Talk:Lighthouse

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Contents

[edit] Photos

Photos on this page should only be those needed to illustrate a point in the written narative of this introductory article. Everyone has their own favorite lighhouse and photo. Good! Then create a separate article about that particular lighthouse and add your photo there, not here. Thanks! GCW50 (talk) 18:57, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

Also, the page is missing a photo of a medieval lighthouse, my suggestion Kõpu lighthouse, but I don't want to be the one adding his "favourite" here, so I'm leaving this to someone else. H2ppyme (talk) 18:07, 16 December 2007 (UTC)
Added it anyway, since noone responded. H2ppyme (talk) 21:26, 21 December 2007 (UTC)
That's fine as it is historically significant and we didn't have one from that era. 04:57, 31 January 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by GCW50 (talk • contribs)

[edit] Manned Lighthouses

Could someone give a reference to a manned lighthouse, if there are any? I have heard from several sources that none remain, so some concrete reference for the claim that "a few" are still manned would be nice. --Andrew 07:09, 6 Jun 2004 (UTC)

I believe that at this point, all lighthouses are electrified and automated. That doesn't mean there are not people around. In many cases, the lighthouse is at the site of a Coast Guard (US term, but equivalent in other nations) stations, so I guess they are "manned" and in some nations "womened". Even with a fully electrified, solar powered light, the bulbs need replacement. Most have automated facilities to replace a burned out bulb, but at least once a year somebody needs to replenish the "cartridge" of spare bulbs. Charles W. Bash 21:58, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
These two sentences contradict each other in that regard:
Improvements in maritime navigation and safety such as GPS have led to the phasing out of non-automated lighthouses, with the last keepers removed in the 1990s.
Today there are a few keeper-run lighthouses left in existence; the vast majority have been fully automated.
Either they were removed in the 1990s, or not. BillyH 00:00, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
There are no manned lighthouses with a permanent keeper employed by a navigation service such as USCG. The last in the US was Boston Light. A few preservation societies have "keepers" to look after the buldings in their care, conduct tours, offer B&B overnight stays, etc. but they are not responsible for the light itself. These are serviced by visiting USCG ANT teams in the US. The article has been updated GCW50 18:47, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

What about the Cordouan lighthouse in France? it is manned and has the first Fresnel lens ever installed. it is also one of the oldest lighthouse still in use. the base and the first 3 floors of the current building go back to the Renaissance.70.68.205.209 (talk) 04:05, 2 April 2008 (UTC)

I just uploaded a photo of the lens at the Cape Meares Lighthouse, but I don't know what kind of lens it is so I don't know where to put it (other than in the article on the lighthouse itself, but I thought it would be more useful as a lens example). Does someone know? Elf | Talk 03:27, 21 Jun 2004 (UTC)

It appears to be a first-order Fresnel lens; see [1], [2], [3], [4]. --Andrew 16:03, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)
Thanks for the research; I put it on Fresnel lens. Elf | Talk 16:22, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Screw-pile lighthouses, Keys lighthouses

I would like to have an article, or a section of this article, which describes the unusual lighthouses of screw-pile design. These lighthouse are constructed of cast iron, with iron pilings that are screwed into rock. Notable examples of this construction are the lights located several miles offshore on the edge of the reef along the Florida Keys in the U.S.

These structures include Carysfort Reef, Alligator Reef, and Sombrero Reef lights. They have stood for more than 100 years and survived intense hurricanes. They were manned for many years by Light Service employees who were isolated far from shore, living in small quarters within the framework of the towers.

Any suggestions about adding a section here or starting a new article? I can use the talk page to create a draft if anyone wants to see the content before deciding. Thanks for any feedback. DavidH 22:14, July 15, 2005 (UTC)

I suggest a seperate article, considering the main thing about them is their architecture, as opposed to their function (Although that has its hand in it). 68.39.174.238 04:46, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] too many images

There are too many images for the page to display without gaps in the text. Any suggestions as to which to remove? -- Samuel Wantman 01:52, 20 July 2005 (UTC)

I like the photos and see only one gap (after the intro) in my browser. Would like to see some other types, but wouldn't recommend removing any just to improve the layout, looks pretty good to me. DavidH 03:25, July 20, 2005 (UTC)

I rearranged to fix the gap problems. -- Samuel Wantman 20:36, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

The first image, the "Traditional Lighthouse" is a beautiful image but it is riddled with jpeg artifacts. CWPappas 08:00, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

I don't think that an HDR image is appropriate for a reference article. It's a nice picture, but it's artificial. Goingstuckey 19:05, 8 June 2007 (UTC)

Replaced it with a real lighthouse (Eddystone light, one of the truly ground breaking wavewashed light houses) and moved all the of the excessive pictures to their own gallery page. I also eliminated the "Notable lighthouses" section and moved appropriate ones to the various sections to illustrate concepts. By design, every lighthouse is designed to be "notable"! This is an encylcopedia, not a top ten list. GCW50 18:39, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] concentration of light text

This is confusing to me, and leaves out some important detail:

In order to conserve power, the light is concentrated. In old lighthouses:

  • vertically the light is bundled into horizontal directions
  • horizontally the light is bundled into one or a few directions at a time, but sweeping around, so that it can be observed from every horizontal direction

"Bundled" seems a strange adjective for light concentration. Also, many lights in the US at least have specific angular regions of visibilty and on/off patterns -- so the part about "sweeping around" doesn't apply in all cases. It does refer to "old" lighthouses, but many are old and don't operate this way. Maybe it should be "in the past." Actually, a section on actual light appearance in regard to navigation should probably be expanded. Comments? DavidH 18:28, August 1, 2005 (UTC)

reworded it. GCW50 18:40, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Navigation using multiple lights

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't some lighthouses have an additional light (eg. Red) that flashes once per revolution when the main light is aligned with North?

