Exterior Lighting (rant)

[John]

It annoys me when people fit exterior lights and just aim them horizontally - thus ensuring that half of the light is wasted or is an annoyance to other people. Typical PIR Controlled 500 watt lamp - "walk near me and I will light up the houses across the road!"

The worse type of light often fitted commercially is the bulkhead light with a 2D fluorescent tube - these get fitted to the walls of buildings and only serve to shine into your eyes to make your iris close down so that dark areas look even darker.

Good planning should ensure that the ground is well lit without the light source shining directly into anyone's eyes.

[tony sayer]

In article , John writes

Yes we've got someone across the way with these bloody thing arranged like that.

Oddly enough the other day I noticed one of ours aimed almost at the ground flickering slightly. Further investigation revealed that it had water in it!, not enough to get to the bulb but a fair old bit!..

Well yes!..

[David Hansen]

On Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:40:52 GMT someone who may be "John" wrote this:-

Assuming the designer/installer wants to light up the ground. Otherwise it would be bad planning.

The situation may not always make it possible to achive this ideal.

[Robert Laws]

[Robert Laws]

use a cheap telescope to send a beam of light directly at the floodlight's daylight sensor. turn on light in telescope: floodlight goes off.

R

[TheScullster]

"Robert Laws" wrote

Do all these floodlights have a daylight sensor? I thought most were solely controlled on a motion sensor.

Phil

[John]

They have a light sensor to prevent them being triggered by movement during the daytime.

[John]

Improvements are often is often possible - like having the light as high as possible and pointing it downwards; shielding / cowl / hood; location (consider how buildings are floodlit - the lights point at the subject - not at the viewer).

Consider downlighters / wall washers instead of bulkhead fittings. Consider lights positioned away from the building - but pointing at it.

Even street lights are starting to be designed better - more effective reflectors and hoods to prevent the spill of light into the eyes of the driver (unless you are under one and choose to look up).

You would not enjoy going to the theatre and having the stage lighting pointing at the audience.

[David Hansen]

On Wed, 17 Jan 2007 13:54:13 GMT someone who may be "John" wrote this:-

While improvements may be possible in many cases in some cases they may not.

That assumes there is enough wall to place it higher. If there is not then for many reasons the occupiers may be unable/unwilling to erect a suitable pole.

Theatre lighting relies on being inside. Place some such lights outside for a while and see how well the delicate bits last.

[Robert Laws]

the 'remote control' method also works for street lights and is more effective becuase they usually have a fairly long 'dead time' before they will attamept to come on again.

To use the telescope method you first look through the telescope and get it aimed exactly at the sensor. Then, having clamped the telescope in place, you remove the eyepiece and put alight bulb in its place. For street lights a flash gun will also do the trick.

people also use laser pointers.

Robert

[Mary Fisher]

Indeed.

There's an office block opposite our house, there's a security light directed at the car park. but it shines at several of the houses on this side of the street and it's so bright that we can read by it in our front rooms. It doesn't go on and off, I don't know if that's a boon or not :-)

Mary

[John]

You are experiencing "Light Trespass". If it was a street light shining into your bedroom you would demand a shield to be fitted. You are entitled to some darkness at night I believe.

Take a read of this:

[Mary Fisher]

've tried asking the management (it's the local Healthcare office!) but they say it's nothing to do with them.

I might well save the link and quote it, thank you.

For years youths would go in and kick footballs against the wooden garage doors, we managed to get that stopped but I've a feeling that 'security' might be a different matter. and getting neighbours to complain formally (i.e. not to me, saying that "somebody should do something about it") is very difficult!

Mary

[John]

The diagram at the start of the article is useful in explaining the situation. It is hard to believe that nothing can be done - if you can see the light source than I believe it is incorrectly set up. If you are experiencing light reflected off an illuminated building then perhaps you will have to put up with it.

[Mary Fisher]

No, it's a direct light from the lamp.

It would be marvellous to be able to have it adjusted.

Mary

[terry]

. Interesting point because there is one area, in Quebec Canada IIRC, where 'light pollution' was affecting night time celestial telescope observations. Partial solution was to have local towns install street lights that minimized upward radiation and take other measures to minimize it.

[terry]

. Possibly aimed wide to discourage stalkers and/or other nightime lurkers or travellers. However; many outside lights are shut off by by photocells during the day? During daylight they override the motion or IR sensors with which AFIK many are equipped. The photo cells could be a fun 'target' for a laser pencil???????? Just a thought!.

[Pete C]

I've tried asking the management (it's the local Healthcare office!) but

Ask for the contact details of their facilities management.

cheers, Pete.