Vela Unveils Tower Light Monitoring System

Vela recently launched its TMA-1 tower light monitoring system, designed to automatically alert cable operators of any tower light outages or errors. The TMA-1 works in conjunction with the controller of Vela's emergency alert systems to provide an integrated system for compliance with FAA tower light and FCC EAS regulations.

The unit, composed of a transmitter and receiver, provides consistent monitoring of the electrical current from the incandescent bulbs used in typical light configurations on antenna towers. The TMA-1 receiver links the current readings to a Vela NDU (network data unit), which acts as the control center and alerts cable providers of beacon light, sidelight or day and night switch errors. The NDU is a network-based controller that enables a number of operations to be integrated into a one system. Besides its primary function, the NDU can also monitor a number of external devices, including screening of headend access, over-temperature conditions and signal loss.

System operators can designate a variety of alarm responses, from logging the error if it's a minor fault to emailing and paging maintenance personnel, as well as displaying a page or graphic on a specified channel when a major fault occurs.