Tonight I saw some interesting lights at a big shopping center.

They were on trailers with green generators and each one had a pole with four round lights on it pointed in four different direction. They appear to be metal halide and all were running. The trailers had flashing red warning lights on them.

Has anyone see me these in parking lots? My guess is the parking lot lights are out so they put these in temporarily. The main lights were off but I don’t know if it was dark enough for them to come on.

What’s ironic is the main lights are LED and they’re being temporarily replaced by MH. 😂

I haven’t seen the lights/generators you’re talking about but I saw something like you did a few months back.

A small shopping plaza with LED parking lights were out for some reason, and MH four head light towers were lighting the parking lot. Pretty standard ones though. Not sure what the reason for it is, but maybe someone hit a wire or something as a store is currently being built there.

Those are common here with both LED and HID. The boom extends upwards to about 5M.
https://www.kennards.com.au/for-hire/lighting/lighting-towers/light-tower-4000-w 
https://www.kennards.com.au/for-hire/lighting/lighting-towers/light-tower-led-4-head-hybrid

Usually, some rental companies offer them. Around here, the most they are used for is night time construction. Sometimes, they use several dozens of them along a stretch of highway during night time paving projects. I've seen some, once or twice, to light parking lots when the standard lighting has failed.