Help needed to mask nuisance lights

[Astro Noodles]

Several of my neighbours have been busy over the last week installing bright nuisance lights. Obviously this has degraded my local overall light pollution. but with careful positioning of my rig I can avoid direct interference. Based on experimentation yesterday, It's not too bad, but I have one light which causes me difficulty. What I would like to do Is have some sort of screen on a mount which I can position close to the scope to shield from direct light sources. I have looked at photography backdrop mounts but they are much bigger than I need. I really think I will need 2ft square maximum. Does anyone have any ideas?

[Ships and Stars]

I am inundated with LEDs until the timers on the businesses next to me switch off. It's awful, but after a certain time, it goes dark and I can finally start observing from home. 

I'd buy a tarp from B&Q and rig up a shield with some kind of poles between you and the offending light. Wind is obviously a factor, a tarp is like a yacht sail in a breeze!

If you only need 2ft2, how about clipping a golf umbrella to a post with some big spring loaded clamps?

My normal reaction is to take a ladder and a roll of duct tape to the offending light, but apparently this is frowned upon in general

[nephilim]

I have plenty of ideas but i'm afraid non of them are suitable for a family friendly forum. I do hope you manage to find a solution, people can be so very very selfish & ignorant.

[Astro Noodles]

18 minutes ago, Ships and Stars said:

I am inundated with LEDs until the timers on the businesses next to me switch off. It's awful, but after a certain time, it goes dark and I can finally start observing from home. 

I'd buy a tarp from B&Q and rig up a shield with some kind of poles between you and the offending light. Wind is obviously a factor, a tarp is like a yacht sail in a breeze!

If you only need 2ft2, how about clipping a golf umbrella to a post with some big spring loaded clamps?

My normal reaction is to take a ladder and a roll of duct tape to the offending light, but apparently this is frowned upon in general

The latest refinement seems to be to have lights which stay on all night. 🤬

I was thinking of a cheap camera mount with some sort of clamp on the top which could hold a piece of card or plywood.

[Ships and Stars]

1 minute ago, Astro Noodles said:

The latest refinement seems to be to have lights which stay on all night. 🤬

I was thinking of a cheap camera mount with some sort of clamp on the top which could hold a piece of card or plywood.

Ask if they are amicable to turning them off after a certain time? PIR motion lights cost like £5 more than fixed mains lights, so it's a shame they did not go that route to begin with. If the lights are preventing you from enjoying your home, there's a case to be made with the local environmental health officer. They will have heard it before from new LEDs shining in bedroom windows, etc. 

I'd try diplomacy before that, but a lot of people don't get it, they want to blaze everyone out and feel slighted if you raise the issue.

Good luck! There are some good legal precedents online for intrusive light pollution. Motion lights are great if adjusted properly, but all-night lights just invite people to come round in my experience. The wrong kind!

I live near a busy local pub, and when the lights in my lane are out from the neighbouring businesses, no one comes back. When they are on, it's a handy toilet...

It's a struggle...

 

[Astro Noodles]

I'm thinking I can get a cheap camera tripod, put this on the top, and use a piece of matt painted plywood.

[Aramcheck]

I use blackout material on a wooden stand, which I can attach to a washing line pole... That and material draped over the washing line. Also a tarp with an extendable decorating pole in another spot. The tarp can get quite noisy if there's any wind & when packing up in the early hours.

In the past I've also used a plywood sheet attached to a pole to prevent moonlight from shining on the top of the scope, but holding that in postion for a few hours gets very boring!

I'm currently thinking of positoning a mirror in the garden to reflect one really annoying light back into the neighbours face...

Cheers
Ivor

[teoria_del_big_bang]

How many threads have we seen on SGL in 2021 about the same issues.
Its so sad.
I can understand a low power LED on a PIR so you can see when you go out in garden at night, for whatever reason, I have to to take the dog out last thing at night but there is no need for what amounts to be enough flood lighting to play football under or to leave them on all night.

One of the threads this year was appalling with somethings like 3 high power floodlights all mounted under the eaves of a two storey house lit up all night.

I would certainly have a chat and say how it affects you and if there is anyway they could switch them off at a certain time even if its just on clear nights, if they are willing to be courteous then they might even give you a mobile number you can text on the nights you have your rig out.
Even mention one light is the main culprit and suggest a better place for it.

Worth a try, they could just totally ignore your requests but many people are still open to negotiation and compromise so certainly worth a try.

