Has anyone considered....

[Tim]

Nah, i wouldn't even consider viewing in my garden - there are a ton of lamps within a stones throw and the walls are too high anyway.

Good old Freud

[Cloudwatcher]

There was one of those all-round lamps across the way from my back garden in front of a light coloured house wall that reflected a lot of light. When at the eye piece the actual lamp was below the fence line but the reflected light was still there. It was replaced with a lower intensity more directional model,which was nice but unfortunately the lamp post is much taller than the original and of course is now above the fence line.

As the Sage once said "Beware of what you wish for".

[MorningMajor]

Purely in the interests of research are there any articles on the web that explains what a green laser does to streetlights?

[Weebz]

The green laser didn't work for me

If I shoot it at the lights in my neighbours garden (the ones that charge up during daylight) it does trigger them though, so I think it depends on the sensor.

[whooshbang]

I have a friend with a key to open them but I hear they are HV so haven't sabotaged it yet..... Did I say sabotage I meant er.....ummm. Ok ok I meant sabotage.

the access panel on my old street lamp used to fall off and inside there was a simple MCB (breaker switch). apparently all street lamps are no more than 50v (safe working voltages). don't quote me on it though!

[sbooder]

Here is my solution.

[MjrTom]

^^^ That's what I was thinking in my case If I raise the hight of the back wall by 3 feet, even if only temporary It should alleviate some of the issue.

Although my street light is a lot closer to the garden so there is a bit of light spread.

[ItIsOnlyMe]

I had a friendly chat with my residents association at a previous house and they were kind enough to fit a shield to ensure the light didn't shine anywhere other than down. Though I did "adjust" it until they fitted the shield as it was shining into bedrooms and keeping people awake!!

And a similar chat with a neighbour and they let me tinker with their garden light so that it didn't shine over the fence and didn't come on when I walked in my garden (some idiot had put the passive detector on the top so it picked up me walking even though we have a five foot fence)

Most people are reasonable and will help you out....even the council.

[ItIsOnlyMe]

apparently all street lamps are no more than 50v (safe working voltages). don't quote me on it though!

I know you said not to quote you but......I doubt this to be true (50 watt bulbs maybe?) and would suggest you wouldn't want to find out you were wrong by touching it.

In any event 50v can kill you so to call it a safe working voltage is misleading.

[Stevie816]

How about this for an astonomic answer

The Sun is entering a phase of higher activity. We all get together and arrange a Solar Flare (tricky bit) The geomanetic storm wipes out all the electricty transformers, No lights anywhere for months. Now i've come up with the theory we need someone practical to make it work. (my goto will run on batteries)

[Uranium235]

I know you said not to quote you but......I doubt this to be true (50 watt bulbs maybe?) and would suggest you wouldn't want to find out you were wrong by touching it.

In any event 50v can kill you so to call it a safe working voltage is misleading.

Indeed, even a lower voltage can kill if its carrying a high enough current (A). Its not the volts that do the damage. Sbooder has the right idea in how to block light, ive done exactly the same thing except its the length of two fence panels (approx 12ft).

I have considered a laser (also a rather dangerous object), but im not sure id want a visit from Mr Plod for using it.

[whooshbang]

Indeed, even a lower voltage can kill if its carrying a high enough current (A). Its not the volts that do the damage.

Current is the killer agreed, but ELV (extra low voltage) only has a peak of 25v RMS and in normal dry skin conditions the body's resistance would be high enough to draw little of the current available thus the Amps attempting to flow through the body will be significantly reduced, to the extent that death would be extremely unlikely.

The humble car battery can produce hundreds of amps but would never kill you due to the low voltage, high resistance, a 100v car battery almost certainly will.

I measured my street light supply and got approx. 50vac. In the industry this is deemed as EVL so if some pillock like myself touches it with their finger they won't die.

PS don't try that at home!

[Superewza]

It also depends on what route the electricity takes through your body, hence why it's always a good idea to 'stick your head in the sand' if you're caught in a thunderstorm.

But yeah, it can never be 'just the volts that kill' or 'just the amps that kill' or even 'just the watts that kill', because each is meaningless without the other - it's always going to be a mixture.

[whooshbang]

In any event 50v can kill you so to call it a safe working voltage is misleading.

Safe working voltage is something we used to call it at work because it almost certainly can't kill you.

However, you are correct it was a bad comment to make

Having worked with live mains and 415v 3 phase systems over the years the phrase was coined at work if one didn't mind the odd interruption from a colleague.

All a long time ago now so i suspect the rules n regs have changed.

[Ewok]

Purely in the interests of research are there any articles on the web that explains what a green laser does to streetlights?

The intensity of the laser tricks the photocell into thinking that it is day time, and so switches the light off.

Is that what you mean?

[whooshbang]

It also depends on what route the electricity takes through your body, hence why it's always a good idea to 'stick your head in the sand' if you're caught in a thunderstorm.

But yeah, it can never be 'just the volts that kill' or 'just the amps that kill' or even 'just the watts that kill', because each is meaningless without the other - it's always going to be a mixture.

It's Ohms Law Dear Watson, Indubitably!

[MorningMajor]

The intensity of the laser tricks the photocell into thinking that it is day time, and so switches the light off.

Is that what you mean?

Yes, and a

- te he!