Flashing Solar Lights- Right or Wrong

[cereal tiller]

I've got four on order with flashing noses.

these comments have helped me reach a decision

 

today's task will be to purchase a BIG plastic OWL from the local garden centre.

 

it may just stop the birds using the boat's roof as a toilet?

 

the eyes can be replaced with flashing solar lights(i wonder if they make RED ones?)

 

it would help us find the boat in the dark and it would be easy to distinguish it from all the others.

 

good idea,or have i been reading too many of BIZZARD'S posts?

[Djuwenda]

What point? Solely to annoy people?

 

Get a life.

 

Not people...just you Chris.

 

I dont have any solr/nightlights on the boat, I dont think much of them.

 

But I know some people like to personnalise their boats in way that sometimes seem naff to me, be it with Dolls, stuffed animals, old canalware... or solar lights. Not my thing, but each to their own, live and let live etc.

 

 

Your high horse/ground position of insulting them (morons??) and accusing them of ruining your night vision (please...) makes it too tempting.

So yes, I will consider getting some on the off-chance that it might ruin some miserable grumpy git's day...or night.

with love.

[jez1954]

 

I am surprised that the flashing LED lights now fitted to bikes are legal as they are quite distracting.

 

I remember being told once that it is OK to use flashing lights on a bike (front and/or rear) as long as they are used in conjuntion with normal (constantly on) lights. Having "extra" flashing lights attached to the bike does make a cyclist easier to see (from a car drivers perspective) in bad weather and/or murky light conditions. AFAIK they don't have to be attached to the rider.

When I'm out on my bike (yes I use the road and not the footpath) I use 2 rear lights - one constantly on and the other in flashing mode.

Jez

[Guest]

I remember being told once that it is OK to use flashing lights on a bike (front and/or rear) as long as they are used in conjuntion with normal (constantly on) lights. Having "extra" flashing lights attached to the bike does make a cyclist easier to see (from a car drivers perspective) in bad weather and/or murky light conditions. AFAIK they don't have to be attached to the rider.

When I'm out on my bike (yes I use the road and not the footpath) I use 2 rear lights - one constantly on and the other in flashing mode.

Jez

 

It seems you are more up to date with the law than me -

 

From here

 

Some people are concerned that if they use LED lights or flashing lights on their bike they are breaking the law. In the UK, this is now not much of a problem any more.

 

In the UK, a change in the law from 21st October 2005, permits a bike to be fitted with flashing lights, rear and/or front.

At the same time, some loopholes have been closed which previously made LEDs a 'grey area'.

 

The exact specification for flashing lights is, flashing between 1 and 4 times per second, with a brightness of at least 4 candelas.

Most modern LED lights will comfortably meet this specification, assuming they have reasonably fresh batteries fitted.

A forthcoming amendment to the Highway Code will recommend that a bicycle fitted with such lights, should also be fitted with a steady headlamp when used on unlit roads - but this is a recommendation and not law, it does not mean you need a steady light to be legal.

Edited October 12, 2011 by MJG

[Naughty Cal]

 

We don't always agree Chris - but on this I'm with you.

 

Intrusive and unnecessary.

 

The whole appeal of mooring out in the sticks is the blackness of the night, if you can't find your boat use a ruddy torch....

 

There are plenty of places to moor out in the sticks well away from the people who enjoy having lights on their boats be them flashing ones or not. Find somewhere else to moor away from everyone else if you want to see the "blackness" of the night.

 

Do you moor in a town/city centre and then complain about street lights?

[Djuwenda]

or near a lift or swing bridge and then complain about the incorrect fashion in which its operated?

[Guest]

There are plenty of places to moor out in the sticks well away from the people who enjoy having lights on their boats be them flashing ones or not. Find somewhere else to moor away from everyone else if you want to see the "blackness" of the night.

 

Do you moor in a town/city centre and then complain about street lights?

 

Don't be silly...

[carlt]

Do you moor in a town/city centre and then complain about street lights?

Plenty of people complain about light pollution caused by street lamps.

 

It is something that is taken very seriously by local authorities, especially as it is a problem which the solution actually saves money.

[Travis]

Pollution/intrusion to my enviroment?

 

Get a life.

 

I'll put whatever I want on my boat whenever I want.

 

D*ckhead!

[Naughty Cal]

Don't be silly...

 

Im not.

 

If you dont like the way that someone has decorated their boat, then dont moor anywhwere near it. There is plenty of avaliable water for us all to enjoy our own thing. If you want the darkness then moor well away from anyone else. Would you complain if someones galley lighting was disturbing your "darkness"?

 

Plenty of people complain about light pollution caused by street lamps.

 

It is something that is taken very seriously by local authorities, especially as it is a problem which the solution actually saves money.

 

Yes they do. But then again plenty of people complain about local councils switching lights off as well. Swings and roundabouts, you cant please everyone.

 

It is entirely up to an individual if they choose to decorate their boat, much the same as people who choose to decorate their cars with silly items.

[Djuwenda]

Swing bridges and roundabouts, you cant please everyone.

[Guest]

Im not.

 

If you dont like the way that someone has decorated their boat, then dont moor anywhwere near it. There is plenty of avaliable water for us all to enjoy our own thing. If you want the darkness then moor well away from anyone else. Would you complain if someones galley lighting was disturbing your "darkness"?

 

 

 

Yes they do. But then again plenty of people complain about local councils switching lights off as well. Swings and roundabouts, you cant please everyone.

 

It is entirely up to an individual if they choose to decorate their boat, much the same as people who choose to decorate their cars with silly items.

 

You are being silly and I suspect argumentative just for the sake of it Rachael.

 

If I moor in a city centre which I frequently do -

 

 

I expect to be surrounded by unnatural light - it would clearly be silly for me not to expect so.

