Beacon

:This page discusses Beacons, fires designed to attract attention. See also radio beacon. For other uses of the word, see Beacon (disambiguation)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Beacons are fires lit on hills or high places, used either as lighthouses for navigation at sea, or for signalling over land that enemy troops are approaching, and alerting the defence. In the latter form, beacons are an ancient form of optical telegraph and always used in relay leagues.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This system have existed over a large part of the world and in Scandinavia many hill forts were part of networks of beacons to warn about pillaging expeditions from other Scandinavians.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Similarly the Brecon Beacons in Wales take their name from beacons to warn of approaching English raiders.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In England, the most famous example is the beacons used in Elizabethan England to warn of the approaching Spanish Armada. This chain of beacons gave the name to many Beacon Hills.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Beacons have often been abused by pirates. A fire at a wrong position was used to direct a ship against cliffs or beaches, so the cargo could be looted after the ship sank or ran aground.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In modern technical parlance, a beacon can also be a transmitter used for navigation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Beacons are aids to navigation devices. Intentionally conspicuous, beacons help guide navigators to their destinations. Beacon types include radar reflectors, radio beacons, sound signals, and visual beacons. Visual beacons range from small, single-pile structures to large lighthouses or light stations and are located on land or in water. Lighted beacons are called lights; unlighted beacons are called daybeacons.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

See also Emergency position-indicating rescue beacon.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Radio beacon: A Radio beacon is non-directional transmitter that usually transmits a constant signal on a specified radio frequency....

Beacon (disambiguation): A beacon is traditionally a fire lit on a hill to attract attention, for example as a warning.The word is also used now to refer to Radio beacons.An Emergency position-indicating rescue beacon (EPIRB), also called Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) or Personal Locator Beacon, is a small radio trans...

Lighthouse: An aid for navigation and pilotage at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire....

Beacon related Images and Photos (experimental)

Beacon Street Boston Massachusetts

Coast Path to Thornecombe Beacon Eype Mouth Jurassic Coast Near Bridport Dorset England UK

Transformers Power Core Combiners Steelshot with Beacon