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[DSLF] Digest Number 1129
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There are 4 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Migratory Bird Planning Document
From: Mike Hansen <mhansen@einhornresearch...>
2. Need Help with New Antenna Lighting Nuisance
From: "Kevin Wigell" <kwemail@twcny....com>
3. Re: Need Help with New Antenna Lighting Nuisance
From: KDConod <kdconod@yahoo...>
4. Re: Need Help with New Antenna Lighting Nuisance
From: ctstarwchr@aol...
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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 04:51:36 -0400
From: Mike Hansen <mhansen@einhornresearch...>
Subject: Migratory Bird Planning Document
We know that poor lighting affects migratory birds.
If anyone is interested in providing comments to the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service regarding their migratory bird program strategic plan,
now is the time. Public comments on the draft are being solicited
through October 10.
This document may impact federal developments and is being developed
with international participation.
Full details may be found at:
http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/mbstratplan/mbstratplan.htm
Mike Hansen
2561 Massachusetts Ave. #1
Cambridge, MA 02140-1020
(617)661-6520
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 08:59:24 -0400
From: "Kevin Wigell" <kwemail@twcny....com>
Subject: Need Help with New Antenna Lighting Nuisance
Last night I walked outside and immediately noticed what I first thought were lightning flashes to my south. Then I realized the flashes were coming at regular intervals. The entire southern sky was lighting up. My direct view in that direction is blocked by my neighbor's house, so I walked out a little further to see what was going on. To my dismay, I saw a white strobe antenna marker beacon on top of a nearby hill (about three miles distant). There are a few other antennas on this hill with the less obtrusive red marker beacons, but this is the first with a white strobe. It must be new. It flashed all night, lighting up my entire southern sky.
I've decided to take action to try to get this marker beacon changed to red. I know the first step will be to drive up there and find the coordinates of the antenna and hopefully a sign as well that will tell me who it belongs to. Assuming I find the owner, the next step will be to call them. Before I do, I want to make sure I have my facts straight.
I've found "lighting guidelines" for antennas on the FAA's web site. It states: "Aviation Red Obstruction Lights. Use flashing beacons and/or steady burning lights during nighttime". So far so good. Then, it goes on to say, "Medium Intensity Flashing White Obstruction Lights. Medium intensity flashing white obstruction lights may be used during daytime and twilight with automatically selected reduced intensity for nighttime operation." This last seems to imply that white strobe lights can be used all night (at a lowered intensity). Does anyone know if this is correct? I would like to be able to tell them that their white strobe light at night is illegal.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Kevin Wigell
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 07:01:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: KDConod <kdconod@yahoo...>
Subject: Re: Need Help with New Antenna Lighting Nuisance
> know if this is correct? I would like to be
> able to tell them that their white strobe light
> at night is illegal.
Don't because it's not. :-( It is however
required that the light run at reduced brightness
at night (half brightness???). You can request
the owner install a dual lighting system which
uses white by day and red by night.
=====
Kevin Conod
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 13:45:40 EDT
From: ctstarwchr@aol...
Subject: Re: Need Help with New Antenna Lighting Nuisance
In a message dated 9/15/2003 9:00:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
kwemail@twcny....com writes:
> This last seems to imply that white strobe lights can be used all
> night (at a lowered intensity). Does anyone know if this is correct?
> I would like to be able to tell them that their white strobe light
>at night is illegal.
Kevin:
Twenty-four hour operation of white strobes for obstruction lighting is
not illegal unless it is stipulated in local zoning regulations. Several
years ago I designe communication towers professionally for the VoiceStream
and OmniPoint carriers. To help keep operating and construction costs
minimized we never exceeded a structure height of 200 feet above ground
level (AGL), thus not requiring obstruction identification at that time.
The FAA standards were revised in March of 2000 and now by their latest
iteration require at least one light for structures 150 feet above ground
level. Height of the structure determines how many lights must accompany
the structure.
The FAA regulations (AC 70/7460-1K) stipulate white strobes can be used at
night, however, due to the negative impact they have upon rural and suburban
locations they are generally specified over more heavily populated areas that
are busy with a lot of other lighting and glare. Honeywell makes a very high
quality dual lighting obstruction marking system that strobes white by day and
flashes red by night.
Some of the lighting systems are computer controlled and can automatically
attenuate the brightness according to ambient brightness of the area, but
they are top of the line and more expensive than the standard dual lighting
systems available.
You can download the full set of FAA regulations for obstruction markings
and lighting at:
http://www2.faa.gov/ats/ata/ai/circV.pdf
Structures less than 200 feet tall do not require any lighting. Contacting
the owner of the antenna may prove to be more frustrating than dealing with
the local planning and zoning director, but visiting the compound to discover
the owner of the tower may help P&Z isolate which antenna is causing the
problem in your area.
Get as many people as possible to complain about this new strobe will help
put pressure on P&Z to require the lights to be changed. Printing the
pertinent part of the FAA regulations and sharing them with P&Z may help
them negotiate successfully with the owner (or designers) of the offensive
lighting system. Hope this information helps!
Clear skies and good seeing,
Keep looking up!
Cliff Haas
Author Light Pollution Awareness Website (LiPAW)
http://members.aol.com/ctstarwchr
http://www.crlaction.org
Member: IESNA, CRL, IDA, NELPAG, CTIDA
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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