Paul-
Since I only have a single 73' tower, maybe I don't understand the need
to run out into a storm or the night to look at your antennae?
Can't you just tell by your SWR meter and pumping out a few test watts,
what the condition of them are? If the SWR is way off, then don't
transmit and wait until daytime to look at it.
Dick, K0CAT
==========
N1BUG wrote on 10/20/2019 8:33 AM:
I don't recall seeing this come up before so I may be the only
person wanting to do it. It wouldn't be the first time. But before I
go and invent a wheel which may turn out to be triangular, I wanted
to see if anyone has a blueprint for a round wheel!
I have two 100 foot towers. There are times when I want to be able
to see the antennas at night, for example to see if the three wire
top loading on the LF vertical is surviving a storm or to estimate
how much ice is up there. Having grown tired of running out in
storms with a powerful flashlight I want to install some kind of
permanent lighting at or near ground level (preferably on a storage
shed) which will shine upward and offer some illumination of the
antennas. I don't need to turn night into day but I do need enough
light to clearly make out the antennas. Most antennas are yagis. I
don't expect to be able to see wires well but if I can spot
insulators and the 1" aluminum tubes holding the LF top hat together
that will be good enough.
For one tower the light(s) would be pointed upward at a very steep
angle (80 degrees) to illuminate antennas 100-130 feet away while
the for other it would be at an angle of perhaps 25 degrees to
illuminate antennas some 200+ feet distant. I am looking for any
suggestions on what type of lighting might work well for this.
It doesn't appear to me that typical 120V outdoor flood / spot light
fixtures are sufficiently weatherproof to be safely pointed upward.
They look as though they would make fine rain collectors that way.
I've been looking at landscape lighting, but those seem to be low
power units which may or may not get the job done at these
distances. I thought about using sealed beam automotive headlights.
That would surely get the job done well enough but if I want it to
look nice there would be quite a bit of work in constructing a
holder/mount.
I should add that I would prefer this lighting not produce RFI. I
have an ample supply of that already.
So, has anyone done this? What did you use? Results?
73,
Paul N1BUG
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