Klieg Lights, Part III

 

Guess where your humble narrator was at 6:33 a.m.?

Visit #1623, Saturday 17 October 26, 6:00-10:35 a.m., 5.3 miles, 1.2 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 50s, cloudy.

In the past few weeks I've complained about the klieg lights at Castle Craig remaining on well after sunrise, which absolutely makes no sense to me. Last week I reported them still on at 8:45 a.m. Yet I received a report claiming they were operating correctly. Really?! This week I decided to perform a more in-depth investigation.

The photo at the top is looking east over Meriden from Castle Craig. I hiked up there using a headlamp and waited, admittedly under-dressed for the chilly morning.

By 7:20 a.m. I could no longer see ANY streetlights on along I-691 or in any of the neighborhoods. Streetlights are all governed by photocells now as they are more energy efficient; you can see the photocell as a protrusion on top of the lamp itself. Timers have gone the way of the Dodo bird.

What do you think; should those klieg lights still be on when it's this bright out?

Yet the klieg lights remained on.

Since I expected the lights to remain on after last week's 8:45 a.m. record, I decided to hike a short loop then return to check on them.

On the Blue Trail I found a very large fallen tree, which I'll remove next week.

When I returned to the peak the lights were STILL on so I took the time to remove some graffiti on the transformer.

I then tested the photocell myself by shining a flashlight at it. The thirty second delay accounts for unusual circumstances such as lightning, and I could hear the relay inside the cabinet open. I removed the flashlight and the klieg lights turned back on in seconds - and it was 9 a.m.!

Talking to a retired state highway electrician he said typically you can expect photocell operated lights to work within five minutes of each other. At least that's how the state's highway lighting worked when he was employed. Some photocell circuits provide user programmable delay timers but my test clearly shows it not to be the case here. I stand by my claim the photo cell is defective, likely due to age and clouding of the cover over the photocell. I relented and post a picture of the photocell here.

So at 9:25 a.m., WITH THE LIGHTS STILL ON, I left. IF STREETLIGHTS SHUT OFF AROUND 7 a.m. ON A CLOUDY DAY AND THE KLIEG LIGHTS ARE STILL ON OVER TWO HOURS LATER then something isn't right. The relay is functioning, there's sufficient power for the three lights, so the only component left is...

(As a side note, I have a state low voltage contractor's license (C-5). It's not an E-1 license so I don't handle AC equipment, but I have a basic understanding about how this stuff should work.)

Incidentally, those klieg lights are 500 watt LED models, built in 2021 so they were installed roughly six years ago. I was hoping to warm my cold hands over them but LEDs don't generate much heat. Peer inside without getting blinded and you can see some of the individual LEDs in the array which make up each light, are failing, but they've got a long way to go before requiring replacement.

Maybe next week I'll visit even later to see if they remain on even later in the morning or perhaps all day.

I left my light vigil and returned to the park via another route. Along the way I found a bent over tree which I cut away.

And down by the Merimere Reservoir gate was a fallen tree which I managed to swing off-trail.

Then came a real surprise and my Find of the Week.

Somebody dumped an e-bike in the brush on the side of the road. With the proliferation of these things in Meriden and beyond, I was wondering when I would see them dumped on the side of the road as they are relatively cheap to purchase and my assumptions about people after seeing how they ride these abominations. Never did I expect to find one in the park. It did not operate.

On 9 October I received an e-mail from the Kathy Matula, Recreation Director for the Meriden Parks Department. Here's what she said:

"I hope you are well. I need your expert opinion.  The circled tree had a white trail marker behind all of the poison ivy. Is poison Ivy removal in your repertoire? 

If not, we need to figure out a clear spot for two white marks for turning off the Soap Box Derby Road."

Well, I forgot about it until this morning, and after I was done with my klieg light investigation and was returning to the park I checked out the area because I wasn't sure what she was talking about.

I found the tree.

No Kathy, it's not normally in my repertoire. But for you I made an exception. Replace those trail markers before it grows back! (It's better than the photo presents it to be.)

For those not in the know, urushiol is the chemical irritant in poison ivy. After contact, you should go home and wash your clothing and take a shower. To ensure you won't get that nasty rash, you can wash with Tecnu, available at most supermarkets and drugstores. So guess what I did when I got home?

Of course, when I returned to the park I tossed the e-bike and my litter in the dumpster.

I thought about the environmental impact of the batteries and the bike's metal but I drew the line at paying for the proper disposal of it when it was not on my property. I'll probably go to hell for that.