Oh dear..is this the end of my astronomy? (PART 2 )

[ChrisLX200]

Please unlock this thread, this is an improtant subject that affects many of us and the advice and information is very useful. By all means Moderate the thread and remove offensive posts (and posters if you like) but do not prevent discussion on the subject. If this doesn't happen I'm outa here.

ChrisH

[Davey-T]

So to return to the subject of street lights 

Does anyone know how they decide on the height of the things ? the ones outside my house are so tall they shine above the roof into my back garden yet a mile down the same road they are only half the height.

Is there some sort of regulation height ?

Dave

[ChrisLX200]

Thing is, this subject is important to me right now. I have a new streetlight errected outside my house but not yet powered up - it is to replace the existing light next to it. I talked to the lighting engineer when he was there (there are problems with the cables apparently and the reason it isn't working at the moment). Anyway, part of the discussion was about the positioning of it - in a gap between my house and next door, and likely to flood light onto my observing site in my back garden. In other parts of the discussion I mentioned I would like a cut-off shield and he replied:

"these new lights don't need one, in fact none are available because the design is so much better. If it was for one of the old style lamps we could do something for you..."

Yet in the thread above I see new designs of shields fitted and armed with this information I can approach my local council and make demands I would not otherwise be able to. So this is very important information as far as I'm concerned and to turn around and say such discussions are verboten is just not right. I accept moderating is a chore - BTDT on other forums, it's a thankless task and becomes boringly repetitive when people simply ignore the rules. However this is not the solution.

ChrisH

[emadmoussa]

I noticed different councils have different solutions of their own. YOu need to be nagging them, I had to contact them before and during and after the street light has been fitted. But once they ordered their ''shield''' it was fitted in two days.

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Tilting at streetlights is seldom effective I fear, for like the Hydra where one is struck down two more will sprout up in its place.

The International Dark Sky Association has some useful resources which highlight the problems of light pollution, and what can be done to reduce it. If more people raise it as an issue with their local council and MP the better the chances of action being taken. It's also a problem of education. Around me several local councils have been turning off street lights at night but are meeting a lot of local resistance, as people are used to lots of light and equate it with safety.

[ChrisLX200]

I noticed different councils have different solutions of their own. YOu need to be nagging them, I had to contact them before and during and after the street light has been fitted. But once they ordered their ''shield''' it was fitted in two days.

Thanks Emad, my problem right now is convincing them shields ARE available - let alone getting them to fit one. That is why these images are so valuable - and they will help others in the same situation. I appreciate the trouble taken to post this information.

ChrisH

[emadmoussa]

Thanks Emad, my problem right now is convincing them shields ARE available - let alone getting them to fit one. That is why these images are so valuable - and they will help others in the same situation. I appreciate the trouble taken to post this information.

ChrisH

My intro line was sleeplessness, they seemed more receptive. When I had the previous light painted before, it took them about 3 weeks to get it done and my only reason I stated to them was astronomy. So yes, some might appreciate stargazing, others might not fully understand what the big fuss is all about. So bug them about sleep, if you could shield the light from your house, then your back garden will end up part of the deal.

[ChrisLX200]

My intro line was sleeplessness, they seemed more receptive. When I had the previous light painted before, it took them about 3 weeks to get it done and my only reason I stated to them was astronomy. So yes, some might appreciate stargazing, others might not fully understand what the big fuss is all about. So bug them about sleep, if you could shield the light from your house, then your back garden will end up part of the deal.

