On 6/12/97 12:37 PM, Lee Buller at k0wa@southwind.net 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.
>
>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.
You've obviously never been in an airplane LOOKING for those lights on
the towers. They can be darned hard to see even if you KNOW they are
there.
Bottom line, if your tower installation requires lighting, you are
legally required to use the FAA approved lighting fixtures. If it doesn't
require lighting, and you want to light it anyway, you are legally
required to use FAA approved lighting fixtures.
Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL Mail: aa4lr@radio.org
Quote: "Not in a thousand years will man ever fly!"
-- Wilbur Wright, 1901
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