Signalman 1 & C - Historic Naval Ships Association

Because the lamp contains gas under pressure,take care when handling it or when cleaning theinterior of the drum. The lamp shell is quartz, notglass. Keep it free of oil or grease, and do not handleit without the protective metal case provided. Greaseor oil may, at lamp operating temperatures, set upstresses in the quartz and cause the lamp to explode.If the lamp should be soiled in any way, wash it offwith alcohol or other grease-free solvent, then dry itcarefully with a clean cloth.Before opening the drum, make sure the power isoff. This can be done by turning the remote switchOff and then removing the power cable plug from thestarter unit.When you remove or replace the lamp, wear theface guard and gloves provided. Place the protectivemetal guard over the lamp; disconnect the lamp leadsfrom the binding post on top of the starter unit; loosenall wing nuts holding the lamp in the lamp adjusterassembly; then remove the lamp.CAUTIONEven when it reaches the end of its usefullife, a mercury-xenon lamp is potentially dangerous.Turn it in to the mercury controlofficer or his/her representative for disposal.When installing a new lamp, do not touch thequartz with your fingers. Keep the protective casearound the lamp until it is in place.Hold the lamp by the protective cover with thelonger of the two leads pointing up, and insert them inthe two vee-slots on the lamp supports. Fasten thelamp in place with the clamps and wing nuts; thenconnect the power leads to the binding post, makingsure they do not touch any other metal parts.For signaling at the greater design ranges, moreaccuracy in the aim is required. To align the sights withthe beam, aim the light at a bulkhead 50 to 100 feetaway. Focus the lamp for the narrow beam. Lookthrough the sights; the beam should be in the center.If the beam is not centered, remove the top coverplate of the lamp adjuster assembly. (See fig. 2-4.) Ifthe beam is high or low, loosen the thumbscrew andturn the vertical adjustment screw to raise or lower thelamp. When you have it adjusted, tighten thethumbscrew. If the beam is off to one side, loosen thefour 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; andretighten the screws.MULTIPURPOSE SIGNAL LIGHTThe multipurpose signal light (fig. 2-5) producesa high-intensity beam of light suitable for use as aspotlight or as a blinker for visual communication. Thepower source is three dry cell batteries or the ship'selectrical power via a 120/20-volt transformermounted in the storage box. The front handle isadjustable to maintain a steady position whensignaling, and front and rear sights are provided forholding the beam on target.Supplied with the light are red, green, and amberlenses, a 15-foot power cord for supplying power fromthe ship's electrical source to the stowage box, and a25-foot cord for supplying power from the storage boxto the light.2-5