MULTIPURPOSE SIGNAL LIGHT

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