Last five posts from the CHAT-M-Room
(Town Common) are:
Thanks Jared. Figured it had to come down to economics or dated technology. Sadly, another nail in the coffin of our cherished nautical history.
Jim
USA - Thu 08/06/2026 - 06:42:04
In 2023 I spoke with BMC Rob Lester of ANT Woods Hole. He knew that installing a "blinking" LED in the lighthouse would have drawn the ire of everyone in town and on the water. The MBR 300 which was recently installed here is a compromise. It is LED but the unit rotates 24 hours a day and functions on a daylight sensor. Many lighthouses these days are on daylight sensor. For the Cape, only Highland, Nauset, and Nobska Point operate 24 hours. The drum beacons were left to operate 24 hours in the past because even intermittent power interruptions shortened the lifespan of the costly lamps. Gay Head on the Vineyard and Sankaty Head on Nantucket now use MBR 300 also. It allows the Coast Guard to meet the obligation of illuminating the coast, while reducing their maintenance visits. The MBR 300 shouldn't require maintenance for three years. The days of cleaning the reflectors and glass cover, changing gear oil and greasing main spindle bearings are over. The new unit is entirely self contained, doesn't put off any heat and won't require a drip pan under it. I agree it seems weak, but if you are at sea, in the focal plane, you should be able to see Chatham Light. On a clear night I can see the light at Sankaty Head which is 27 nm. I agree it is a lot different than before and a little less impressive, but it keeps the lighthouse functional.
Jared Fulcher <meadowbrook155@yahoo.com>
Chatham, MA USA - Wed 08/05/2026 - 19:37:58
Jim, I've been waiting to see if anyone has noticed a difference with the light at all. Alan Pollock did a good piece on the changeover.
This new beacon has been in the works for about three years. The DCB 224 that we've all looked at since 1993 finally hit the end of the line. The 224's were lights based on the Aldis signal lamps that the Navy used. Seven Massachusetts light stations used them and Chatham is the last Federal aid on the Eastern seaboard to keep it. Both Nauset Light and Fire Island, NY have the same, and both units are on borrowed time. They were very effective aids to navigation, but they are highly maintenance intensive and because they're no longer manufactured, some parts are difficult to find if at all. Nearly every lighthouse that used one of these drum beacons, suffered some sort of electrical malfunction (sometimes often) before being retired. Nauset ran into electrical gremlins in 2018 that required machining some of the electrical drive components. The ANT team in Woods Hole had to address the malfunctioning Chatham Light at least twice in three months, when the sping driven lamp changers failed to properly seat the standby lamp when the main lamp failed.
Jared Fulcher <meadowbrook155@yahoo.com>
Chatham, MA USA - Wed 08/05/2026 - 19:36:16
topic of discussion: New light in the Chatham lighthouse. Not a fan.
Jim
sounds like a typical "improvement"
Cynthia
South Chatham, MA USA - Mon 08/03/2026 - 08:24:17
topic of discussion: New light in the Chatham lighthouse. Not a fan.
too weak
not working during the day
too weak
too small
too weak
appearance
(did I mention it is too weak?)
Jim
USA - Mon 08/03/2026 - 05:51:28