John wrote in message . ..
Would someone who has had experience of erecting a working Lamp Post
(The old fashioned street lamp, not a modern monstroserty) advise me
of any problems you may have encountered.

I'd be cautious about using a second hand vintage lampost, because
there is a good chance that the control gear and lampholders may be at
the end of thier life, and the lamps themselves may be expensive or
difficult to get. If the daylight sensor wants changing, you might
have trouble getting one with a high enough power rating (although you
can always add a helper relay/contactor). On top of that new ones are
designed to reduce light pollution, and hence achieve a lot more local
lumens for your cash.

Erretion is simply a case of providing a cable duct to the location,
threading that through the slot in the base and concreting in place.
Use proper armoured waterproof cable underground, not PVC
twin-and-earth. Backfill cable manholes with sand to discourage rat
damage.

But the whole thing is full of potential snags: you need a reasonable
size hole, so that the concrete base does not move around because of
the leverage from the upright: at least a metre deep and perhaps a
metre across: the vendor should give you advice. The nature of the
surrounding soil must be taken into account.

Then there is the problem of lowering it into the hole and hauling it
upright, and holding it so while the concrete sets: I'd look at a
small lorry with a Hiab crane.

You need access to change the lamp. A ladder won't do it.

You need to make sure the steelwork, and the lamp holder, are really
well earthed.

Some of the domestic type, as sold by garden centres and the like, are
quite easy to deal with: although none of them address the light
pollution issue.