Aviation obstruction lights, or “aircraft warning lights” are vital warning devices. They help pilots avoid tall obstacles such as cranes, particularly when visibility is reduced or during the night.
Tall construction cranes encroaching into controlled airspace is a serious business and strict rules apply.
Knowing that the aviation obstruction lights are both running and the power supply is operational are therefore crucial aspects to monitor on tall cranes.
The popular 4G SMS Lite has now been evaluated by a large Australian crane company.
Their requirement was to provide notifications to multiple staff over the 4G cellular networks, and for the system to be easily installed to the current crane fleet. The client also needed an additional feature to “broadcast” an alert to multiple cell phones and not wait for the usual escalation period. QTech worked with the client to develop this feature, which is now available in firmware v4.08.
Getting automatic notifications when the crane is in use or powered up is another benefit of using the SMS Lite. Connecting one of the digital inputs to the “live” or “run” signal in the control panel will confirm the customer is using the crane – particularly useful for lease and hire contract monitoring. Should it be necessary, the crane could be inhibited remotely by activating one of the relay outputs.
Selection of the aviation obstruction lighting is a complex task which will need expert involvement to ensure it meets compliance requirements and local conditions.
Some of the considerations for tall cranes and aviation obstruction lights include:
Typical crane heights of up to 45m and 105m need aviation warning lights and may need multiple sets of lights at different heights and mounting alignments. The general requirement for construction cranes at night includes a maximum permitted height of 274 m.
Flash rates: 20, 30, 40 or 60 flashes per minute?
Flash duration: 200ms flash duration or on all the time?
Light colour: red only, white only, red and white or is infrared required?
Flash intensity: 32.5 candela, 200 candela, or 2000 candela?
The 4G SMS Lite can be installed in any remote location if there is good 4G cellular coverage.
We have a selection of alternative antennas for weak signal areas and low profile options.
The SMS Lite is suitable for solar powered installations and it can automatically text you with the power supply voltage.
Please contact the team to discuss your monitoring requirements.