Steve

[Ships and Stars]

4 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

How many threads have we seen on SGL in 2021 about the same issues.
Its so sad.
I can understand a low power LED on a PIR so you can see when you go out in garden at night, for whatever reason, I have to to take the dog out last thing at night but there is no need for what amounts to be enough flood lighting to play football under or to leave them on all night.

One of the threads this year was appalling with somethings like 3 high power floodlights all mounted under the eaves of a two storey house lit up all night.

I would certainly have a chat and say how it affects you and if there is anyway they could switch them off at a certain time even if its just on clear nights, if they are willing to be courteous then they might even give you a mobile number you can text on the nights you have your rig out.
Even mention one light is the main culprit and suggest a better place for it.

Worth a try, they could just totally ignore your requests but many people are still open to negotiation and compromise so certainly worth a try.

Steve

Exactly, properly adjusted PIRs are ok, in fact, if someone intrudes, they rob them of night vision, which is why I set mine on the shortest timer possible. Zap! At the same time, it alerts everyone around someone is there.

Leaving lights on is false logic. 

[Astro Noodles]

Yeah, I don't think people are being sensible with their light pollution. It is not just one neighbour though. I live in a terrace house so there are other properties overlooking my yard. One on either side, and one opposite with one on either side. Out of the six, four of them have nuisance lights (one also has flashing fairy lights). At the end of the row there is an LED streetlight. At the other end is a grain elevator with a light at the apex. There are people going to the bathroom, going to bed, getting up in the night, turning their kitchen lights on and off etc.

It is supposed to be bortle 5 here but I've never seen the milky way. 

Narrow band filters are the only real solution.

I think if I can cut out the direct glare, then I might at least be able to find what I'm looking for in the sky at least.

Anyway, I have ordered one of those clamps off Amazon.

 

[Broadymike]

I have a similar issue where I am. The solution I came up with was to put my gazebo up in the garden with 2 sides on but no roof. It's a dark green textile one rather than the white plastic type. The 2 sides do an amazing job of blocking out the direct light that was causing me issues. The only downside I have found is occasionally one of the poles that make the frame may get in the way, but seeming as though everything is moving up there its not a real issue. Also if its on the windy side I can put all the sides up and give myself a bit of shelter. Just need to make sure it's secured down if using it for wind protection lol. 

[Astro Noodles]

2 minutes ago, Broadymike said:

I have a similar issue where I am. The solution I came up with was to put my gazebo up in the garden with 2 sides on but no roof. It's a dark green textile one rather than the white plastic type. The 2 sides do an amazing job of blocking out the direct light that was causing me issues. The only downside I have found is occasionally one of the poles that make the frame may get in the way, but seeming as though everything is moving up there its not a real issue. Also if its on the windy side I can put all the sides up and give myself a bit of shelter. Just need to make sure it's secured down if using it for wind protection lol. 

That's a good idea. I'll keep that in mind. Although I don't have a garden but a paved yard but I'm sure I could come up with some method of securing it.

[Broadymike]

1 minute ago, Astro Noodles said:

That's a good idea. I'll keep that in mind. Although I don't have a garden but a paved yard but I'm sure I could come up with some method of securing it.

If you own the property you could always use some fixings and install some steel eye bolts to tie one to. If not buckets of water or bags of sand work well to secure gazebos if there's no grass around. 

[Astro Noodles]

Just now, Broadymike said:

If you own the property you could always use some fixings and install some steel eye bolts to tie one to. If not buckets of water or bags of sand work well to secure gazebos if there's no grass around. 

I was thinking of some sort of wooden frame around the bottom with fastenings for the legs. Anything permanent and I run the risk of upsetting her. Also, I'm getting the yard re-paved this year.

[mikeDnight]

Are you able to construct a small ror observatory, with the walls high enough to block surrounding lights?

The first image was a ror observatory built by my late friend Phil out of a metal shed. While the last two images show my own ror obs'y. Acts as a great light shield.

Edited January 2, 2022 by mikeDnight

[Broadymike]

8 minutes ago, Astro Noodles said:

I was thinking of some sort of wooden frame around the bottom with fastenings for the legs. Anything permanent and I run the risk of upsetting her. Also, I'm getting the yard re-paved this year.

Well if you can make do until you repave the yard you could always have some flush eyes put in at the same time. 

[Astro Noodles]

7 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Are you able to construct a small ror observatory, with the walls high enough to block surrounding lights?

The first image was a ror observatory built by my late friend Phil out of a metal shed. While the last two images show my own ror obs'y. Acts as a great light shield.

I haven't really got room.

[BCN_Sean]

Aside from talking to environmental health or breaking out the .22", something like a fishing bivvy or a day shelter may be an option to look at.