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SoundOff
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Flashing/Strobe Lights

Sun Oct 01, 2006 11:32 pm

Normally, one would associate flashing lights with vehicular warnings but I've seen them used as an outdoor warning as well. Before the Chino CIM Prison installed their three sirens, their main warning device were blue strobe lights on the prison's water tower and at the (now decomissioned) Aerojet Ordinance Facility in the hill behind my neighborhood. The blue strobes are still used in conjunction with the siren system today. I noticed that the two siren sites I've seen on the prison property also had smaller blue strobe s located near the siren which began flashing three seconds before the siren activates.

There are also two places in my town where I've seen a red strobe and a plain light bulb with a red cover were used as a warning device. They were affixed to the top of some electrical cabinet and there was a sign nearby that said to call a certain phone number if the light was flashing.

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Daniel
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Sun Oct 01, 2006 11:45 pm

I remember seeing blue strobes and rotating lights on railroad electrical cabinets throughout desolate desert locations in Wyoming and Utah.

It would be an interesting experiment to have high-output, omnidirectional strobes mounted on the top of every signal pole in a city and connected to the siren system to provide a visual warning for the hearing impaired or those inside loud cars. Perhaps colors could be used to differentiate siren codes, such as yellow for tornado warning and blue for civil defense.

Robert Gift
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Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:00 pm

Aren'those blue railroad lights drag detectors?
Originally I thoughthathe [D] sign on the lamp post meant "derail".

I first saw one in Denver nexto a target signal right nexto a grade crossing.
It appeard to be made from RXR crossing signalamps (o)-(o)
but with blue lens (o) one aimed up and down the track.

Between two ties, a detector "flap" /\ spanned the track both inside and outside the rails.
Do I recall kicking it and the lights flashed for 3 minutes?
Later the lamps wereplaced with a domed blue strobe light.

Recently we saw flashing blue and red LED lights at a small townhome construction site.
In daylight I could see thathey are attached to a pole on which
security cameras are mounted.

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Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:50 am

On railroads, blue lights might denote a communications/cut off power point; when on a train, a maintenance hold or that the train is being made up; on track, no rolling stock may come within 150 feet of it. Blue flags may be used in the daytime.

An example of the first use: in the New York subway, a blue light indicates that there is a phone and contact rail cutoff switch at the light.

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loudmouth
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Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:10 am

hey i know its a bit off topic but jim do you know what a metal plate thats about 8"x8" square. thats divied down the middel and one half is white and the other blue or one is yellow and the other is blue . there usaly found in the middel of the rails on the ties between the rails. any clue? i got them off an abondon rail line .

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Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:05 am

No, I don't. Haven't seen one. All my experience with railroads is with subways or with commuter rail. They're all regulated by the FRA and use the AREA engineering standards, but I never was involved with an intercity line. I've worked with Amtrak, but only in and around their yards.

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Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:03 am

"had smaller blue strobes located near the siren which began flashing three seconds before the siren activates."

Their there just to warn people near by that their about to get an earful. :roll: :lol:

Robert Gift
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Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:19 pm

Justin Savidge wrote:
Their there just to warn people near by that their about to get an earful. :roll: :lol:
"They are (or they're) there just to warn people nearby ... that they're ..."

Please try Engrish.

I thoughthe lights and siren started simultaneously but itook 3 seconds for the sound to arrive.
I can't imagine thathe strobes would be very noticeable other than at night.
Seems like they're a big waste of money.

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Daniel
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Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:42 pm

robert gift wrote:
Justin Savidge wrote:
Their there just to warn people near by that their about to get an earful. :roll: :lol:
Seems like they're a big waste of money.
Yeah, they must cost at least $100 each.

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Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:05 am

I bet an outdoor warning strobe is much morexpensive than that.
Otherwise, it would not be noticed if merely an emergency vehicle light.

Such outdoor warning lights are washed out and ineffective unless at night. Sound warning is much moreffective.

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