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Hancock weather beacon is off? How will we know if it's going to rain on Thursday?

By adamg on Wed, 04/03/2024 - 11:49pm

WCVB gets the scoop: The weather lights are out for several months of modernization, including the installation of more energy-efficient LED bulbs (so just like the Citgo sign).

Neighborhoods: 
Back Bay
Topics: 
Weather
Free tagging: 
Old Hancock Building


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Comments

By Ron Newman on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 12:24am.

I crossed the Longfellow today on the Red Line, looked across the river and wondered, why isn't it red today?

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By Michael on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 8:25am.

If they only set it up to turn on when the weather was going to be nice...that's what, twelve days a year

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By Carty on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 8:58am.

Why on *earth* would it take months? I am certain I am in the wrong profession. Pay me. Pay me for months.

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By anon on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 9:13am.

It's not like switching out a dead light bulb, there's *a lot* of infrastructure that needs to be swapped when retrofitting old systems like this

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By Carty on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 10:09am.

I suspect it's more like "we are doing a bunch of stuff and did not really care if the lights worked" turned PR op.

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By lbb on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 10:54am.

And you have detailed knowledge of their operation and of other similar operations and therefore suspect this because...?

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By Tim Mc. on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 1:24pm.

But it would cost extra money to do a side-by-side with a quick cutover.

By ElizaLeila on Fri, 04/05/2024 - 5:02pm.

Also would need to confirm there is space to run that 2nd set of infrastructure.

By Plen-T-Pak on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 12:38pm.

But there's no real incentive for those paying for it to spend any time or effort on it. This is certainly a low priority side project.

By Bob Leponge on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 2:09pm.
  1. Put together an RFP and solicit bids
  2. Review bids and select a contractor
  3. Get up there and measure everything in great detail
  4. Develop a mechanical plan
  5. Develop a wiring plan
  6. Create engineering drawings for a whole lot of custom brackets, flanges, fittings, etc. to mount the new lights in the old enclosure
  7. Put the machine shop work out to bid
  8. review bids and select a machine shop
  9. Order the lights and controllers
  10. Receive and inspect all the custom parts
  11. Erect staging as needed
  12. Remove the old parts and superseded wiring
  13. Install the new brackets
  14. Deal with stuff that turns out not to be as you expected: corrosion you didn't see earlier; things bent out of alignment, etc.
  15. Install the new lights and controllers
  16. Install new wiring
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By KellyJMF on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 2:17pm.

Currently, the weather beacon is manually switched. In order to automate it and control all the new LEDs individually, you need new IT infrastructure.

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By Sox Fan on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 9:32am.

How else will I know if the Red Sox game has been called off on account of weather?

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By Will LaTulippe on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 10:52am.

When I was down there in January.

By Rob on Thu, 04/04/2024 - 3:35pm.

So, we're stuck with today's weather for the next several months?!

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By Don't Panic on Fri, 04/05/2024 - 1:13pm.

...Without that distinctive weather beacon on the squattiest skyscraper in town? It might as well be the Superman building in Providence without the light.

Generic skyscraper proliferation is a serious problem in America.

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By Will LaTulippe on Fri, 04/05/2024 - 7:02pm.

My favorite building in Boston. Federal Reserve and the BU police barracks across from Agganis round out the top three.