Street lights are being replaced around my house...

[emadmoussa]

Fingers crossed these downwards pointing LED lights will help the hobby...

i noticed the finished ones seem to be very bright if you look up at them from a very close proximity, but it's obvious the light is more controlled and doesn't spread much upwards. Let's see how things turn when they change the nasty orange one on the bottom of my garden.

[Fozzie]

Fingers crossed. a local public house near to me just added some "extra" lights outside and painted the walls bright white too, you know for reflective purposes, but then it is called the white horse....  the sky glow is genuinely impressive, and it's I don't believe it's the kind of place you would pop in and say "would you mind awfully turning the lights off outside, it's causing absolute havoc with my telescoping aspirations to night, washing everything out and my skyglow filter just cant cope"

Hope you get some home observing done soon

[emadmoussa]

It's a shame really here...If I can get rid of the street light near my garden it'll be almost dark down here. The skies in Whitehill, Hampshire are moderate to low light pollution and I'm hoping the side glare I get from the orange monsters will vanish with the new street lights.

[oldpink]

I have a mix of Downlight LED's and conventional HPS lamps to contend with
the LED's do focus more light down but are still a pain in the butt and standard LP filters don't work with them as they have a different spectrum

[emadmoussa]

I was actually thinking, instead of wasting my time with the council just get a very long pole  (broom sticks attached to each other perhaps) with a cardboard on top and just lean it on the street light when observing and remove it when done.

[oldpink]

fishing rod & card board box

[emadmoussa]

Not a bad idea...anything else I can extend to, say, 6-7 meters ?

[leelee970]

I hope it improves your viewing pleasure.

I have to say I'm really lucky - no street lights until you get to the village (1/4 mile away) and they only have a few lamp posts. Salisbury gives out a nice orange glow though (4 miles away to the North).

My only contender is my next door neighbour - they insist that every light in the house must be on, but they do go to bed early so not a real issue.

Lee

[PeterCPC]

Yes, they are replacing ours with these new sort and, judging by the ones done so far, it is going to be a great improvement. They are cheaper to run as well apparently.

Peter

[leelee970]

a box/ shelid would be good , but would that not be classed as criminal damage?

others may see it in a different light (pun intended)

[emadmoussa]

Yes, they are replacing ours with these new sort and, judging by the ones done so far, it is going to be a great improvement. They are cheaper to run as well apparently.

Peter

They say these lights will be dimmed by 25% from midnight to 5am. Good since it's my preferred observing time.

[leelee970]

contact the council quickly before they put up the lamp post outside your house - stating that the old one shines into your bedroom. they may be more likely to add a shield to it while it is installed.

[emadmoussa]

a box/ shelid would be good , but would that not be classed as criminal damage?

others may see it in a different light (pun intended)

I wasn't planning on touching the light - just extend a long pole with a screen from my garden and block the light bath coming in my direction.

[emadmoussa]

contact the council quickly before they put up the lamp post outside your house - stating that the old one shines into your bedroom. they may be more likely to add a shield to it while it is installed.

I already been in contact with them and they said they would shield it. But can't take their word for it. The problem now, I'll be moving house two houses down the road. The same light will probably stay a nuisance, but if they shield it in my current direction, it'll be the opposite side if I move. I'm thinking just leave it now and perhaps ask them to shield the other side if I have moved.

[leelee970]

I wasn't planning on touching the light - just extend a long pole with a screen from my garden and block the light bath coming in my direction.

Ah, got you.

 

I have made a screen - two long bamboo poles with some weed suppressing membrane as the screen.

Very lightweight and big enough to block out the whole of my neighbour’s house.

Lee

[emadmoussa]

I've  been lately using the garden parasol to block the street light and it does work. The problem the parasol is a bit awkward to position and move around - meaning, I can't position it the way I want always.

So, yeah a screen is a good idea.

The thing is my sky is pretty good, when I put my hand against that street light, the sky behind seems decent.

[oldpink]

I've used the box trick a few times with no issue, the local warden even laughed when they seen it
I only use it if I'm going within 10 deg of the lamp
luckily the road at the front of me is a dead end and I face a motorway embankment so very little traffic or pedestrians
other than a few neighbors walking there dogs and the 3 other lights within 15m more than lights up the path so not causing any danger to the public

[Bukko]

HI, Emad,

I hope I am not going to burst your bubble, but in my sunny little part of Hampshire, the lights have already been changed.

