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The Project
Restoration of a
Nameplate
1000 M.M - 180 Degree - Fresnel Lens
150 AMP H.I. ARC - 78 Volts
Serial NO. 4165 - Part NO. 67220
Manufactured By:
Sperry Gyroscope Company, INC.
Brooklyn, New York
AGA Stands for
American Gas Accumulator Company
AGA
AGA AB was started in 1904 near Stockholm, Sweden, by Gustaf Dalen, a
35-year-old engineer and ingenious inventor. The very next year AGA developed an
automatic lighthouse mechanism that included the sun valve and the intermittent
light regulator (the first innovations patented by AGA). Acetylene, with its
bright light, was an excellent fuel for lighthouses, but it was too expensive
when burned all day. AGA's intermittent light regulator reduced fuel consumption
by 90 percent, and the sun valve cut consumption by another 4 percent. This
meant lighthouses could be operated at a low cost and left unattended for long
periods of time. In 1912, AGA won a contract to build a lighthouse system for
the Panama Canal and Dalen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his
inventions in lighthouse technology.
In 1911, AGA founded American Gas Accumulator Co. in New
Jersey and in ensuing years many lighthouses were installed around the Great
Lakes. Although AGA's stock in American Gas Accumulator Co. was sold in 1949,
new operations had been established in other fields in the United States.
The light itself is constructed of cast aluminum housing
with a Third Order 1000 M.M 180 degree directional Fresnel (fray-nal) lens. The
original illumination was provided by a Sperry Carbon ARC using 1/2 inch rods
and auto feed control. It was generator fed with 78 volts DC and pulled 150 amps
of load. As there is very little information on these lights and NO resource for
parts for the Sperry Carbon ARC, a decision was made to convert it, to use a
12/18K
double ended HMI (Hygerium Metallic Iodide) globe. These are the lights used in the film making industry to
eliminate shadows during daylight shooting and background lighting in night
shots. They are manufactured by ARRI, Desisti, LTM and Mole Richardson. Needless
to say, they are very bright and comparable to the intensity of the Carbon ARC's,
of which they are replacing.
Purpose:
To restore a 1920's era Airfield Light back
to working condition, preserve the lens and housing and bring it back to a new
condition.
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The light as it arrives at our work shop on March
4, 2008. The light came from Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, SC (www.joenall.com)
After restoration, it will be returned to the site and used at the various
flying events that are held at this World Class flying field.
The light weighs about 700 pounds and 375 of that
is the Fresnel lens |
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The light is unloaded and installed on a vertical
post lift for disassembly. This is a Third Order (1000 M.M., 180 degree
Fresnel lens. It is designed to light an area of one mile for a 180 degree
spread |
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The backside of the light showing doors and ARC
controls on the left |
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Disassembly starts by removing the top.
Surprisingly, even though the bolts were very rusted, they came out with
little to no effort. It must have been due to the cast aluminum
housing and very liberal use of WD-40 |
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The doors come next then the wiring then
disassembly of the lens and door frames. Someone at sometime had installed
Christmas lights along with a nail up box receptacle and Romex, of course
all of this is long gone. |
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Finally the stacking of parts to go to the powder
coater sometime in April, 2008 |
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