 

If I moor up in the middle of no where and a boat near me irritates with either excess noise or flashing LED's/Solar lights I reserve the right to be irritated by it and have an opinion on the matter. Fortunately the one good thing about boating is when this happens (unlike at home) you can rev up and piss off somewhere else.

 

Pollution/intrusion to my enviroment?

 

Get a life.

 

I'll put whatever I want on my boat whenever I want.

 

D*ckhead!

 

Charming -

[haggis]

You are being silly and I suspect argumentative just for the sake of it Rachael.

 

 

If I moor up in the middle of no where and a boat near me irritates with either excess noise or flashing LED's/Solar lights I reserve the right to be irritated by it and have an opinion on the matter. Fortunately the one good thing about boating is when this happens (unlike at home) you can rev up and piss off somewhere else.

 

 

 

Charming -

 

You must be extremely easily irritated if small solar lights which come on when it gets dark annoy you. Why not just shut your curtains? I am not a great fan of decorating boats (except at events when decorated boats seem to add to the visitors enjoyment) but I reckon it is up to a boat owner how they paint or decorate their boat and what they put on the roof. Ok we can all have an opinion about how a boat looks (including ropes on tiller pins and fenders dangling) but surely none of these things should irritate or annoy you. Lifes just too short to bother about little things like that.

I think you maybe need to get out more :-)

 

haggis

Edited October 12, 2011 by haggis

[Guest]

You must be extremely easily irritated if small solar lights which come on when it gets dark annoy you. Why not just shut your curtains? I am not a great fan of decorating boats (except at events when decorated boats seem to add to the visitors enjoyment) but I reckon it is up to a boat owner how they paint or decorate their boat and what they put on the roof. Ok we can all have an opinion about how a boat looks (including ropes on tiller pins and fenders dangling) but surely none of these things should irritate or annoy you. Lifes just too short to bother about little things like that.

I think you maybe need to get out more :-)

 

haggis

 

Thanks I'll bear your advice in mind.

 

Ed to add - I don't think you read my post, the original post or the thread title correctly BTW as to what actually would irritate me.

Edited October 12, 2011 by MJG

[haggis]

Thanks I'll bear your advice in mind.

 

Ed to add - I don't think you read my post, the original post or the thread title correctly BTW as to what actually would irritate me.

 

I was going by what you said earlier "boat near me irritates with either excess noise or flashing LED's/Solar lights I reserve the right to be irritated by it".

 

Looks like you get so irritated that you have to say it twice :-)

 

Haggis

[Guest]

I was going by what you said earlier "boat near me irritates with either excess noise or flashing LED's/Solar lights I reserve the right to be irritated by it".

 

Looks like you get so irritated that you have to say it twice :-)

 

Haggis

 

Key actual word there is 'flashing' you made no reference to that when you said -

 

To help I've highlighted the important bit in red.

 

You must be extremely easily irritated if small solar lights which come on when it gets dark annoy you. Why not just shut your curtains? I am not a great fan of decorating boats (except at events when decorated boats seem to add to the visitors enjoyment) but I reckon it is up to a boat owner how they paint or decorate their boat and what they put on the roof. Ok we can all have an opinion about how a boat looks (including ropes on tiller pins and fenders dangling) but surely none of these things should irritate or annoy you. Lifes just too short to bother about little things like that.

I think you maybe need to get out more :-)

 

haggis

[Chris Pink]

Edited October 12, 2011 by Chris Pink

[Guest]

 

It was right though it does have an i in it...

[Chris Pink]

It was right though it does have an i in it...

 

Well what do expect from a moron who puts flashing lights on his boat?

[Laurie Booth]

Well what do expect from a moron who puts flashing lights on his boat?

I must agree, the Thames river police do annoy me when they zoom past with those flashing blue things.

[matty40s]

Finchers Fedora

 

I must agree, the Thames river police do annoy me when they zoom past with those flashing blue things.

 

Here's something more traditional for the purists amongst , er us.

[Guest]

Finchers Fedora

 

 

 

Here's something more traditional for the purists amongst , er us.

 

 

Fraid not - where is the bowler version?

Edited October 12, 2011 by MJG

[haggis]

Key actual word there is 'flashing' you made no reference to that when you said -

 

To help I've highlighted the important bit in red.

 

Thank you, That was most kind :-)

Flashing or not, they are still quite small, LED lights, and I am sure they won't be seen through your curtains.

 

haggis

[Guest]

Thank you, That was most kind :-)

Flashing or not, they are still quite small, LED lights, and I am sure they won't be seen through your curtains.

 

haggis

 

So again - you didn't read the OP did you -

 

Hi- We saw a beautiful boat over the weekend decked out in solar lights- some nice white ones added a nice glow- but some blue flashing ones just seemed to take over the sky. Forgive me if I'm boring but I love the canals, and the normal lack of light pollution- but these things just seemed to monopolise the scenery and you dont turn them off. What do you think???

 

Again the important bit in red...

[haggis]

So again - you didn't read the OP did you -

 

 

 

Again the important bit in red...

 

yes, I had read the original post and took it with a pinch of salt. No matter what, LED lights ARE small and as for taking over the sky, well perhaps a wee bit of exaggeration there, don't you think? The sky tends to be mainly above us, well it is here, anyway, and I have yet to see a canal boat with anything high enough to put lights on which could be said to be taking over the sky. I'll accept that if you look directly at lights, they can blot out everything else but I still haven't seen any LEDs which would be anywhere strong enough to do that. Anyway, be reassured, now that there is less sunlight during the day, the lights won't be able to work for very long at night and they will probably be weaker as well. Your days of being irritated by flashing LED lights might be over for a few months. I hope so.

But what are you going to do about those blooming stars up there? Really aggravating aren't they?

 

haggis