Because the lamp contains gas under pressure,
take care when handling it or when cleaning the
interior of the drum. The lamp shell is quartz, not
glass. Keep it free of oil or grease, and do not handle
it without the protective metal case provided. Grease
or oil may, at lamp operating temperatures, set up
stresses in the quartz and cause the lamp to explode.
If the lamp should be soiled in any way, wash it off
with alcohol or other grease-free solvent, then dry it
carefully with a clean cloth.
Before opening the drum, make sure the power is
off. This can be done by turning the remote switch
OFF and then removing the power cable plug from the
starter unit.
When you remove or replace the lamp, wear the
face guard and gloves provided. Place the protective
metal guard over the lamp; disconnect the lamp leads
from the binding post on top of the starter unit; loosen
all wing nuts holding the lamp in the lamp adjuster
assembly; then remove the lamp.
CAUTION
Even when it reaches the end of its useful
life, a mercury-xenon lamp is potentially dan-
gerous. Turn it in to the mercury control
officer or his/her representative for disposal.
When installing a new lamp, do not touch the
quartz with your fingers. Keep the protective case
around the lamp until it is in place.
Hold the lamp by the protective cover with the
longer of the two leads pointing up, and insert them in
the two vee-slots on the lamp supports. Fasten the
lamp in place with the clamps and wing nuts; then
connect the power leads to the binding post, making
sure they do not touch any other metal parts.
For signaling at the greater design ranges, more
accuracy in the aim is required. To align the sights with
the beam, aim the light at a bulkhead 50 to 100 feet
away. Focus the lamp for the narrow beam. Look
through the sights; the beam should be in the center.
If the beam is not centered, remove the top cover
plate of the lamp adjuster assembly. (See fig. 2-4.) If
the beam is high or low, loosen the thumbscrew and
turn the vertical adjustment screw to raise or lower the
lamp. When you have it adjusted, tighten the
thumbscrew. If the beam is off to one side, loosen the
four horizontal screws on the transverse sliding plate;
Figure 2-4.—12-inch mercury-xenon lamp adjuster assembly.
slide the plate by hand to center the beam; and
retighten the screws.
MULTIPURPOSE SIGNAL LIGHT
The multipurpose signal light (fig. 2-5) produces
a high-intensity beam of light suitable for use as a
spotlight or as a blinker for visual communication. The
power source is three dry cell batteries or the ship's
electrical power via a 120/20-volt transformer
mounted in the storage box. The front handle is
adjustable to maintain a steady position when
signaling, and front and rear sights are provided for
holding the beam on target.
Supplied with the light are red, green, and amber
lenses, a 15-foot power cord for supplying power from
the ship's electrical source to the storage box, and a
25-foot cord for supplying power from the storage box
to the light.
2-5
