|
|
 |
|
|
Signal lamp by big tree
|
|
|
Signal lamp |
|
|
|
|
|
Business,Business News,Business Opportunities
|
|
Navy usage
US Navy seaman sending Morse code using a signal lamp.
Aldis lamps were pioneered by the British Royal Navy in the late 19th century, and continued to be used through the present day on naval vessels. They provide handy, secure communications during periods of radio silence as well as other times and were particularly useful for convoys operating during the Battle of the Atlantic. There were several types. Some signal lamps were mounted on the mastheads of ships, some small hand-held versions were also used ('The Aldis lamp') and other more powerful ones were mounted on pedestals. These larger ones used a carbon arc lamp as their light source with a diameter of 20 inches (50 cm). These could be used to signal to the horizon, even in conditions of bright sunlight. Although it was originally thought that it was only possible to communicate by line-of-sight, in practice it was possible to illuminate cloud bases both during the night and day which allowed for communication beyond the horizon. A maximum transmission rate possible by using flashing lights is no more than 14 wpm.
They have a secondary function as simple spotlights.
The idea of flashing dots and dashes from a lantern was first put in to practice by Captain, later Vice Admiral, Philip Colomb in 1867. His original code, which the Navy used for seven years, was not identical with Morse, but Morse code was eventually adopted with the addition of several special signals. Flashing lights were the second generation of signaling in the Royal Navy, after the flag signals most famously used to spread Nelson's rallying-cry before the Battle of Trafalgar.
The Royal Navy and NATO forces use signal lamps when radio communications need to be silent or electronic "spoofing" is likely. Also, given the prevalence of night vision equipment in today's armed forces, signaling at night is usually done with lights that operate in the infrared(IR) spectrum making them less likely to be detected. All modern forces have followed suit due to technological advances in digital communications.
Air traffic control usage
Main article: Aviation light signals
In air traffic control towers, signal lamps are still used today, as a backup device in case of a complete failure of an aircraft's radio. Light signals can be red, green or white, and steady or flashing. Messages are limited to a handful of basic instructions (eg. "land", "stop" etc); they are not intended to be used for transmitting messages in Morse code. Aircraft can acknowledge signals by rocking their wings or flashing their landing lights.
In popular culture
1970: Monty Python's Flying Circus Season 2 episode # 15 featured a sketch "Julius Caesar on an Aldis Lamp".
2009: In Ponyo, an award-winning anime title by Studio Ghibli, the main child character is seen conversing, from the shore, with his father on a passing ship using morse code, transmitted via Aldis Lamp.
See also
Heliograph
Semaphore
References
^ FAA Aeronautical Information Manual, section 4-3-13. Traffic Control Light Signals
External links
An Aldis lamp in operation
Superaldis, an Aldis lamp simulator
v d e
International Morse code
Transmission methods
Electrical telegraph On-off keying Continuous wave Modulated continuous wave Heliograph Signal lamp
Notable signals
SOS CQD Morse code mnemonics Prosigns for Morse code Morse code abbreviations Q code Z code
Other writing systems
in Morse code
American Morse code Greek Alphabet Cyrillic Alphabet Hebrew Alphabet Arabic Alphabet Wabun code Chinese telegraph code
Categories: Early telecommunications Lamps Military communications Morse code I am an expert from China Product, usually analyzes all kind of industries situation, such as wireless smoke alarm , firex smoke alarms.
Related Articles -
wireless smoke alarm, firex smoke alarms,
|
Rate This Article  |
|
|
|
|
|
Do you Agree or Disagree? Have a Comment? POST IT!
| Reader Opinions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Author Login |
|
|
 |
Advertiser Login
ADVERTISE HERE NOW!
Limited Time $60 Offer!
90 Days-1.5 Million Views
|
|
TIM FAY
After 60-plus years of living, I am just trying to pass down some of the information that I have lea...more
|
|
|
|
|
PAUL PHILIPS
For more articles, blog messages & videos and a free e-book download go to www.NewParadigm.ws your p...more
|
|
|
|
|
LAURA JEEVES
At LeadGenerators, we specialise in content-led Online Marketing Strategies for our clients in the t...more
|
|
|
|
|
ADRIAN JOELE
I have been involved in nutrition and weight management for over 12 years and I like to share my kn...more
|
|
|
|
|
GENE MYERS
Author of four books and two screenplays; frequent magazine contributor. I have four other books "in...more
|
|
|
|
|
DONNIE LEWIS
I'm an avid consumer of a smoothie a day living, herbs, vitamins and daily dose of exercise. I'm 60...more
|
|
|
|
|
ALEX BELSEY
I am the editor of QUAY Magazine, a B2B publication based in the South West of the UK. I am also the...more
|
|
|
|
|
SUSAN FRIESEN
Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, ...more
|
|
|
|
|
STEPHEN BYE
Steve Bye is currently a fiction writer, who published his first novel, ‘Looking Forward Through the...more
|
|
|
|