I haven't come across this in any of my voyages. Has anyone else? GCW50 18:41, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Inland Lighthouses

Not all lighthouses are built on coastal waters. The landlocked, freshwater lake Cobbosseeconte in Manchester, Maine has a small but important lighthouse constructed on a reef island to alert boaters of the hazardous rocks. New Hampshire and Vermont also have inland lighthouses. These lighthouses are not owned by the Coast Guard but by Yacht clubs and historical/preservational societies.

Inland lighthouses are certainly germaine (such as those on the Great Lakes or Lake Champlain). But private aids to navigation that have not been approved by the Coast Guard and placed on their "Light List" are generally considered not to be true lighthouses. See www.ARLHS.com for the common standard in determining real lighthouses versus decorations. GCW50 18:35, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] RTGs

I replaced, " The Soviet Union built a number of automated lighthouses powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators. These now pose serious concerns, as the radioactive material could leak, leading to radioactive contamination, or be stolen and used in a dirty bomb (see Bellona's report). Some of these lighthouses cannot be found, due to poor record keeping." with, " The Soviet Union built a number of automated lighthouses powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Supporters of powering lighthouses this way point out that they can operate for very long periods of time without external support, that they are very reliable, and that the strontium 90 in the RTGs comes from nuclear waste [5]. Critics argue that they are potentially dangerous, as the radioactive material could leak, leading to radioactive contamination, or be stolen and used in a dirty bomb (according to Bellona's report). Some of these lighthouses cannot be found, due to poor record keeping. While many have security concerns over this, it shows that the lighthouses are very reliable." The previous version was opposed to RTG lighthouses, while the current version states claimed advantages, claimed disadvantages, and states the opinions of RTG supporters ( like AEI). Polonium 22:04, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

Why is there no mention of La Torre de Hercules in La Coruna, in Spain. It is the oldest Roman lighthouse still in operation today?

Feel free to start a separate article on it. GCW50 18:42, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Point Lookout Lighthouse

Maryland's Point Lookout Light was investigated for paranormal activity by Dr. Hans Holzer in the late 1970's. Several recordings were made and one photograph seems to show an apparition of a Civil War soldier. The lighthouse is immediately adjacent to a park which was used as military barracks and prison during the war. Additionally, numerous shipwrecks occurred nearby. This history seems unique, and I wonder if it qualifies for mention in this article? Patriotick 06:47, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

add it to the Point Lookout Lighthouse article itself.GCW50 19:30, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] A Coruña is not a Mediterranean town

I did a little change since the article was confuse about it. It is true that most of the Roman lighthouses in use in Middle Ages were at Mediterranean Sea, but A Coruña is in the very Atlantic Ocean.212.51.52.5 17:51, 18 August 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! GCW50 08:41, 19 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] New London vs. Saybrook Breakwater on CT license plate

This article claims that New London Harbor Light is on a license plate, but the article on Saybrook Breakwater Light claims it is depicted on the Connecticut state license plates (and I doubt that another state or country would put a depiction of the New London light on their license plates). There are visitor plaques in the vicinity of the Saybrook light that also assert it is the one that appears on the Connecticut license plates and the design difference between the lighthouses implies to me that the claim is accurate (I have seen Connecticut license plates and I have seen the Saybrook Breakwater light. I have only seen the New London light at dusk though, but the 1907 picture postcard at the New London Harbor Light article has me convinced it does not appear on the CT issued license plates). Note too that the New London light lies near the mouth of the smaller Thames River compared to the Saybrook light at the mouth of the much larger Connecticut River (from which the state derives its name). The footnote for the sentence in the article leads to a south Mississippi Sun Herald newspaper article that is apparently no longer archived on that newspaper's web server in my visit today (9 April 2008). I speculate that a newspaper reporter in Gulfport, Mississippi may not have carefully distinguished between a lighthouse in New London, Connecticut and one in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Would anyone object to swapping in Saybrook Breakwater Light to take the place of New London Harbor Light in the "Popular culture and symbolism" section for this article? I could add a ref footnote to the separate article on the Saybrook light to back up the claim for verifiability's sake. 164.55.254.106 (talk) 18:00, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Feel free to change it if you think it's more accurate. Unfortunately the CT DMV site doesn't say what lighthouse it is [6]

GCW50 (talk) 10:15, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

The change has been made. 164.55.254.106 (talk) 18:53, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

how do lighthousesensors work? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.137.17.119 (talk) 10:49, 23 April 2008 (UTC)