W |
| Light output | 165,000 lm |
| Efficacy | 165 lm/W at rated output |
| Max coverage | 6,362 m² at the recommended height |
| Inflated balloon | 100 cm diameter x 56 cm high |
| Head weight | 11.4 kg |
| Colour temperature | 5000 K |
| Ingress protection | IP54, dust and splash |
| Dimming | 3 step |
| Insect and dust filter | Replaceable, fitted |
| Input | AC 100-277 V |
| Mast | Telescopic tripod, up to 4.8 m |
| Warranty | 5 years |
The 1000 W head belongs on a tripod rated for at least 20 kg with the mast at working height. Ask for the wind rating of the tripod, not just the load rating: the balloon presents a large surface once it is inflated.
What 165,000 lumens covers
At the recommended height the head is rated for 6,362 m². That is a circle roughly 90 m across, or a working area of about 60 by 100 m at the light level the figure assumes. A paving crew that needs 50 lux over a 30 m wide carriageway gets well over 100 m of road from one head.
The honest way to size it is the other way round: decide the lux the task needs and the area to be lit, then divide. 165,000 lm spread over 4,000 m² is about 41 lux before losses, which is why the same head that floods a yard looks modest over a motorway.
- The lux target for the task, not the wattage of the lamp it replaces.
- The mounting height available, because coverage falls with the square of the distance.
- Whether the site wants a hard edge or a soft one, which decides balloon or floodlight.
The metal halide comparison
The reference case for this head is two 1,000 W metal halide lamps on a trailer, which is the classic light tower arrangement. Two 1,000 W lamps at about 110,000 lm each produce roughly 220,000 lm, and the pair draws 2,000 W at the lamp before the ballast loss is counted.
One 1000 W LED head produces 165,000 lm at 1 kW. It is dimmer than the pair and uses half the power. The 1400 W head is the one that matches the pair on output, at 224,000 lm.
Setup, transport and power
The head packs into a bag, the mast folds, and the tripod is carried separately. One person sets it up in a few minutes: legs out, mast up, head on, power connected and the balloon inflates. There is no separate blower to connect and no lamp to warm up.
Power is AC 100-277 V, so the head runs on a standard site supply, a power station or a generator. At 1000 W it needs a supply that holds 1 kW continuous, which is more than a small 1000 Wh power station can give for long.
- Vehicle or van space for the folded mast: 4.8 m tripods do not fit in a car.
- A supply rated above 1 kW continuous if the head is to run all night.
- A spare filter, because a clogged filter costs output long before it costs a repair.
Before the order
- Tripod rating: at least 20 kg with the mast extended, and a wider base on soft ground.
- Ballast: on a windy site, weight the legs. The balloon is a sail.
- Plug type: local plug and cable length are order details, and a 1 kW load needs the right cable gauge.
- Build
- 1000W balloon light
- Line
- Tripod balloon lights
- Ask for
- Specification sheet, photometric file, packing list
Send the site, get the sheet.
Build, specification sheet and the option list for each line item, in one reply.