The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday granted Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, and Drake Services, Inc., an exemption from the mandatory quarterly inspections of antenna structure lighting systems stipulated under existing regulations (see below). The exemption specifically pertains to the requirements under 47 CFR § 17.47(b), which mandates owners of antenna structures to conduct …
Flash Technology launches Vanguard High Product Series with infrared / night vision compatibility
Flash Technology, a global leader in aids-to-navigation solutions, announces the launch of the Vanguard High FTS 270 LED lighting system. The system is appropriate for broadcast towers, skyscrapers, smokestacks, bridges and other applications requiring high intensity obstruction lights. Engineered for maximum LED life, the feature-rich Vanguard High product line provides ultimate serviceability, minimizing downtime if maintenance is required. The FTS …
Callous disregard for tower lighting regs could result in a $25K-plus fine
A Long Island, NY tower owner is expected to face several fines for violations observed by an FCC investigator of Merdarler Enterprises’ Lake Butler, Fla. tower. The FCC issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) on May 20, 2019 for an obstruction lighting violation claiming that on May 7, 2019 the FCC’s Miami enforcement bureau received information indicating that none of …
Tower Family Foundation appoints Willie Goldman to its Endowment Committee
The Tower Family Foundation announced today that Willie Goldman, Southeastern Regional Business Development Manager for Drake Lighting, LLC, has been appointed to serve on the Foundation’s Endowment Committee. The Tower Family Foundation made the announcement at the Connect (X) 2019 Conference that is taking place this week in Orlando, Fla. “The Tower Family Foundation is excited to continue to expand our …
FAA obstruction lighting letter sheds light on requirement for sole source replacement parts
UPDATE February 25, 2019 — An ambiguous July 27, 2018 FAA letter from Khalil E. Kodsi, Manager, Airport Engineering Division, that could be construed to imply that tower obstruction lighting systems could only use original equipment manufacturer (OEM) replacement parts created confusion and industry-wide concern as reported by Wireless Estimator, below. Addressing the matter seven months later, in a letter …
SPX acquires Carmanah’s marine and obstruction lighting businesses for $77 million
SPX Corporation, the parent company of Flash Technology, a leading manufacturer of obstruction lighting with their corporate office in Franklin, Tenn., announced Wednesday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase the marine and obstruction lighting business of Carmanah Technologies Corporation for approximately $77 million. Following completion of the transaction, the results of the purchased business will be …
Infrared LED obstruction lighting is not required: FAA Obstruction Evaluation Manager
An ambiguous recent change to the FAA’s Obstruction Marking and Lighting bible left some obstruction lighting managers with the impression that the Advisory Circular (AC) now requires towers with a new FAA determination to include infrared (IR) LEDs in the L-810 and L-864 systems to make the red lamping more visible to Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS) and Night Vision …
Lighting manufacturers question why a severe FAA directive letter was hidden from them
In an unrelated Google search on Aug. 6, 2018, a lighting contractor found an FAA document with a somewhat ambiguous two-paragraph directive regarding non-original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) lighting system components that was published on June 27, 2018. It quickly spread throughout the obstruction lighting community because the industry wasn’t aware of it, and tower owners were asking their obstruction lighting suppliers …
FCC Enforcement Bureau adds another three violations to broadcaster’s tally
It is likely that Cortaro Broadcasting, a Coolidge Ariz. company that owns, KCKY-AM, a Spanish language religious broadcaster, might hold the title for operating a small station with the most FCC violations when last week Cortaro was cited for not having a property fence, and the gates in both individual tower fences were held closed with a loose loop of chain …
NATE’s in O’Rielly’s corner on common sense obstruction marking provisions
The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) today applauded FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly for his common sense approach to the tower obstruction marking provisions currently confronting the communications tower industry. The broad-based tower marking requirements were part of the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016 and mandate improved physical markings and/or lighting on towers ranging from 50’ – …
FCC Commish: New tower marking regs could affect 50,000 towers; needs tweaking
By Michael O’Rielly – FCC Commissioner Having worked on numerous legislative efforts over the years, I have seen that it is not uncommon for very well-intentioned provisions contained within larger bills passed by Congress and enacted into law to lead to unintended negative consequences. One such provision recently enacted in an FAA Authorization statute is causing a considerable level of …
New lighting standards helped tower owners to lower bird kill; 15,000 still left
New guidelines for communication tower lights spell out how tower operators can save birds and energy without sacrificing safety. Put in place by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the guidelines strongly encourage tower operators to turn off or reprogram steady-burning red or white lights in favor of flashing lights, which are less harmful to birds yet still …
New FAA rules will require some 50-to-200-foot towers to be marked
Last December, the FAA established new obstruction lighting and marking rules, and Wireless Estimator developed a handy industry reference tool that breaks down and easily explains the 90-page document’s changes from the previous advisory circular. However, the most current regulations will likely be changed again by the FAA within the next year when certain towers, in the 50-to-200-foot in height …
Flash Technology enhances service and security for monitoring operations, adds staff
Flash Technology, a global leader in obstruction lighting, has announced the enhancement of the organization’s remote monitoring solutions for Vanguard® SMART series and FTM 190 monitoring devices. The leading monitoring products are now equipped with the encrypted Simple Network Management Protocol version 3, or SNMPv3. The encrypted SNMPv3 provides Flash Technology customers with increased security for the monitoring capabilities of …
New FAA tower lighting standard will cut costs and cut down on avian deaths
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has published its newest Obstruction Marking and Lighting advisory circular that became effective Friday. It includes significant changes to the telecom industry’s lighting requirements since the last time the agency revised Advisory Circular 70/7460K in 2007. A key change in the new document — that has been proposed by the industry for a number of years …
