Cell tower lights

[country_wife]

Last night I thought it was lightning. Turns out it was the strobe light on a cell tower (at least I think it's a cell tower) that must be at least a mile from my house!

I know the tower has been there, but the light has never been that bright. This was lighting up my living room every time it flashed.

Anyone ever had this happen? I'm hoping it was a freak thing...a bulb about to blow or something. If it continues, I'll be looking for someone to complain to. After all, how bright do those lights need to be? Aren't they just there to keep aircraft from smashing them to smithereens? I really feel bad for those homes closer to the tower. Maybe they will complain as well.

A tower not far from one of my friends did this several years ago. On a cloudy night you could walk across the yard avoiding small obstacles solely by the light coming from its strobes and it was nearly a mile away. The tower owner received an enormous number of complaints and eventually changed the lights but it took a couple of months.

.....Alan.

[rambler]

'Round here they are white strobe lights during the day, & red flashers during the night. During construction, a couple I've seen were white strobes 24/7, and yes that was something!

Perhaps something went wrong with the day/nite sensor on the tower, & it needs repair.

--->Paul

[margo]

The darn things are annoying as heck....The one nearest us has a blinking red light that is not a real problem...until it is knocked out by lightning or something, then the white strobe kicks on, and it's horrid..like a flash bulb continually firing. The cell companies apparently don't routinely check the tower for problems and this one flashed for almost 2 whole months. It freaked out one of my dogs which is afraid of storms and lightening. Very much neglected, I suppose there is info of phone numbers to call near the towers?


I feel your pain, it makes it hard to enjoy an evening sitting outside.

[ericjeeper]

we have a few within two miles of us.. and when it is very foggy or low laying clouds.. it is freakish.. but we live with it

[BaronsMom]

Better than a small plane crashing into the tower!

[Gary in ohio]

The strobe shouldnt be on at night nor should it be that bright. Red lights are used at night.

[BaronsMom]

We've reported lights out on towers and elevators by contacting the local sheriffs office. They contact the proper authorities to have the situation corrected. Just a thought...

[danb98577]

Went through this approximately 8 years ago. One of the first cell towers erected in this area, and of course, they had to put up one of those spastic white strobes. This lasted about a month until a few of the more impatient folk around here shot it out in the evening. It is VERY remote in the direction they were firing.
Light was replaced with a red one which has burnt out and never been replaced. Cell tower has never been used either. Ahhh...progress! Dan

[country_wife]

Hooray!! The red lights are back and the mega strobe has been turned off.

Thanks for all the info...hopefully it won't happen again. I still can't imagine why it was so bright..maybe it was because the strobes are meant to be seen in daylight?

Maybe tonight I can sleep without dreaming the mother ship has come for me. rofl :banana02:

[MTNwomanAR]

There are several of these out my way.....and when it is very cloudy/foggy, these strobes reflect off the clouds.....and they ARE bright....but I'll take those instead of hundreds of street lights............ as of right now, I don't have ANY street lights that I can see...........

[baddogbad]

Originally Posted by BaronsMom

Better than a small plane crashing into the tower!

well, no. there are no airports anywhere near here. you shouldn't be flying that low around here. and if you are flying that low around here then you are bound to hit a power tower or some power lines along the way. or a hill. a flashing light ain't going to save you if you are in that desperate a shape flying your plane around here.

so if a "neighbor" was to take out the strobe light while plinking cans with his .22... well...

i wouldn't say anything...

[ChickenTracy]

We have one about 1.5 miles from the house up on the hill. It flashed a white light for months until neighbors took a petition around to get signed. I didn't sign it because it wasn't any bother to me. I'd gotten used to it by the time the petition went around & if it doesn't bother me I'm not one to make waves. They've replaced the lights with red strobes.

[electronrider]

Just an FYI, If you need/want to get a hold of a cell tower owner/operator, there is almost always a small steel sign attached to the fence around the tower which posts who owns the tower, and a contact number. Although, it may be better to contact the local sherrif, as they might have a bit mroe pull when they complain.

[Quint]

Yeah they are suppose to have strobes for day and red beacons for night.

Sometimes the switching goes haywire or so I'm told usually due to lighting strikes.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Hey, I have a buddy that changes those bulbs, sounds like fun, I would do it if I were single. As far as the lights go, I live on a pretty busy street and lights shine in my bedroom all night, I put up the foil lined bubble wrap type insulation on my windows and nothing gets through, pitch black, even at 11 in the morning! Easy to roll up and take off too, plus helps R value of the windows.

[manfred]

The tower near my house got confused last summer and blinked white for a couple of months. Very annoying. There should be a penalty to the folks responsible to keep them working correctly.