ICEINSPACE
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Moon Phase
CURRENT MOON
Waning Crescent 5.4%
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14-05-2015, 01:05 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Frankston South
Posts: 1,283
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The Street Light
We've been going to Italy for the last 10 years on vacation and catching up with relatives.
And for the last 10 years, I've been cursing the really bright street light attached to the house where we stay, for interfering with my use of binoculars and telescope at the odd times when the weather clear ups (on really good nights, I drive up into the mountains for viewing)
So, my brother and his nephews came back from Italy earlier this year, and we were discussing power outages over there, as the houses mainly have 3.4KW going into them. I said to my brother,
"By the way - any idea what that other power box is for in the kitchen, the one next to the main power box that cuts out the power in the house?"
He said,
"Oh - that turns off the street light outside the house".
Cheers,
Renato
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14-05-2015, 01:49 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: perth w.a.
Posts: 2,276
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ha ha!
pat
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14-05-2015, 03:10 PM
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DeepSkySlacker
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: hobart, tasmania
Posts: 2,241
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the light
 serendipity!
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14-05-2015, 03:33 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Cobden, Victoria
Posts: 154
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Street Lights
Well that is enough to drive you to drink, but not the cheap stuff.
Cheers Keith
 
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14-05-2015, 03:37 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Frankston South
Posts: 1,283
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Thanks Guys,
I'm going to Italy again later this year and guess what I'll be turning off the first thing I do when I get there?
I mean who ever heard of having the outside public street light switch inside of private dwelling?
Cheers,
Renato
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14-05-2015, 03:39 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 818
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When I was a kid in the UK, you only had to be 16 to own an air rifle - no license or anything.
After getting back into astro in Oz after a 20 year break, I was grizzly about the only significant source of light pollution nearby: a damn street light.
I contacted a local firearms shop & explained that I wanted to buy an air rifle to take out the offending illuminator.
They must have been so occupied with p*ssing themselves laughing that they never replied...!
Dean
(Still have the damned street light & no rifle!)
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14-05-2015, 04:36 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Adelaide, SA
Posts: 134
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deanm
When I was a kid in the UK, you only had to be 16 to own an air rifle - no license or anything.
After getting back into astro in Oz after a 20 year break, I was grizzly about the only significant source of light pollution nearby: a damn street light.
I contacted a local firearms shop & explained that I wanted to buy an air rifle to take out the offending illuminator.
They must have been so occupied with p*ssing themselves laughing that they never replied...!
Dean
(Still have the damned street light & no rifle!)
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I happen to live in Adelaide and own an air rifle. Perhaps I could become a street light hitman
I live in a block of apartments and it's lit up like crazy. Fortunately most of the lights are easy enough to take the cover off and loosen the bulb until I'm done.
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14-05-2015, 05:06 PM
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Novichok test rabbit
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Somewhere in the cosmos...
Posts: 10,389
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Discharging a firearm in an urban area... you don't even want to know the fines and excrement you'll be in if caught! Let alone if the firearm was not registered or the dischargee wasn't licensed...
I know it's just light hearted banter, but it HAS been done and the conviction was NOT lenient.
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14-05-2015, 05:07 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 818
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Chif - you could start your own Light Brigade!
(Or how about being a 'Light Heavy'?!)
Dean
PS: how much for a 'hit'?!
Last edited by deanm; 14-05-2015 at 05:09 PM.
Reason: Spulling!
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14-05-2015, 05:30 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Frankston South
Posts: 1,283
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deanm
When I was a kid in the UK, you only had to be 16 to own an air rifle - no license or anything.
After getting back into astro in Oz after a 20 year break, I was grizzly about the only significant source of light pollution nearby: a damn street light.
I contacted a local firearms shop & explained that I wanted to buy an air rifle to take out the offending illuminator.
They must have been so occupied with p*ssing themselves laughing that they never replied...!
Dean
(Still have the damned street light & no rifle!)
