OT: Mystery device

[Tim+]

Of course, but not while the wife is waiting impatiently for you to get a move on and stop faffing about photographing mystery objects. ;-)

Tim

[Chris Hogg]

I'm amazed! While I could believe such an arrangement might exist a century ago when biplanes and other 'stringbags' were around, but today, relying on a bit of tensioned rope?! Amazing!

[therustyone]

as already suggested, a 3-weight tensioner for the electric cables to compensate thermal expansion. The ones we have round here look more like weight lifter's circular discs.

[Tim+]

And as already said, nope. ;-)

Tim

[Tim+]

It does seem a bit retro but I suppose it's a fairly reliable "last ditch" way of cutting the power when a plane has overshot the runway (and crossed a dual carriageway).

When I'm at a PC I'll try and post an appropriate streetview link but for the meantime have a look at the west end of Prestwick airport runway and follow the A79 northwards from Prestwick. You'll clearly see the rope, pulleys and switch positioned in line with the end of the runway.

Tim

[DerbyBorn]

Using flash will force many cameras to a slowish shutter speed to allow the SLR shutter to fully expose the film - perhaps this logic is still applied in which case, if the scene is not relying on flash it can confuse the exposure. Also - don't expect a small flash to have any affect over about 10 feet. Why do people use flash in stadiums and for sunset photos????

[Chris J Dixon]

Because they have never heard of the inverse square law, and in any case have no idea how to turn it off.

Chris

[charles]

a great many years ago, I was demonstrating CEEFAX at an international exhibition. Someone wanteed to take a picture of the screen - he held his light meter up to the screen and said "it's a bit dim, I'll use flash" and did.

[Matthias Czech]

Am 13.10.2016 um 10:22 schrieb Tim+:

https://www.google.de/maps/@55.5167978,-4.6182758,3a,75y,310.51h,85.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sym0dirEBatmHtqEfA1urJA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=de

BTW: Your motorways don't look so good.

[whisky-dave]

what century are yuo talking about ?

even my old practica of the mids 70s synch at 1/125

because the cameras set to auto.

[Tim+]

Try this.

[harry]

A lot of these French expression are Faux. Cul de sac. Nom de plume. Etc. They make no sense at all to a French person.

[Dave Liquorice]

cables the

KISS, a bit of rope and weight works. Though it sounds as if it's not fail safe, in that if the rope breaks (that may go unnoticed) the power doesn't get tripped (tripped power would be noticed).

[rick]

Looks like a Overhead line tensioner to me ........ you see modern version on electrified train lines.

[Tim+]

Given that I've already said that it's physically unconnected to the lines behind and specifically said that it's NOT an overhead line tensioner twice, I'm puzzled by your suggestion.

Tim

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , Matthias Czech escribió:

That's because we paid for Spain's brand spanking new motorway network.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , Tim+ escribió:

Some people (including me) reply to a specific post before reading the entire thread. It's not deliberately being done to annoy you.

[polygonum]

Which is slow compared with 1/1000 or faster, isn't it?

[Bill Wright]

Threaten to withdraw her marital privileges.

Bill

[Robin]

I'm still scratching my head over how those few weights are sufficient to keep the rope from switching the power off when it gets soaking wet, then freezes and becomes caked with snow. Perhaps the rope's span is not a great as I'd assumed.