Tower lights are used to provide a warning. This type of lighting system is for use on tall buildings, antennas or bridges to warn air traffic to stay clear. Tower lights also provide the status of a machine in industrial applications.

Broadcast and skyscraper tower lights are typically white or red. Beacon or strobe lights in these outdoor tower light systems indicate a potential aircraft hazard. Industrial light towers consist of a stack of multiple colored lights. Each individual light symbolizes the status of the application, with red typically meaning a machine is failing. These tower light systems can incorporate either steady or flashing lights. When purchasing tower lights, consider the following:

1. Use broadcast tower lights on radio, television, phone and other tall antennas.

2. Purchase LED tower lights for long-lasting efficiency.

3. Warn air traffic with beacon tower lights.

4. Use a tower light system with an alarm as an additional safety measure.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Install broadcast tower lights

Broadcast tower lights are placed on towers and antennas commonly used by radio and television stations and mobile phone companies. Broadcast tower lights, also called antenna lights, provide a warning to low-flying aircrafts. Strobe lights are common in this type of tower lighting system.

I recommend: Purchase a broadcast tower light from Antenna Systems & Solutions. The tower light manufacturer offers a tower light system that combines a white strobe light for daytime and a red flashing light for nighttime into a single flash-head. Find broadcast tower lights at Avaids Technovators. You can customize the standard tower light systems with advanced features.

Use LED tower lights

Light-emitting diode, or LED, lights are ideal for high-power applications, such as industrial light towers. The long-lasting lights are available in a wide variety of colors. LED lights can produce an intense glow without sacrificing efficiency.

I recommend: Order an LED tower light system from Rockwell Automation. The model's compact design allows the company to fully assemble, pre-wire and test the tower light prior to shipping. ISE offers a base- or pole-mounted light tower. All of the mounting hardware is included with the LED light tower.

Purchase beacon tower lights

Beacon tower lights are commonly found on skyscrapers, bridges and other tall objects that could pose a threat to air traffic. Because tower beacon lights are typically difficult to change, it's important the lights be reliable and long lasting. This type of light must also be from materials that can tolerate outdoor elements.

I recommend: Browse an inventory of beacon tower lights at H&H Industries. These lights are ideal for use in broadcast light towers and on tall buildings and bridges. International Tower Lighting offers beacon tower lights with high-quality aluminum castings, stainless steel hardware and porcelain lamp sockets.

Order tower lights with alarms

As an added measure of safety, light towers can sound an alarm to catch the attention of workers. Light tower alarms can be a buzzer, siren or even a voice. An alarm used in a noisy industrial application needs to be adjustable to compensate for changing noise levels.

I recommend: Purchase a light tower system from General Electric. You can easily add a buzzer alarm to the manufacture's "buzzer-ready" light towers. Euchner-USA offers light towers that can be customized with vocal elements and self-adjusting sound.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Tower light regulations require constant monitoring of broadcast towers to ensure no lights have burned out. Some tower light manufacturers offer an alarm system that alerts employees when a light has stopped functioning, but you should check the light tower daily to comply with regulations.