Wither Red Tower Sidelights?

[Mr. Jones]

http://www.tvtech.com/pages/s.0015/t.1683.html

NAB, et al Asks FAA if Red Tower Sidelights Can Go

February 16, 2007

The NAB, along with a coalition of wildlife groups, wireless associations and tower builders filed a letter with the Federal Aviation Administration requesting a study on the efficacy of "steady-burning red obstruction sidelights."

The request is in conjunction with an FCC proceeding on the impact of communications towers on migrating birds, which apparently have a tendency to run into steadily burning red lights. The letter notes that the red sidelight requirement is more than 30 years old.

"Accordingly, the Undersigned request that the FAA conduct a conspicuity study to determine whether the use of side-mounted steady red lights (currently, the L-810s) can be eliminated, where currently prescribed for communications towers, without harm to air safety," the letter states.

The "Undersigned" include the NAB, the American Bird Conservancy, Wireless Association CTIA, Defenders of Wildlife, Environmental Defense, the National Association of Tower Erectors, and the Wireless Infrastructure Association.

http://www.nab.org/xert/corpcomm/pressr ... yBirds.pdf

[Hoosier Daddy]

The NAB could care less about the birds. Strobes are usually cheaper, especially where you can replace all the side mounted red obstruction lighting with one top mounted day/night strobe unit. Strobes cost much, much less to operate if you're the one paying the electric bill. Strobed towers usually don't need to be painted in contrasting red/orange and white bands, so the owners save big bucks there too.

Tell the whole story, boys ...

[Cameron]

The NAB could care less about the birds. Strobes are usually cheaper, especially where you can replace all the side mounted red obstruction lighting with one top mounted day/night strobe unit. Strobes cost much, much less to operate if you're the one paying the electric bill. Strobed towers usually don't need to be painted in contrasting red/orange and white bands, so the owners save big bucks there too.

Tell the whole story, boys ...

Freakin' SHHHHH!

[Tom Taggart]

Nor do the yahoos pushing this care about birds. The FCC had serious and probably substantiated doubts about its ability to regulate this area. The present NPRM would have probably been bounced for this reason alone. Even if the Commission found jurisdiction, the bogus science put forth by the enviro-crazies just invites an appeal.

That's why these would-be bird lovers recently went to the district court to force the FCC to approve their original petition, which would ban any tower construction along the Atlantic flyway. The issue is not birds. This is all about stopping towers in any form. Anyone seriously believe there are hundreds of frustrated finches flying around red tower lights like moths?

If that's the case, let's ban stoplights. Or night airplane flights, since high buildings and water towers near airports also carry steady red lights.

Strobes are not cheaper--the units cost about 4 grand and up for the top beacon & controller. The strobe lamp itself is not cheap. They have a lot of vulnerable electronics at the top of the tower--just under the lightning rod. With low electric costs in our area, what you would save switching to strobes is eaten up in maintenance and installation costs.

True, you don't have to paint the tower red and white, but if the tower has any age on it, you still have to paint it to protect the steel.

On the other hand, my 660 watt beacon bulbs are around $120, while the side marker light bulbs are very cheap 120 watt bulbs. The beacon on my tower came from one of the old WWNR towers--its at least 50 years old. Randy down in Beckley rebuilt it, it's worked flawlessly since my new tower went up in 2003.

[Big Media]

The request is in conjunction with an FCC proceeding on the impact of communications towers on migrating birds, which apparently have a tendency to run into steadily burning red lights.

They also make excellent practice targets for rednecks with high-power riffles.

[genlock]

A riffle is a way of shuffling cards.

From Wiki:

Riffle
A common shuffling technique is called a riffle, in which half of the deck is held in each hand with the thumbs inward, then cards are released by the thumbs so that they fall to the table intertwined. Many also lift the cards up after a riffle, forming what is called a bridge which puts the cards back into place.

This can also be done by placing the halves flat on the table with their rear corners touching, then lifting the back edges with the thumbs while pushing the halves together. While this method is a bit more difficult, it is often used in casinos because it minimizes the risk of exposing cards during the shuffle.

[Big Media]

Nerd
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric knowledge or pastimes, rather than engaging in a social life...