Let there be Lights (And there were – ordered, delivered and operating within one day)
When a Port of London Authority patrol came across scaffolding protruding into the Thames outside the Houses of Parliament, they contacted Concrete and Stone Ltd of Romsey, who installed it, to advise them that a pair of fixed green lights was required at each end to comply with navigation regulations.
Concrete & Stone, on behalf of the Parliamentary Works Directorate, are currently drilling through the Cornish granite of the building to fill the voids caused by time and tide. Re-pointing with a historically based mortar will follow this. Although they know a lot about structural materials, the company realised that they needed professional help with the lights and they needed it FAST.
Enter Hydrosphere, the Aldershot based manufacturer and supplier of Navigational and Monitoring Equipment.
Hydrosphere reacted immediately, recommending and supplying 4 Carmanah Solar Powered Lights, which were delivered the same day by courier and installed later that afternoon.
Since each of these “fit and forget” high tech lights are completely self powered from their own built-in solar panels, they only required mounting in position, then as soon as the built-in light sensors detected nightfall they began to function that same evening.
Hydrosphere “Carmanah” lights are available in Red, Amber Green & White. 4 models are currently on offer with a variety of flash rates. The largest measures 190mm in diameter by 140mm in height, the smallest 155mm by 60mm. Depending on type, visible range is between 1 and 3.2 kilometres. Operating lifetime is expected to be up to 8 years. Prices start from £100 ex. VAT
In cost terms, these lights are only a fraction of the price of those utilising older technologies. This fact, combined with their simplicity of installation, ensures that there is now an easy answer to the marking of just about any hazard in any location – just fix a Hydrosphere light and forget it.