Airport Rotating Beacon

WCEI

WCEI

Senior Member
Location
Central Virginia
Occupation
President/Owner, Wayne Cook Electric, Inc.
Our local small airport has a rotating beacon that dates way back. I don’t have an exact model number but I know it’s a Crouse-Hinds Hinds Dual ARB airport rotating beacon. It can’t be too terribly old because it uses a metal halide lamp. I know I’ve bought parts for it several times over the years, but I can’t remember who my source was. In the back of my mind, the company may have been in Vermont or Connecticut, but of that, I’m not certain. A google search came up empty.
If any of you can offer any suggestions, it would be much appreciated. BTW, what I’m specifically looking for is the gear plate under the light fixture that meshes with the worm gear on the motor shaft.
Thanks to all.
 
If it is fiber, it is likely intended to be a weak point (like the shear pin on a snow blower) to limit damage if things jam.
 
n1ist said:
If it is fiber, it is likely intended to be a weak point (like the shear pin on a snow blower) to limit damage if things jam.
Click to expand...
You are probably correct. Sometimes fiber is used to reduce noise, but knowing that the installation of the beacon is going to be, (A. In the wide open reaches of an airport, and (B. Probably 80 to 120 feet in the air, I’m sure noise was not a consideration. So I agree, it was probably designed to be the shear point. And I’m sure, in its day, a replacement gear was readily available.
At this point, we are in the “ stand down” mode. The airport manager had us disassemble the drive mechanism and bring him the faulty part and “he” would have something made. So we complied. If he gets a “steel” gear machined and the beacon loses the measure of protection offered by the fiber gear, then I guess we will deal with the damage at that time.

Incidentally, I’m a little surprised that rotating beacons are still needed and relevant these days. I’m sure even private pilots in small planes seldom if ever depend on an airports beacons for locating and navigating to an airport.

I had to chuckle at your reference to a “snow blower”, n1ist. Maybe in Mass., but, (thank God), you won’t find many in Central Virginia.
 
Good morning. Our beacon at the Tekamah Airport is the same. Just yesterday I climbed it to determine the cause of it not turning. We need both gears also. Were you able (or the airport manager) to get these replicated?

Mark Van Der Hart
 
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Mark VDH said:
Good morning. Our beacon at the Tekamah Airport is the same. Just yesterday I climbed it to determine the cause of it not turning. We need both gears also. Were you able (or the airport manager) to get these replicated?

Mark Van Der Hart
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You do realize this thread is 3 months old. You may not get a response...
 
Mark VDH said:
Good morning. Our beacon at the Tekamah Airport is the same. Just yesterday I climbed it to determine the cause of it not turning. We need both gears also. Were you able (or the airport manager) to get these replicated?

Mark Van Der Hart
Click to expand...
The airport manager worked with a machinist to “repair” the gears. My electrician put the mechanism back together and he said it looked like a pretty rough repair, but it worked when he got it back together.

All my research to find parts came up empty. I wish I had more to offer you, but that’s how it played out. Good luck. And if you do find a source for parts, please let me know, because I really don’t expect the repair to hold up.

Wayne
 
Wayne,

Thanks very much for that info. I will figure out a permanent solution, and I'll post it here.

Mark Van Der Hart
 
Wayne,

Here's a source for parts and info...

Contact Richard’s Electric in North Platte, NE. They have a some new, and used parts from beacons

that have been replaced/upgraded. They also repair the older rotating beacons. The contact information

for Richard’s Electric is:

Office Direct 308.534.0070

Doug (cell) 308.530.3854

I spoke with Doug, and ordered the parts that I needed. The worm and ring gears are both available. He also gave good pointers on maintenance.

Mark
 
Mark VDH said:
Wayne,

Here's a source for parts and info...

Contact Richard’s Electric in North Platte, NE. They have a some new, and used parts from beacons

that have been replaced/upgraded. They also repair the older rotating beacons. The contact information

for Richard’s Electric is:

Office Direct 308.534.0070

Doug (cell) 308.530.3854

I spoke with Doug, and ordered the parts that I needed. The worm and ring gears are both available. He also gave good pointers on maintenance.

Mark
Click to expand...
Fantastic Mark, thank you so much. How did you find out about them? I googled it forty different ways, but saw this company.
Wayne
 
Yes, I did the same... Then our airport manager contacted the NE Dept of Aeronautics, Navaid Division, and Marcy Meyer knew of this man who has already invented that wheel, so I didn't have to do it again. :)
Mark
 
And just for future google searchers... The beacon is a Crouse-Hinds DCB-224, the AN part number is AN 2564-2, and the Crouse-Hinds catalog number was 43089C. I think that Crouse-Hinds got bought by Cooper years ago and then absorbed into Eaton.

These beacons are WWII era but are actually a well built unit.

The whole beacon unit weighs upwards of 600 lbs, but Doug said he even changes the ring gear without taking them down. Changing the worm is easy and quick. Changing the ring gear is much more extensive, requiring the whole upper mechanism to be disassembled.

If they are kept lubed and adjusted, and the weather is kept out of the bearings, gears, and brushes and rings, they are very durable.

Mark
 
WCEI said:
... Incidentally, I’m a little surprised that rotating beacons are still needed and relevant these days. I’m sure even private pilots in small planes seldom if ever depend on an airports beacons for locating and navigating to an airport. ...
Click to expand...
They are extremely helpful, maybe even essential, for navigating the last mile when visibility is poor.

Many small airports don't have radar, an approach controller, or a precision instrument approach, and some small aircraft don't have the instrumentation to conduct a precision instrument approach.
 
I sent a text to “Doug” stating who I was and how I got his number, and asked if I could contact him if needed. I haven’t heard from him yet, but I hope he responds.

Yeah, our airport was built at the beginning of WW2, and the beacon is original, as far as I can tell. It’s a typical military layout, three runways in a triangle pattern. They abandoned on runway 30+ years ago, but the other two are in service. I believe at least one of them is a mile long.

I’m sure you are right dr. You can’t have too many aids to help you navigate. And there are a fair amount of older planes that use the airport, so it makes since to maintain it.

Hey Mark, how tall is your tower? Ours is 85’ to the platform level.
 
I'm not sure on the height, and I've wondered that myself (mostly as I'm climbing and descending it!). I'll have to measure.

I was able to get a maintenance manual that I can email you if you want it. It's in pdf format.

Mark
 
I'm also attaching the manual here if it works...

Mark
 

Attachments

  • Rotating Beacon Maint Manual.pdf
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