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In related news the Bay Bridge in San Francisco will have lights out permanently from this weekend due to high maintenance costs of the LED bulbs. I wonder if t

In related news the Bay Bridge in San Francisco will have lights out permanently from this weekend due to high maintenance costs of the LED bulbs. I wonder if they could just lower the brightness of the bulbs. https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/bay-bridge-lights-set-to-go-dark-in-just-days/ https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/bay-bridge-lights-set-to...

the_pwner224 4y ago
> “The hardware is failing at a rate faster than we can cost-effectively keep up,” Ben Davis, the founder of Illuminate, told KRON4 in January. > “It’s a challenge of the current lights. They’re good but they have to exist in an area that has rain, fog, high winds, grime 24/7, vibration, expansion and contraction,” Davis said. This has nothing to do with brightness or with the bulbs being LEDs. Their hardware is not properly suited for the environment it's being used in. If you put an Arduino in your car, don't be surprised when the non-automotive-grade electronics fail after a few years. The EEs must have not done a great job when initially designing this light project. From to the project's website (linked by your article): > They must be replaced with a new system that is custom engineered to perform in the harsh environmental conditions of San Francisco Bay.
- pcl 4y ago
  In their defense, the original system was only supposed to be up for one maintenance cycle, but it was extended due to the massive popularity of the installation.
- RC_ITR 4y ago
  This is so weird though, because the lights that line the catenary cable are older and not proposed to be turned off (and anecdotally are much less likely to be broken on a given night). Maybe it's the scale, relative inaccessibility, or remote control that's the problem. Honestly, I never loved the 'light show' effect anyway - maybe they should just light the suspender cables with normal lights and call it a day. EDIT: For reference, here is the bridge before Baylights: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Oakland_Bay_Bridge.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Oakland_Bay_Brid...
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- DaiPlusPlus 4y ago
  > must be replaced with a new system that is custom engineered [for] San Francisco Bay. Other major port-cities around the world, with comparable climate conditions, have presumably transitioned to LED lighting over the past decade - why can't they save taxpayer's money by simply buying-up whatever Valencia or Singapore is using instead of having their own NIH Syndrome and insisting an entirely bespoke system just-for-them be used?
  - davidgay 4y ago
    This is a decorative/art installation, not the bridge's engineered lighting. So whatever Singapore is doing is not relevant (except if it's also for similar purposes).
  - ars 4y ago
    These are LEDs to write messages and do colors, they are not for lighting.
  - nradov 4y ago
    Did you even read the article? This is a public art installation funded by a non-profit. Not taxpayers. The installation was intended to be temporary and has already gone way past it's design lifetime.
    - DaiPlusPlus 4y ago
      I did not read it, and it shows - I eat my words :)
- paxys 4y ago
  It was never meant to be a permanent installation. It has already overshot its expected lifespan by many years.
skybrian 4y ago
These lights were originally a public art exhibit that was supposed to be for two years, and then was extended. [1] They aren't used for anything essential. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bay_Lights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bay_Lights
- Karawebnetwork 4y ago
  We have a bridge with smart LED lights on in here in Montréal. They were put in 2017 with a promise that they will remain until 2027. Now I wonder if they will actually last. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cartier_Bridge#%22Living_Connections%22,_the_lighting_of_the_Jacques_Cartier_Bridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cartier_Bridge#%22Livi...
  - the_pwner224 4y ago
    There's absolutely no reason they won't last if properly engineered. We have a very good understanding of how and why LEDs fail over time. If the lights need to last 10 years, then the mechanical & electrical engineers can make a design that will last 10 years. That's not hard to do. The reason many LEDs, especially consumer LEDs, fail early is due to excessive cost cutting.
renewiltord 4y ago
Man, these guys are always asking for more money. They want to take the cash and expand the installation. I really like the lights, but come on, you can't keep adding maintenance. It's a bad idea. It's okay for it to just live on in memory.

the_pwner224 4y ago

> “The hardware is failing at a rate faster than we can cost-effectively keep up,” Ben Davis, the founder of Illuminate, told KRON4 in January. > “It’s a challenge of the current lights. They’re good but they have to exist in an area that has rain, fog, high winds, grime 24/7, vibration, expansion and contraction,” Davis said. This has nothing to do with brightness or with the bulbs being LEDs. Their hardware is not properly suited for the environment it's being used in. If you put an Arduino in your car, don't be surprised when the non-automotive-grade electronics fail after a few years. The EEs must have not done a great job when initially designing this light project. From to the project's website (linked by your article): > They must be replaced with a new system that is custom engineered to perform in the harsh environmental conditions of San Francisco Bay.

pcl 4y ago
In their defense, the original system was only supposed to be up for one maintenance cycle, but it was extended due to the massive popularity of the installation.
RC_ITR 4y ago
This is so weird though, because the lights that line the catenary cable are older and not proposed to be turned off (and anecdotally are much less likely to be broken on a given night). Maybe it's the scale, relative inaccessibility, or remote control that's the problem. Honestly, I never loved the 'light show' effect anyway - maybe they should just light the suspender cables with normal lights and call it a day. EDIT: For reference, here is the bridge before Baylights: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Oakland_Bay_Bridge.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Oakland_Bay_Brid...
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
DaiPlusPlus 4y ago
> must be replaced with a new system that is custom engineered [for] San Francisco Bay. Other major port-cities around the world, with comparable climate conditions, have presumably transitioned to LED lighting over the past decade - why can't they save taxpayer's money by simply buying-up whatever Valencia or Singapore is using instead of having their own NIH Syndrome and insisting an entirely bespoke system just-for-them be used?
- davidgay 4y ago
  This is a decorative/art installation, not the bridge's engineered lighting. So whatever Singapore is doing is not relevant (except if it's also for similar purposes).
- ars 4y ago
  These are LEDs to write messages and do colors, they are not for lighting.
- nradov 4y ago
  Did you even read the article? This is a public art installation funded by a non-profit. Not taxpayers. The installation was intended to be temporary and has already gone way past it's design lifetime.
  - DaiPlusPlus 4y ago
    I did not read it, and it shows - I eat my words :)
paxys 4y ago
It was never meant to be a permanent installation. It has already overshot its expected lifespan by many years.

skybrian 4y ago

These lights were originally a public art exhibit that was supposed to be for two years, and then was extended. [1] They aren't used for anything essential. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bay_Lights https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bay_Lights

Karawebnetwork 4y ago
We have a bridge with smart LED lights on in here in Montréal. They were put in 2017 with a promise that they will remain until 2027. Now I wonder if they will actually last. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cartier_Bridge#%22Living_Connections%22,_the_lighting_of_the_Jacques_Cartier_Bridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cartier_Bridge#%22Livi...
- the_pwner224 4y ago
  There's absolutely no reason they won't last if properly engineered. We have a very good understanding of how and why LEDs fail over time. If the lights need to last 10 years, then the mechanical & electrical engineers can make a design that will last 10 years. That's not hard to do. The reason many LEDs, especially consumer LEDs, fail early is due to excessive cost cutting.

renewiltord 4y ago

Man, these guys are always asking for more money. They want to take the cash and expand the installation. I really like the lights, but come on, you can't keep adding maintenance. It's a bad idea. It's okay for it to just live on in memory.