Seb146 From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 8296 posts, RR: 19 Posted (4 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 12994 times:
On the east side of PDX are two banks of radio towers. They are painted red/orange and white like normal radio towers. They have the solid red light half way up and the strobing red light at the top. One bank of towers has three the other bank has four. The bank of towers with four is closest to PDX. The tower closest to PDX does not have a red strobe but a white strobe that is on 24/7. What would be the reason for that white strobe?
GO CANUCKS!!
Wheel of morality turn, turn, turn. Tell us the lesson that we should learn
GQfluffy From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 3345 posts, RR: 6 Reply 1, posted (4 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 12982 times:
Quoting Seb146 (Thread starter): What would be the reason for that white strobe?
KELPkid From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 5515 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (4 years 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 12964 times:
Quoting GQfluffy (Reply 1): "Look at me! I'm here, don't hit me!"
Or better yet, "Look at me! I'm in compliance with FAA Advisory Circular AC70/7460"
KELPkid From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 5515 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (4 years 10 months 3 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 12876 times:
Quoting N231YE (Reply 3): That's interesting. I have always thought/seen that lighted towers use white strobes in the day, and slow-blinking red lights at night.
Read the advisory circular. I used to file the FAA paperwork for a broadcast engineer, who built towers all over the US, and, IIRC, in many instances putting a daytime strobe on a tower can replace painting the structure aviation orange/white, which costs the tower owner more money in maintenance than the electricity needed by the strobe
Celebrating the birth of KELPkidJR on August 5, 2009 :-)
Bingo From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 359 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 12730 times:
Side note, Do you know what the guys who change those bulbs get paid? Typically its a dollar per foot per hour with a minimum number of hours. They typically will toss the dead bulbs (there are numerous in there) over the side so they dont have to carry them down. My old man was a radio man who did this line of work for a while...Next time you see those strobes, remember they are vertical gold mines.
Cheers,
Bingo
CptSpeaking From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 635 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 12724 times:
Quoting KELPkid (Reply 4): in many instances putting a daytime strobe on a tower can replace painting the structure aviation orange/white, which costs the tower owner more money in maintenance than the electricity needed by the strobe
Quoting Bingo (Reply 5): Typically its a dollar per foot per hour with a minimum number of hours.
Very interesting, and GOOD GRIEF!!! I might have to take that up as a side job...
There was one tower, approximately 5 nm to the NE of my home airport, that took 5+ months to change a bulb.
It got to the point that every time I called WXbrief, and they went over the local NOTAMs, I said if the only NOTAM was this unlit tower, don't bother telling me it, as I already know.
KELPkid From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 5515 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 12713 times:
Quoting CptSpeaking (Reply 6): Very interesting, and GOOD GRIEF!!! I might have to take that up as a side job...
Your CptSpeaking
Hope you don't have acrophobia (I can only climb to about the 50 foot level myself...I was wearing a safety harness) Something in me just says "this is wrong!" above that height...also it feels mighty lonely up there by yourself, and climbing straight up takes really good physical conditioning.
Oh, did I mention if the wind is blowing even slightly, you get to feel the tower sway, too
If you drop anything, remember to yell "headache!" (proper tower maintenance protocol...lets everyone else know to get the h*** away from the bottom of the tower).
Celebrating the birth of KELPkidJR on August 5, 2009 :-)
KELPkid From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 5515 posts, RR: 5 Reply 9, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 12712 times:
Quoting Bingo (Reply 5): Do you know what the guys who change those bulbs get paid? Typically its a dollar per foot per hour with a minimum number of hours.
Another reason many tower owners are going to 24 hour strobes-the only thing to change on a strobe lighted tower when stuff quits working is a circuit board at ground level
However, I have seen strobes make bad neighbors out of tower owners, where the lighting was previously red lights only...
Celebrating the birth of KELPkidJR on August 5, 2009 :-)
3DPlanes From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 167 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (4 years 10 months 2 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 12635 times:
Quoting KELPkid (Reply 9): I have seen strobes make bad neighbors out of tower owners
Indeed. I live 2 miles (as the crow flies) from the approach end of two parallel runways. Both have REIL that fire together.
On nights with low ceilings, those things throw a surprising amount of light, over a large portion of the sky.
Jeffry747 From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 950 posts, RR: 3 Reply 11, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 12476 times:
To put things simply, anytime you see a red flashing light or white strobe, it is there so aircraft can see it at night. I guess I don't need to mention that it's FAA regulation for all tall buildings and towers to have them.
ATCT From United States of America, joined Mar 2001, 1881 posts, RR: 50 Reply 12, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 12434 times:
I might have to get that job.....
GO PENS!!!!!!
ATCT
Real pilots fly planes that take and measure oil in gallons
KELPkid From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 5515 posts, RR: 5 Reply 13, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 12402 times:
Quoting Jeffry747 (Reply 11): or white strobe, it is there so aircraft can see it at night
As I mentioned previously, a white strobe active during daylight hours is often in place so that the tower owner doesn't have to paint the tower aviation orange/white, thus saving the tower owner money in maintenance. Also, IIRC, new construction towers above a certain height (999' agl?) require a daytime strobe (whether or not the tower is painted...) Older towers are "grandfathered" in under the regulations that were in place when the tower was constructed.
Celebrating the birth of KELPkidJR on August 5, 2009 :-)
Bingo From United States of America, joined Nov 2006, 359 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 12312 times:
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 1932 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 12256 times:
Quoting Bingo (Reply 14): dunno folks....can you stomach this?
Seb146 From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 8296 posts, RR: 19 Reply 16, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 12223 times:
Okay.....
The picture is dizzying! I do not envy those workers at all.
Next question: Where on the FAA or FCC website is the specifications for warning lights for buildings? There are some short buildings in downtown Portland that have red warning lights but other taller buildings that do not have lights. What is the reason for those?
GO CANUCKS!!
Wheel of morality turn, turn, turn. Tell us the lesson that we should learn
KELPkid From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 5515 posts, RR: 5 Reply 17, posted (4 years 10 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 12220 times:
Quoting Seb146 (Reply 16): Where on the FAA or FCC website is the specifications for warning lights for buildings?
Follow the link in reply #2 There you shall find your answer...
Celebrating the birth of KELPkidJR on August 5, 2009 :-)
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 8296 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
){kind=link}