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Street Lights


Tim

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I'm not sure if this topic has been discussed in the past, but this year our city put in a really bright bulb in the street light across the street from my display. I called the city to see if they could do something, and once they stopped laughing, they said their is nothing they can do. Since I really don't want to pay for it, shooting it out is NOT an option. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to "Dim" this thing (somewhat legally)? I hope everyone's show is going well so far. Thanks!



Tim

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I hear a green laser pen pointed at the sensor will "dim" it quite nicely...

get one that you can plug into an empty LOR channel and then you can control when it turns off and on..

legal??

only if you don't get caught...

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jimswinder wrote:

I hear a green laser pen pointed at the sensor will "dim" it quite nicely...

get one that you can plug into an empty LOR channel and then you can control when it turns off and on..

legal??

only if you don't get caught...





The disadvantage of a green laser is that you can see the beam (meaning authorities might see it). Red might not be strong enough though. Probably once the lamp is out, it will stay off for a 1-5 minutes. You could program a LOR channel with the laser on it to turn on for 1 second every 3-4 minutes to keep the bulb off, and that way it would be very obvious to the audience.
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I just purchased a green laser pointer to see if that helps. I'm not sure when/how to make it last all through the show, but I'll figure that out once I get it. Thanks for all the advice and help. Merry Christmas to all!!



Tim

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Not sure how high your lights are, but one year, I just put a big box over the thing. Wrap it up like a present, and it'll fit in just fine...

We're in a new neighborhood now, and our lights are more old fashioned looking, and I can access the top of the light with probably a 12-15 foot ladder. I plan to climb up there on Friday to see if I can open the housing and temporarily remove the bulb. I only want it off for a huge party we're having on Saturday...If that doesn't work, then it's back to the big box idea...

Greg

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Knocking the light off with a laser will depend on what direction the sensor is facing. If it happens to be facing your house it may work. They usually face west to the sunset. I simply called on the one across from my house and explained the situation and told them I didn't want the light polution in my yard. She said she would need to check and get back to me since it was an odd request. Not 5 minutes later she called and said "OK, I guess it isn't so odd after all. The first guy I ran it buy said it was an easy fix. and we'll take care of it." They sent a crew over a couple nights later to scope it out and two days after another to put in some kind of shading that knocks out about 90% of the light on my yard while keeping everybody elses unnoticeably changed.

Lenny

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Tim wrote:

I just purchased a green laser pointer to see if that helps. I'm not sure when/how to make it last all through the show, but I'll figure that out once I get it. Thanks for all the advice and help. Merry Christmas to all!!



Tim

Just curious, how many milliwatts your green laser is that you purchased and if you have tried it yet? I too have a problem with a street light and am looking for someway to temporarily disable it.
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LENNY RUEL wrote:

They sent a crew over a couple nights later to scope it out and two days after another to put in some kind of shading that knocks out about 90% of the light on my yard while keeping everybody elses unnoticeably changed.

Just called my Light Department...they said the lights are there for a reason...safety, so diminishing the light would diminish safety...

big city vs small town I guess...
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jimswinder wrote:

LENNY RUEL wrote:
They sent a crew over a couple nights later to scope it out and two days after another to put in some kind of shading that knocks out about 90% of the light on my yard while keeping everybody elses unnoticeably changed.

Just called my Light Department...they said the lights are there for a reason...safety, so diminishing the light would diminish safety...

big city vs small town I guess...


Did you mention all the extra lumens you are contributing to safety?..:cool:
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I have a street lamp on my property line in my cul-de-sac and at the bottom of it was a small panel. I unscrewed it and cut the black wire, then placed a wire nut on each end. When the show is over on New Years Day, I will open it back up and reconnect it. You may not have this option on the really large commercial lights.

Corey

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Nova5 wrote:

If you cut it BEFORE the sensor... you are dealing with a always hot wire under one of the nuts.

And potentially, 480V... At least that is what I have repeatedly heard was used for the parking lot lights at one facility.
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jimswinder wrote:

LENNY RUEL wrote:
They sent a crew over a couple nights later to scope it out and two days after another to put in some kind of shading that knocks out about 90% of the light on my yard while keeping everybody elses unnoticeably changed.

Just called my Light Department...they said the lights are there for a reason...safety, so diminishing the light would diminish safety...

big city vs small town I guess...


One keyword is "fugitive" light. Safety is putting light on the road. Casting light on your property does not make the road safer. In some areas it may be much easier to get some shades set up so that the light is mostly on the road, not the adjoining properties, as some places take light pollution more seriously than others.
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Hey any body have any idea how can i decorate ma house using some lights.
What type of lights use in ma bed room to look more cool and romantic.

if some body have any suggestion den plz share wid me.......
I m waiting for ur response..................

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This is what we do to block the street light from our yard, but still have it glowing for the neighbours.

Hesion bag clipped on the shade. After Christmas I go up the ladder and remove.


Attached files 227145=12526-light 1.jpg

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-klb- wrote:

Nova5 wrote:
If you cut it BEFORE the sensor... you are dealing with a always hot wire under one of the nuts.

And potentially, 480V... At least that is what I have repeatedly heard was used for the parking lot lights at one facility.



possible. sarium-krellied lighting is pretty intense.
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jimswinder wrote:

LENNY RUEL wrote:
They sent a crew over a couple nights later to scope it out and two days after another to put in some kind of shading that knocks out about 90% of the light on my yard while keeping everybody elses unnoticeably changed.

Just called my Light Department...they said the lights are there for a reason...safety, so diminishing the light would diminish safety...

big city vs small town I guess...



Jim: there is STILL plenty of light on the road as well as surrounding yards, sounds like a cop out on their part as I got this idea from many others. As someone else commented on the fugitive light here I used the word light pollution. I heard MANY suggestions but the one most common was the shading they CAN put inside the cover. I'm not in a town the size of Seattle but Appleton and it's burbs is decent at over 100,000. I pointed the filter out to a couple of the neighbors and they said they never even noticed, but thought the lights in my display had 10 times the pop this year. Some of that has to be the LED's but surely a decent part is also not having all the wash from the street light. Now that we finally have snow we'll see though. Main reason I wanted to do it was all of the pictures and video last year looked like they where done in broad daylight and pretty crappy. I shot 60 or 70 pictures the other night and at about a 3 to 5 second exposure they came out 100 times better. Need to do the video yet and see how that looks.

Lenny
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Getting the laser pointer today. I think it's a 50mW green laser. I'm still not sure how/when to use it, but I'll play with it and see what happens. In talking with someone last night (who happens to work for the local sheriffs office) she said the "Feds" are big fans of lasers and to watch out. I told her then to shut this light off and she told me she will contact somone from the city today and try to get it off! Otherwise, I'll be out there with my laser shutting it down myself. Then I'm thinking...."all this for Christmas lights?" YOU KNOW IT!!!



Tim

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