Can you think of any reason why simply measuring consumed current and making sure it matches an expected pattern (I.E. toggling between all-on and "blink") with the correct frequency and during the right time of day wouldn't work with any of the systems you've put in?
Of course with a contact or two input as an additional input to catch the failures the controller knows about? On Mon, Nov 27, 2017 at 7:22 PM, Lewis Bergman <lewis.berg...@gmail.com> wrote: > All the new controllers that I have seen have a dry contract for failures. > Of course the controller has to be working. I am afraid there are about a > dozen manufacturers each with several models. That's a pretty big matrix. > > We just installed one last week with steady side lights because the > customer didn't want to apply for the new E class system without sidelights > so they have an all LED system with solid side lights and 3 flashing > beacons. > > It has a dry contract off the controller. > > On Mon, Nov 27, 2017, 7:23 PM Chuck McCown <ch...@wbmfg.com> wrote: > >> I have thought about doing something similar many times over the years. >> I always figured I would have it learn the healthy current of the fully >> functional system with all lamps on and send an alarm if the current >> changed. >> >> *From:* Forrest Christian (List Account) >> *Sent:* Monday, November 27, 2017 6:19 PM >> *To:* af >> *Subject:* [AFMUG] Teach me about tower lights >> >> One of the most popular questions/product requests I get is about tower >> light monitoring. >> >> It used to be that I sent people toward one of the off-the shelf tower >> light monitors with a contact output and then monitored that with a base >> unit. Unfortunately it seems that most of these only work with >> incandescent, and most people are moving toward LED lights. So I'm >> getting a lot of 'I haven't found one which will work with led lights'. >> >> I know that many lighting controllers do some monitoring and have relay >> outputs for failures. Recent feedback from customers seem to indicate >> that this is a lot like the fox watching the henhouse, in that often the >> lighting controller is the problem, especially with newer led lights which >> don't fail as much. >> >> As a result of the above, I'm looking at doing a tower light monitor. >> But I need some help understanding the reality of lighting towers, >> especially since things have changed over the years, and some older towers >> I'm sure are grandfathered under an older lighting/painting scheme. >> >> The first question is related to flashing lights on a tower: The FAA >> circular seems to state that all lights on a tower should flash together. >> Are all tower lights all designed so that all of the flashing lights on a >> tower blink at the same time? If so, it makes monitoring them a lot >> easier, since there's only two lighting levels to monitoring. >> >> I'm also wondering about control systems, and how they are wired. My >> google searches seem to indicate that most towers with blinking lights have >> a control box at the bottom which controls the lights on the tower (and >> sometimes provide a indicator of a certain type of failure). Is this >> common? What other systems are out there? >> >> I am also intrigued by the daytime lighting systems, and probably need to >> think about monitoring these as well. I'm assuming these are strobes. >> Anyone install one of these? >> >> I'm also curious about what type of power consumption the newer LED >> lights have, and if measuring AC current is really even practical on these. >> >> Any other information anyone can point me toward would be appreciated. >> >> -- >> *Forrest Christian* *CEO**, PacketFlux Technologies, Inc.* >> Tel: 406-449-3345 | Address: 3577 Countryside Road, Helena, MT 59602 >> <https://maps.google.com/?q=3577+Countryside+Road,+Helena,+MT+%0D+59602&entry=gmail&source=g> >> forre...@imach.com | http://www.packetflux.com >> <http://www.linkedin.com/in/fwchristian> >> <http://facebook.com/packetflux> <http://twitter.com/@packetflux> >> >> -- *Forrest Christian* *CEO**, PacketFlux Technologies, Inc.* Tel: 406-449-3345 | Address: 3577 Countryside Road, Helena, MT 59602 forre...@imach.com | http://www.packetflux.com <http://www.linkedin.com/in/fwchristian> <http://facebook.com/packetflux> <http://twitter.com/@packetflux>
