29
May
How to Turn Off Your Neighbor’s Pesky Street Light
My wife and I were sitting on our front porch last night enjoying the cool evening air, listening to the crickets and frogs, sharing quality conversation, and shielding our eyes from a neighbor’s streetlight. That bright light shining in our eyes was the only thing standing between us and a really nice evening. So I turned it off. Ahhh, Perfect!
How did I do it? A slingshot? A pellet rifle? A call to a friend at the electric company? Nope. I used a small, cheap laser pointer to shine on the photocell of the streetlight and overload it. It would turn it off for about 7 minutes. When it would start to slowly come back on again, I would just shine it back at the photo cell again before it got back to maximum brightness. We enjoyed about 30 minutes of nice quality time together in the dark.
I didn’t discover this technique on my own. I used to be a very avid astronomer and this is a trick that we would use when the glare from a streetlight was blocking something we really wanted to see. A Google search for ’streetlight “street light” laser’ will net you a lot of information that others have written about it. Here are a few words of advice before you do this yourself:
Sweep all around the top of the light until you find it. Different models have them in different places. From my experience, they are usually very close to the top. This particular streetlight is about 50 yards from my house. You’ll find that it’s not easy to hold a laser pointer steady at that distance. The picture here shows my neighbor’s light in the day and the method that I use to find my target.- It doesn’t work with every model of street light. Theoretically they should all have a photocell that can be overloaded, but you may not be able to reach it with your laser pointer from your angle. For some, it just may not work at all.
- Be prepared to make someone mad. My neighbor knows that I will periodically do this, and he’s fine with it. I even showed him how to do it himself so he could turn it off too. He doesn’t like it all the time either.
- Beware of aircraft. According to Clayton Cramer’s calculations the stories we heard about a year or so ago can’t be done by a regular person with a regular laser pointer by accident. However, don’t say you weren’t warned.
- It’s a laser! Just be careful! If you make someone go blind while you’re playing around, or othewise cause any harm to come to someone, you’re on your own.
If you try this little trick and it works for you, drop me a comment and let me know.
Great idea! I’ll be giving that a try.
May 29th, 2006 at 12:21 pmGood stuff, Ricky. It address what Hallowell in “CrazyBusy” calls the “rush, gush, worry, and blather” of modern life, in this case distracting you from enjoying your important “not doing” time with loved ones.
On a related note, a major issue I have with modern life is the seeming ubiquitous “TVs everywhere” you see in buses, airports, and restaurants. The solution: A “laser” for TVs: The TV-B-Gone® universal remote control – http://www.tvbgone.com/ . From the site:
Your TV-B-Gone® universal remote control resembles other TV remote controls, but is different in two important ways. First, it only has a power button that allows you to switch a TV on or off. You control when you see, rather than what you see. Second, the device is so small that it easily fits in your pocket, so that you have it handy whenever you need it wherever you go: airports, bars, restaurants, laundromats, etc.
He he he…
June 15th, 2006 at 1:52 pmMatthew – Great find on the TV-B-Gone! I remember a few years ago when the grocery store we frequented added televisions above the checkout aisles so that people could watch while they were waiting in line. I thought that was such an irritant, especially for someone like me that doesn’t care much for TV at all. Outside of restaurants, I haven’t noticed many of these recently. As long as they don’t have sound on, they don’t bother me very much, unless the person I’m with gets hyptonized by it and starts to connect more with the TV than with me.
)
June 15th, 2006 at 5:09 pmWow, I AM IMPRESSED WITH THIS!
August 1st, 2006 at 9:28 pmSteph – Try it. It really does work!
August 1st, 2006 at 9:45 pmWhich color of a laser did you use; red, blue, green?
January 21st, 2008 at 6:17 pmVuchipoo – I used a red laser pointer. I don’t think color matters though. The hard part is locating the photocell.
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:08 amI have a red one now and you are right- the photocell is one tricky little bugger to spot. I’ll have to work on it.
January 27th, 2008 at 8:48 pmThank you for posting this!!! I’ve been turning street lights off during the past ten years and I’ve become kind of an expert… To locate the exact point to spot, it will be better if you take a look at the street light during the day… the little cap-like piece on the top (not always there) has an opening in one side (photocell) to receive the day light and turn off… locate it and you will not have any problems during the night… look for the best angle and you are good to go!!!
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:20 amAlexandro – Thanks for dropping by and providing some helpful additional information!
April 4th, 2008 at 10:21 amAgain another Impressive everyday hack to enjoy a quiet dark evening with a loved one
April 7th, 2008 at 7:49 amcan it be done with a powerfull hand held light?
April 12th, 2008 at 10:33 amGrant – I don’t know. Try it and let us know.
April 12th, 2008 at 4:32 pmI have been doing this for years! Way back in the day when me and my friend used to play army man and sneak around the neighbors house =P
And like he said some people ARE NOT HAPPY when you do this.. lol
June 12th, 2008 at 10:49 pmRicky,
what was the mW output of the laser you used???
Thanks!
July 14th, 2008 at 12:41 pmMark – Mine is 4 mW and operates in the 640-680 nm. Good luck!
July 14th, 2008 at 12:56 pmThanks Ricky for the quick reply. I will be purchasing a green 5mW today and trying it this evening.
July 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pmcan you turn off your neighbors loud stereo using a rf remote?
July 27th, 2009 at 2:53 pmDrat! The light across the street has no photo-cell. All the ones in my area turn on/turn off at the same time. (thanx for the info anyways! it’s good to know this handy trick for future use!) — -nubbin
December 1st, 2009 at 1:03 amAnother way is to twist off the sensor and lose it. Long ladder needed and a quiet street. Get neighbour support first. It takes a while before it gets replaced, happy darkness, enjoy!
March 5th, 2010 at 2:38 amWould a laser range finder work? It’s easier to aim. I want to buy one for this purpose but I’m too cheap to get it unless I know it will work.
August 17th, 2011 at 8:22 pmTomServo – So, just buy it and try it. If it doesn’t work, return it and get your money back.
August 17th, 2011 at 10:44 pm