Lee Buller wrote:
>
> Why would there ever be a need to light a ham radio tower? Lights on a
> tower are very expensive. If I remember right from my broadcast engineering
> days; a typical flashing beacon light is very large (larger than you would
> think) and is composed of two 620 watt light bulbs. I think the flashing
> figures are so big that they really wouldn't fit well on 25G...but well on
> 55G. The bulbs are expensive. They don't make the 115 volt bulbs anymore,
> so you have to run 220 volts up the tower. Typical side lights are 115
> watts with two bulbs too.
>
> I think the rules state that on commercial towers the voltage sag from the
> bottom to the top has to under three percent. That means a lot of heavy
> wire going to the top of the tower.
>
> Also, the rules state that anything under 200 feet doesn't have to use
> lights or be painted in alternate International Orange and International
> White. Now that might be different if your tower is in the flight pattern
> of some airport. The FAA will have a lot to say about that.
>
> If I was going to light my tower, and I cannot figure out why anyone really
> would want to except for vanity, I would use some 12 volt tail lights you
> could get from any auto parts store. Use a 555 timer to flash them...and be
> done with it.
>
> The whole project sounds like a waist of time to me. I really don't want
> the neighbors to notice the tower anyway.
>
> IMHO
>
> Lee
> k0wa@southwind.net
>
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The FAA Advisory Circular that covers this spec's the lights and IF YOU
LIGHT THE TOWER WETHER REQUIRED OR NOT, if I remember correctly the
lights must meet spec's Lots of BUX.
Hank KN6DI
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