I'm not sure I could convince them of that - the lamp is situated between two houses and it would be difficult to argue the point (given the new light is supposedly designed to minimise that exact problem).  However the new one is a couple of meters higher than the old one. I will have to open a new discussion with them, luckily I have the name of the lighting engineer and his contact details (including email) so I can include images of various shields and request something similar is fitted without being too specific. I think being presented with a simple solution (with precedent) may persuede them there is a simple and inexpensive way of getting me off their case - with little effort on their part

ChrisH

[emadmoussa]

I'm not sure I could convince them of that - the lamp is situated between two houses and it would be difficult to argue the point (given the new light is supposedly designed to minimise that exact problem).  However the new one is a couple of meters higher than the old one. I will have to open a new discussion with them, luckily I have the name of the lighting engineer and his contact details (including email) so I can include images of various shields and request something similar is fitted without being too specific. I think being presented with a simple solution (with precedent) may persuede them there is a simple and inexpensive way of getting me off their case - with little effort on their part

ChrisH

In my area I noticed that shorter street lights were closer to the main road where very high lampposts have been installed.

[emadmoussa]

Anthony kindly sent me few shots of the shields fitted in to his village street lights...this is the kind shield I had in  mind when I contacted the council.

By the way, if you never saw Ant, here's his finger on top of the photo. One bit at a time...

Thanks, Ant!

[Davey-T]

  However the new one is a couple of meters higher than the old one.

ChrisH

Seriously ? So they actually replace the whole thing not just the top ? perhaps if I contact them they could put up shorter ones, any higher and they will interfere with the City airport flight path 

Dave

[StevieDvd]

Why not knock up a blog of your travails with the council and the images of before and after which were very helpful. You'll have control of the blog.

It would be nice if we could get a pinned summation of correct things to do when contacting your local authorities - such as the lighting affecting sleeping etc.

[oldpink]

that picture of Ant's would work wonders for me
think I'll use it in my approach to the council

[emadmoussa]

Seriously ? So they actually replace the whole thing not just the top ? perhaps if I contact them they could put up shorter ones, any higher and they will interfere with the City airport flight path 

Dave

Here's the difference...at least in my little town. About 1.2 meters higher than the old one.

[Davey-T]

I've got three of these lighting up my life, you can see how high they are, this pic is from outside my obs'y door and the garden at this point is already several feet lower than the street.

Dave

[emadmoussa]

Errm...that's not nice. But appears that you can block it with some sort of screen?

[Ant]

I can confirm that they are also 1-2 metres taller here too.

If anyone wants better pictures I can re-take for other angles.

Oh and by the way, it was fairly obvious what Kai meant from his post about staying on topic. You know it, I know and so does he.

I won't hesitate to lock this this thread, or ban people (as the suggestion was made by a poster earlier in the thread) if this one goes off the rails..

Ant

[Davey-T]

I think someone up there is telling me I need to move house 

Dave

[oldpink]

thanks for those pictures Ant
gives me something to show the council, hopefully they will install one for me on the light outside my front door
it won't completely solve the issue but it will make a big difference

[Ibbo!]

when the raised the height issue of the new ones ( at least 1 m higher)

the answer was because of the cut off the throw is altered

[emadmoussa]

As a matter of fact, the same light down the road from ours has a similar shield. Not sure why ours is internal though...

[StevieDvd]

I would imagine that the newer posts are higher as the cone of light on the old lamps were wider and less powerful so needed to be a certain height. Whilst the newer lamps are more focused and need the height to achieve the ground cover.

So don't expect much joy if asking for the lamps to be shorter I doubt they make them longer for fun.

[Davey-T]

So don't expect much joy if asking for the lamps to be shorter I doubt they make them longer for fun.

But why are mine ten foot higher than the ones a bit further down the same road ?

Dave

[Ibbo!]

the shorter ones are usually used  under HT lines and such

also they may have altered the status of the road and the highway regs might be different

[Pig]

They are an improvement for everyone I feel, I have one right outside my bedroom window and after 12:00am it is so dim I don't even notice it

I am a very light sleeper  

I'll get my coat as well

In defence of Imad's jovial nature,  he did once threaten to nuke the Moon and his comment about rocket launching, I am sure, was posted in this same vein.

I think anyone who takes that sort of comment seriously is not being realistic.