Lighthouse Photos! Post Yours here.

The Time Ball Tower at Deal. Kent. UK.

Not a lighthouse, but a very important and visible (Weather permitting) navigational aid in the 1800s. The ball is slowly raised to the top of the mast and ships would set their chronometers to 1 pm when the ball dropped.
The dropping of the ball being synchronised by an electrical signal from Greenwich. Don't bother to set your digital watch by it! (No need for me to remind you there was no GPS for time keeping in those days).
I thought this might be a suitable place to post these pics. If you can find a better thread I will be happy to move them.

Please read the interesting Wiki - it will save me a bit of typing.

https://en.wikipedia.o​rg/wiki/Deal_Timeball

very interesting Ray. Also a semiphor tower.
Wonder what the ball is made of? (homework Ray )
Couldn't imagine too heavy otherwise might keep going.

Sokcho, South Korea

Faro dell'Isola di Murano
Working lighthouse on Murano Island, Venice

Ray.Petri wrote in post #18950573
The Time Ball Tower at Deal. Kent. UK.

Not a lighthouse, but a very important and visible (Weather permitting) navigational aid in the 1800s. The ball is slowly raised to the top of the mast and ships would set their chronometers to 1 pm when the ball dropped.
The dropping of the ball being synchronised by an electrical signal from Greenwich. Don't bother to set your digital watch by it! (No need for me to remind you there was no GPS for time keeping in those days).
I thought this might be a suitable place to post these pics. If you can find a better thread I will be happy to move them.

Please read the interesting Wiki - it will save me a bit of typing.

https://en.wikipedia.o​rg/wiki/Deal_Timeball

Hosted photo: posted by Ray.Petri in
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forum: Nature & Landscapes

Hosted photo: posted by Ray.Petri in
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forum: Nature & Landscapes

avondale87 wrote in post #18950616
very interesting Ray. Also a semiphor tower.
Wonder what the ball is made of? (homework Ray )
Couldn't imagine too heavy otherwise might keep going.

Richard - Homework mission complete (Further work might be needed)
I have today had the pleasure of speaking with Mr Mike Carey who is responsible for the museum.
We had an interesting conversation on all sorts of things nautical, horological and otherwise.
He alerted me to the time balls in OZ and the earthquake which one suffered from and was subsequently rebuilt.
I have promised to send him the top secret link to this thread.

Well, the Deal time ball and tower apparently got badly damaged in a storm some years ago when the ball dropped onto the tower. (Just like you joked about) The tower was repaired at some expense and the ball replaced along with a modernised method for raising and lowering it consisting a toothed belt. It is synched to the national time standard.
He couldn't give me the exact weight but assures me it is not too heavy as the replacement is fibre glass and sits on a cradle which is heavier than the ball.
He did however say the original ball was constructed of zinc. Mr Carey has done some homework since I spoke to him and has text me to say the original ball was 1.5 metres dia. so we should assume the new ball is the same size.
Please Richard, don't keep setting me these homework assignments.

Ray.Petri wrote in post #18952226
Richard - Homework mission complete (Further work might be needed)
I have today had the pleasure of speaking with Mr Mike Carey who is responsible for the museum.
We had an interesting conversation on all sorts of things nautical, horological and otherwise.
He alerted me to the time balls in OZ and the earthquake which one suffered from and was subsequently rebuilt.
I have promised to send him the top secret link to this thread.

Well, the Deal time ball and tower apparently got badly damaged in a storm some years ago when the ball dropped onto the tower. (Just like you joked about) The tower was repaired at some expense and the ball replaced along with a modernised method for raising and lowering it consisting a toothed belt. It is synched to the national time standard.
He couldn't give me the exact weight but assures me it is not too heavy as the replacement is fibre glass and sits on a cradle which is heavier than the ball.
He did however say the original ball was constructed of zinc. Mr Carey has done some homework since I spoke to him and has text me to say the original ball was 1.5 metres dia. so we should assume the new ball is the same size.
Please Richard, don't keep setting me these homework assignments.

Thanks Ray. Very interesting. I am actually interested in scientific nonsense stuff.
Just the field I work in, time being one that can't be avoided or out of whack.

Appreciate your timely homework attendance.
Will ease off, for now.
At least I didn't get The dog Ate my Homework excuse

Oh, and please convey my appreciation to Mr Carey

Another storm this weekend so headed off to the south coast

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hEX​rtM

Cape Lookout Light, NC.

Island of Amrum, North Sea, Germany

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2hEr​ouA

That's a couple of nice photos.
Good to see the light in action.
I thought it must have been in some remote location, but I gather from another of your photos it's far from remote.

Cape Canaveral Light, with just completed replica of one of the keepers houses.

Thank you Richard. Just a boat cruise on lake Michigan, here is another view.

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …45%20edit-XL.jpg&lb=1&s=A

whiteflyer wrote in post #18962165

Nice photo.
Looks so placid.
Lighthouse like this makes me wonder how they got it up out of the water.