There are no exceptions for ham towers. We follow the exact same regs as
everyone else. Redundancy in the type-approved lighting fixtures usually keeps
you out of trouble from having a "blackout". When a local redneck shot the
lights out on K5XI's top beacon, we lost both bulbs and scrambled to get it
fixed. There is a healthy fine for an obstruction marked tower not being
lighted.
Even if the station is in the middle of nowhere, I didn't sleep well when we
had a failure on the 'XI tower knowing that if a small plane or ultra-light
hit it, we would be the cause of someone's demise.
Deciding to go to a lighted tower is no small matter.
Tom, K5RC
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