[TowerTalk] Illuminating antennas on towers

[Richard Blumenstein]

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

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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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