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Why do some radio towers blink?
11–20 of 131 posts
Re: Why do some radio towers blink?
#12muuuuch better article, lol
https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2024/what-happens-when-you...
Re: Why do some radio towers blink?
#13Slightly off topic: typically, lights of neighboring towers blink asynchronously. But sometimes they are synchronized. Very satisfying. Anyone knows how this works? My best guess is e.g. DCF77. Thoughts?
When it's on purpose it's typically done through GPS driven clocks. This is how wind farms manage it, where all towers are required to blink together.
Re: Why do some radio towers blink?
#14These beacons are also great for navigation. Aeronautical charts usually show the color/pattern of the light. You can use those as points to triangulate your position.
Re: Why do some radio towers blink?
#15Slightly off topic: typically, lights of neighboring towers blink asynchronously. But sometimes they are synchronized. Very satisfying. Anyone knows how this works? My best guess is e.g. DCF77. Thoughts?
I believe it's usually GPS/GNS (they all receive the time via GPS independently, and flash at predetermined times). The FAA requires synchronization for many classes of obstruction because it makes it clear that you're looking at obstruction lights rather than e.g. brake lights or traffic lights on the ground.
Re: Why do some radio towers blink?
#16Slightly off topic: typically, lights of neighboring towers blink asynchronously. But sometimes they are synchronized. Very satisfying. Anyone knows how this works? My best guess is e.g. DCF77. Thoughts?
One option - Maybe the blinking time is set to a INDEPENDENT? accurate time piece - ie Blink on the change of a second
That's what DCF77 is. Or GPS.
Re: Why do some radio towers blink?
#17Slightly off topic: typically, lights of neighboring towers blink asynchronously. But sometimes they are synchronized. Very satisfying. Anyone knows how this works? My best guess is e.g. DCF77. Thoughts?
It's probably just a side effect of them being powered on at the same time or not?
If they don't sync to a common clock source, they won't stay in sync for long. Probably not even for a few minutes or so.
You'd get the same phenomenon that you see when operating turn signals in traffic. They seem to weave "in and out" of sync. The frequency at which that happens is the beat frequency, i.e. the difference between the two blinking frequencies.
Re: Why do some radio towers blink?
#18This blog post has a really verbose format. TLDR; White lights are used during the daytime, red lights at night (less annoying), towers under 200 feet don't need blinking lights.
It's a transcript of the video at the top.
Wow that wasn't clear to me either, thanks for pointing it out
Re: Why do some radio towers blink?
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's probably just a side effect of them being powered on at the same time or not?
If they don't sync to a common clock source, they won't stay in sync for long. Probably not even for a few minutes or so. You'd get the same phenomenon that you see when operating turn signals in traffic. They seem to weave "in and out" of sync. The frequency at which that happens is the beat frequency, i.e. the difference between the two blinking frequencies.
There's got to be some rubidium frequency standard that's a drop-in replacement for a 555 timer ;)
Re: Why do some radio towers blink?
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
If they don't sync to a common clock source, they won't stay in sync for long. Probably not even for a few minutes or so. You'd get the same phenomenon that you see when operating turn signals in traffic. They seem to weave "in and out" of sync. The frequency at which that happens is the beat frequency, i.e. the difference between the two blinking frequencies.
There's got to be some rubidium frequency standard that's a drop-in replacement for a 555 timer ;)
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