Oh dear

[DaveS]

While I was at work, so too were the council, replacing some of our low pressure Na lamps with LEDs, sneaky so-and-sos. On the other hand, they've just been replacing the lamp heads so the standards are no higher than the originals. I reckon they'll be doing all the local streetlights eventually.

I went out to have a look and it does appear that they are well directed with little or no spillage, a telegraph pole near one is illuminated to about head height then disappears into darkness.

Will try and get some photos tomorrow, weather permitting.

[happy-kat]

Sounds better then my experience, the poles were changed as well as yje lamp heads and they grew in height and numbers.

[oobydooby]

12 hours ago, happy-kat said:

Sounds better then my experience, the poles were changed as well as yje lamp heads and they grew in height and numbers.

That''s how it's going here too

[DaveS]

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/32259/Council-invests-in-5.2-million-street-lighting-project-to-improve-visibility-for-residents

Looks like they're going to do the lot. Well, that's my LP filters rendered useless. Perhaps if they can kill the upward spillage it won't be so bad but I have my doubts, and I may have run screaming for the country before they finish.

[happy-kat]

I have found that whilst the upward spillage is improved the actual ability to observe in the direction of a street lamp is zero. I can't use goto as I can't actually align a star in the direction of the lamps as they cause effective night blindness as they are so bright and straight at you. That's my N, NE, S directions gone.

[DaveS]

From my normal telescope position no streetlights are visible, even the ones on the main road which is a bus route so has taller standards. I can only see a couple of streetlights if I go right up to the end of the garden in the veg patch, and they're a way off.

Normally my garden is reasonably dark, rod vision only unless the stupid neighbours turn on their outside lights.

Living under London's light dome I think Hillingdon, Harrow and Ealing would all have to change to (Good) LEDs to make much of a difference. Ealing has been converting and I think is pretty much all LED now, Harrow has been converting for a while now, while Hillingdon is just starting.

[DaveS]

A couple of photos.

First looking down the side road

Next by the roundabout

It looks like they've stopped for the time being. Don't know when they'll do my road. Will try and get photos of them lit later.

[DaveS]

Took some photos of them lit. The first two as near to the daylight ones as I could get

 

And a reverse angle looking at the roundabout from my road.

 

Where you can see the tail end of the Na light.