Building chasing airport lights -- Attn: Jim Weir?

Hi Jay,

Have you found a solution for your chase lights? Maybe instead of
flashing lights in the ceiling, you should have yellow 'taxi stripe' on the
floor on where you want people to go and the 'X' where they shouldn't.
Scatter around some taxiway signs and give a hotel 'Alexis layout' to your
guests with the hold short bars at the room doors. If done right, it can
look good...

Do you make your guests do a standard pattern to get to the check in
desk??? ;-)

I'll probably get flamed for this idea -- oh well.

I'll probably get flamed for this idea -- oh well.

Nope, still no solutions. But I like your ideas!

We've always got to walk the fine line between kitsch and cool. Sometimes
it's hard to discern the line, and women have a completely different concept
of "cool" than men do, especially regarding aviation.

Mary and I actually agree on the chasing lights, which is sort of amazing to
me.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 14:55:56 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

We've always got to walk the fine line between kitsch and cool. Sometimes
it's hard to discern the line, and women have a completely different concept
of "cool" than men do, especially regarding aviation.

Mary and I actually agree on the chasing lights, which is sort of amazing to
me.

One thing that occurs to me is that you were talking about indoor use of
the lights. The flicker of the lights might be a bit irritating if it's
visible to your lobby or the pilot's lounge. It's always a distraction to
have lights flashing in the corner of your eye. Hooking them up to a
motion detector might be an alternative.

Also, your options for these might be a bit more restrictive if there's any
sort of electrical code you have to abide by. I suspect they're more
stringent on enforcement for a commercial enterprise than a private home.

You might consider a big "ARRIVALS" sign, coupled with the elephant "JUMBO
TURN" sign some airports use.

Ron Wanttaja

Jay Honeck wrote:
I'll probably get flamed for this idea -- oh well.


Nope, still no solutions. But I like your ideas!

We've always got to walk the fine line between kitsch and cool. Sometimes
it's hard to discern the line, and women have a completely different concept
of "cool" than men do, especially regarding aviation.

Mary and I actually agree on the chasing lights, which is sort of amazing to
me.

I have a design for exactly what you need!
Making a proper looking "rabbit" can be done with one "chip" (well,
really two). Using a small "mixed signal" microcontroller will
let you:

1. control the overall brightness
2. control the speed the rabbit "runs"
3. control the rate the sequence repeats
4. control the percentage of "on" time for each light

These adjustments should let you find just the effect
that you want. The whole controller would be about 2" X 3".
The whole system would run off a small wall transformer.
I believe the Electrical Code does not prohibit
this type arrangement. If you have an "air-plenum"
ceiling, however, you must use proper cable, such as
"plenum rated" telephone cable.

Tom Pappano, PP-ASEL-IA,
obsessive-compulsive embedded applications designer 8-)

ps: I shall consult the AIM to see just how a MRALS
(Medium intensity Resevation desk Approach Lighting System)
should be configured

OK. Back when I was in college I worked part time for a company called
Coastal Sales NW. They manufactured and distributed sign parts. Their rotors
were especially good. What you want is called a "chaser." These devices were
once very expensive, but now they can be had for less than $100. Digital
Lighting Systems makes good ones. http://digitallighting.com/index.html You
probably want the BC series for your low voltage system. A guy could go nuts
wandering through their on-line catalog. Christmas light chasers are
probably too low voltage for your application, although blue LED Christmas
lights might work well and the whole string only uses 5 volts.

If the lights are too bright they will indeed induce seizures in the
susceptible. Red lights and white lights are worse than the blue lights you
propose. This is a problem at theme parks where a lot of rides have flashing
and chasing lights. You will often see signs warning epileptics of the
danger, but under the right circumstances these lights have induced seizures
in persons not known to have had epilepsy. I suspect that having the lights
overhead will increase the level of discomfort.

C J Campbell wrote:

...... but under the right circumstances these lights have induced seizures
in persons not known to have had epilepsy.

And if that person is a pilot and has to explain things at his next medical, he's
not going to like you very much. How 'bout a simple arrow or sign pointing the
way?

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."

And if that person is a pilot and has to explain things at his next
medical, he's
not going to like you very much. How 'bout a simple arrow or sign pointing
the
way?

Crikey, you guys are like hanging out with my great aunt, when it comes to
fun.

I suppose someone might cut themselves on the P-51 parts in our Mustang
suite, and I'll bet someone else could choke on one of our bagels, too. But
I ain't getting rid of that stuff, either.

I think the chasing lights would look cool! :-) (And I can always turn 'em
off if they get too annoying...)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:7hHPb.118019$I06.863908@attbi_s01...
| And if that person is a pilot and has to explain things at his next
| medical, he's
| not going to like you very much. How 'bout a simple arrow or sign
pointing
| the
| way?
|
| Crikey, you guys are like hanging out with my great aunt, when it comes to
| fun.
|
| I suppose someone might cut themselves on the P-51 parts in our Mustang
| suite, and I'll bet someone else could choke on one of our bagels, too.

Well, since we are relegated to the "roll" of great aunt, let's talk about
those bagels...

You don't want any signs pointing the way to bagels, as noted in today's
Wall Street Journal (Jan 22, 2004). You could get arrested for having such
signs, at least in Redmond, WA. Seems the bagel shop committed the horrible
felony of having an employee stand out in front wearing a sign pointing the
way to the shop, which is located on a side street and hard to find. WSJ
dryly pointed out that America has finally become a place where Larry
Flynt's porno magazines have more constitutional protection to free speech
than a guy who just wants to sell bagels.

I suppose next I will be arrested on the streets of Redmond for wearing my
ball cap that says "Waddling Eagle, World Famous CFI" on it, or maybe for
wearing a shirt with a Cessna logo. Of course, Redmond is the city that
bills itself "The Bicycle Capital of the World" and bans bicycles from
nearly all of its parks and watershed areas. It is the sort of town that
would build an airport just so they could ban airplanes from using it.

You don't want any signs pointing the way to bagels, as noted in today's
Wall Street Journal (Jan 22, 2004). You could get arrested for having such
signs,

We've already got laws like that on the books, here in the "Republik of Iowa
City".

It seems the "green" folks don't want big signs visible anywhere, because it
would mar the view. (Of what, no one will say.) Because of this law, we
were not allowed to put up a "Grand Opening" banner when we opened in August
of 2002.

I am not kidding.

And people wonder why China is kicking our ass in the business world.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"C J Campbell" wrote in message ...

If the lights are too bright they will indeed induce seizures in the
susceptible. Red lights and white lights are worse than the blue lights you
propose. This is a problem at theme parks where a lot of rides have flashing
and chasing lights. You will often see signs warning epileptics of the
danger, but under the right circumstances these lights have induced seizures
in persons not known to have had epilepsy. I suspect that having the lights
overhead will increase the level of discomfort.

The city of Las Vegas must require one whoppin' big disclaimer
before they let you off the plane :-)

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)