Ours are fluorescent and they spray white light out just a bit more than horizontal. I have one to the West of my garden and until midnight, it makes dark adaptation almost impossible.

I asked if they could screen it and aparrently, it is already. The screen is a real minimalist thing and ONLY screens directly behind the lamp, there the pole is. As the back garden light is at an angle, it makes no difference.

I also have a big screen that I erect in my garden to block it, but, personally, bring back the orange glow!! It was not so harsh on the eyes and the local kids didn't play footie till late under them.

But after midnight, when they dim them, it is a real improvement. Unfortunatly, having to get up early for work, stops play around 10:30 for me.

Hope you fare better than me.

Gordon.

[Alien 13]

I have the LED ones nearby and they are as bad as security lights i too think the old ones where better.

Alan

[jason.p]

Not a bad idea...anything else I can extend to, say, 6-7 meters ?

Get a fishing "pole". Mine's 13m, but match anglers use them up to 16m. Mind you, you could be spending several thousand pounds!

(And we think astronomy is expensive!!)

[emadmoussa]

HI, Emad,

I hope I am not going to burst your bubble, but in my sunny little part of Hampshire, the lights have already been changed.

Ours are fluorescent and they spray white light out just a bit more than horizontal. I have one to the West of my garden and until midnight, it makes dark adaptation almost impossible.

I asked if they could screen it and aparrently, it is already. The screen is a real minimalist thing and ONLY screens directly behind the lamp, there the pole is. As the back garden light is at an angle, it makes no difference.

I also have a big screen that I erect in my garden to block it, but, personally, bring back the orange glow!! It was not so harsh on the eyes and the local kids didn't play footie till late under them.

But after midnight, when they dim them, it is a real improvement. Unfortunatly, having to get up early for work, stops play around 10:30 for me.

Hope you fare better than me.

Gordon.

I noticed while they can be harsh on the eyes if they were directly in your way, the sky seems cleaner above them. They are better for night sky, but if they disturb your observing they tend to get nasty. I think it is mostly about the angle. The one I show in the photo shines in the opposite direction of my house and that area seems much darker, but being in front or beside it it is annoying.

I think you need to bug the council or take actions.

What can of screen do you have?

[Bukko]

I buried a clothes line socket inline with the scope and the light. Then turned down the bottom of a length of 3x3 to fit. Then made a curved frame and pinned a piece of hardboard, someting around 4ft wide by 3ft high. I built a couple of mounting blocks onto the frame top and bottom and some long pins go through the blocks and upright. The whole thing sits above the ground, up to around 7 feet high and nicely blocks it out.

For imaging, the flocked OO does not seem to mind much, providing I am at least 20 degrees away, otherwise, there is a bit of a gradient on the images. PI can deal with it, but this is more processing that I object to having to do; partly because I don't have the time and partly because I am not so good at it.

I have spoken to the council.. They say.. Astronomers love these lights, so don't uderstand my problem. They have has shields fitted, but they are as much use as a chocolate fireguard. There are no shield options, only the one from the lamp manufacturer, so I am stuck.

I di dpoint out that the new local government guidelines should see them using some intelligence when swapping out the lamps and as there are so many so close together, I think they missed a trick to reduce thier lighting bill by reducing the numbers of lamps being fitted...

They didn't get it..

So, as always, we adapt to the new environment...

Still, no matter how hard they may try, they can do nothing to stop me enjoying my Lunt Ha scope...

(especially as I have just upgraded the focuser to a Feathertouch!!)

Gordon.

[emadmoussa]

Astronomers love them, huh?! Ah well, you were probably to somebody with no clue...just doing a job...

I looked outside at the nearby newly fitted light, it is facing me and man...it is too harsh Definitely distributed by a commitee of monkeys..

[trazor]

Astronomers love them, huh?! Ah well, you were probably to somebody with no clue...just doing a job...

I looked outside at the nearby newly fitted light, it is facing me and man...it is too harsh Definitely distributed by a commitee of monkeys..

It would be wrong of you, of course, to complain to the council that the light is keeping you awake.

[Mr Spock]

A reminder once again where streetlights are concerned, posts suggesting any kind of criminal damage will be removed.