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I keep hearing that it is supposed to be possible to turn off street lights with a strong enough laser for half an hour so, by aiming at the sensor which turns them on when the sun goes down.
Darned if I know where the sensor is, but I've never been able to turn one off no matter where I aimed.
Cheers,
Renato
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14-05-2015, 05:35 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Frankston South
Posts: 1,283
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sconesbie
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The victim of the neighbour's lights obviously never watched the Sopranos.
I had a similar problem with neighbours' kids playing loud music in their dooff dooff car in their front yard. Remembering the Sopranos episode, I put a souped up subwoofer in my window, aimed at their house and let it rip for several hours for two days. Well, the woofer would often shake my house, I don't know what it did to theirs, but the music stopped.
Cheers,
Renato
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14-05-2015, 05:47 PM
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Nerd from Outer Space
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Next to my scope
Posts: 1,091
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato1
I keep hearing that it is supposed to be possible to turn off street lights with a strong enough laser for half an hour so, by aiming at the sensor which turns them on when the sun goes down.
Darned if I know where the sensor is, but I've never been able to turn one off no matter where I aimed.
Cheers,
Renato
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I was thinking of using something like this http://payload84.cargocollective.com...16/13_2048.jpg for the street light near my building.  Nobody will notice me at 2 or 3 am. Old method, but foolproof.
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14-05-2015, 06:04 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Riverland, South Australia
Posts: 430
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Renato1
The victim of the neighbour's lights obviously never watched the Sopranos.
I had a similar problem with neighbours' kids playing loud music in their dooff dooff car in their front yard. Remembering the Sopranos episode, I put a souped up subwoofer in my window, aimed at their house and let it rip for several hours for two days. Well, the woofer would often shake my house, I don't know what it did to theirs, but the music stopped.
Cheers,
Renato
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Haha this is wonderful! When I was younger we used to go around at night and donkey kick the light poles really hard so they would turn off. I can't remember how long it lasted, but if you have strong legs and are feeling rebellious then it might work. It's great for anger management
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14-05-2015, 09:26 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 98
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BilliGoatsGruff
Haha this is wonderful! When I was younger we used to go around at night and donkey kick the light poles really hard so they would turn off. I can't remember how long it lasted, but if you have strong legs and are feeling rebellious then it might work. It's great for anger management |
I'm not sure if that method would work on Electric lights. On those gas ones you probably shattered the Mantle.
Michael
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14-05-2015, 10:15 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 246
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as young kids we used to kick em or shake them around and they'd go out for a while (accident or bad weather mode?)... Saw some others in the street kick one too often and the globe/cover fell down (older long tube style)
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15-05-2015, 01:37 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Frankston South
Posts: 1,283
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OzStarGazer
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I wouldn't be game to use that in Victoria - it's a prohibited weapon. Over here, you may be able to in limited cases get a license for a semi-automatic rifle, but they won't give you a license under any circumstance for that deadly weapon.
Although the ammunition for it is readily available in toy stores and requires no license (i.e. a bag of marbles).
Cheers,
Renato
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15-05-2015, 01:39 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Frankston South
Posts: 1,283
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BilliGoatsGruff
Haha this is wonderful! When I was younger we used to go around at night and donkey kick the light poles really hard so they would turn off. I can't remember how long it lasted, but if you have strong legs and are feeling rebellious then it might work. It's great for anger management |
I can see where your love of amateur astronomy stemmed from. Though the technique wouldn't work around here - unfortunately.
Cheers,
Renato
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15-05-2015, 02:28 AM
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Trivial High Priest
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 392
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15-05-2015, 04:23 AM
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Old Man Yells at Cloud
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Rockingham WA
Posts: 3,435
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Quote:
Originally Posted by miker
I'm not sure if that method would work on Electric lights. On those gas ones you probably shattered the Mantle.
Michael
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It does, but only lasts a few minutes.
It depends on how solid the pole is. It works on Mercury vapour lamps, tho I'm not sure about Sodium vapour, never tried.
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