How do I deal with my neighbours bright porch light?

[Brandon]

My neighbour turns on this big spot light at night that illuminates my entire backyard which blows away my night vision. Its ruining my stargazing . I was thinking about shooting it out with my air gun but then he would probably just buy a new, brighter bulb. I was also thinking about sneeking over there and cutting off his power but I would probably just electrocute myself.

Is there anything I can do?

[Tiny]

Chat him up - offer him a look through your scope when the moon is up - befriend him - ask him nicely to turn the light off - if all fails move or hope he does.

[barkis]

Yes, there is. You can knock on his door, and invite him and his wife/family round to yours, and show them some of the objects through your scope. Explain to him, that as far as security goes, you will be watching and listening for anything that might be suspicious on his property, all the time he has his security light off. Explain that due to it's extreme brightness, it is destroying the views you normally get, and definitely ruins any chance of taking Images.

Also explain in a nice way, how you recognize the need for him to have the security light, but his property will be guarded all the time you are out there.

You can but try. Any confrontational approach, will be doomed to failure.

Ron.

[Brandon]

That is a good approach to this situation. Sometimes he is gone for days at a time and he leaves it on while hes gone. I will tell him that I will buy a spot light and shine it in his yard while I'm not out there.

[Periscope]

I just hope that your neighbour is friendly. I have a right old battleaxe living next door to me, but luckily, she is in bed by 9pm, so no problems of her having the lights on.

Geoff :salute:

[Brandon]

I just hope that your neighbour is friendly. I have a right old battleaxe living next door to me, but luckily, she is in bed by 9pm, so no problems of her having the lights on.

Geoff :salute:

It might be a little difficult. My nieghbours are newfies (Newfoundlanders). They are the people that Canada kind of picks on and makes jokes about. I guess they are like the Irish in the UK (although my background is Irish lol)

[NickH]

We had the neighbours from hell in London (already a problem with LP), who decided that lighting up their garden like Balckpool was a good idea..

Tried talking to them, nicely at first...then when they bought a rather powerful stereo, and played music till 3am.. via environmental health...nothing doing. Even when they were arrested via an armed response unit (he had a knife allegedly), they still continued (he got off with a caution).

These people were well educated (she a lawyer of some sort, he a marketing manager for a large pharma company..). The lights made sleeping difficult, and the music ...well , we lived in a terrace, and 2 doors down could hear it...our shower used to vibrate, on the opposite side of the house to the wall joining them. Akin to living next to a nightclub..

We moved...vowed never ever ever to live in a semi or terraced house again (hence Wiltshire...as it was dark, and affordable)

Last we heard, he was in prison, and she was a single mum, living in sheltered housing of some form, (the child was not his), and she had attacked him with a golf club, shattering his ankle. So, some good new I suppose.

These "lovely people" were guests at our wedding reception..as we had moved in a few weeks before getting married, and they seemed quite nice..

The moral...

Be VERY VERY careful about "talking" to neighbours... you may find they are lovely, nice and capitulate..

You may not

[Brandon]

there goes my confidence. Thanks NickH! lol j/k my nieghbours are reasonable and I'm sure they will understand.

[NickH]

Then you'll be fine.

:laughing3: :laughing3:

Good luck!

[algol]

hmm, i thought this was going to happen to me a while ago. as the neighbour had an outside light but he seems to have stopped doing it now lol.

[Astronut]

I can sympathise as I'm in the same situation with my neighbour's mega-bright white halogen floodlight. This thing just about lights up the whole back street :x

He says if I want it off all I have to do is knock on the door but when it comes on at 11pm and he leaves it on all night and then the skies clear at 1.30am, a knock on his door wouldn't go down too well, would it?

It should be a criminal offence to leave these damn wasteful 'security' lights on all night. Maybe it will be one day - I live in hope.

It would be handy if I had a switch in my yard for it but that would be down to me to pay for and ironically reduce his electricity bill :?

[algol]

just shoot it or cut wires. best way, or unscrew the bulb a little. not that anyone should do these things. they are wrong, yet effective lol

[Brandon]

just got back inside after 4 hours of gazing lol. no porch light this time. I didn't talk to him, he just didn't turn it on tonight for some reason. I couldn't find M33 or M51 though

[jamesFSO]

just be cool....if he has kids, invite them to look at the moon and take things from there....no need to ruffle feathers at the beginning.