So there is this think that I’ve seen on the side of the road that I’ve never seen anywhere else and can’t identify. I will post a picture as soon as I find my usb cable but I figured someone could possibly ID it form description alone. Anyway here’s what it looks like. Just before the traffic light (Harlem and St Francis Rd. in the Tinley/Frankfort areas) there is a metal box about 1x1x1.5ft about 3-4ft off the ground attached to a utility pole. What makes this unique is the 1" thick spinning disk on top. Anyone know what this is??
With out pictures, I’d have to say a gyroscopic stablizer to keep it stable during high winds. I might have a different explaination after a picture. Maybe it’s a meter for the power company.
I don’t think its a meter for the electric company. I was in a rush to get out the door so my explanation was a bit lacking. The spinning disk is horizontal to the top of the box and is external as well. It’s probabl about 8-10" in diameter and spins rather quickly. It’s not spinning in the wind as it just looks like a piece of 3/4" plywood spinning on a rod exposed through the top of the box. I’m still working on getting the picture on this computer but hopefully that helps.
remote weather station? The bridge on I94 over the Wisconsin river has a wind station, because it’s a place with bad winds in winter.
Dah. “Not spinning in the wind.”
It could be tracking vehicles. Maybe it’s one of thoose light controlers that emergency vehicles send an override signal to , to give themselves a green light.
Sooo…how them pictures coming along? I’m dying to see this thing.
Sorry about that. Had to head home and upload the picture.
There’s the metal box on the right, supported by what looks like PVC. On top of that is a small metal box with and then the dark gray strip is the side of the spinning disk. Have at it!
Is that plot of corn owned by Illinois state university?
Did you see what the label on the box had to say. I normaly says who owns it.
The thing around back is the electrical meter, looks like. [Duh]Looks like the thing itself is electrical-powered.[/duh] My semi-ignorant guess: controls for some kind of irrigation system. The disk on top could be some kind of rain sensor - not one I’ve ever seen, but there’s much I haven’t seen (thank Bog).
2 Giant WAGs.
WAG the first: It is some type of air pollution meter intended to monitor emission levels of the passing cars, either as part of an EPA project to determine if air quality standards are being met, or an experiment to see what effect pollution levels have on the crops. The purpose of the spinning disk is to be able to tell if the device (air pump) is functioning without having to get out of the car and open the box.
Wag #2: It is an irrigation controller. The pvc pipes aren’t supporting it, they are conduits for underground wiring to solenoid valves or moisture sensors.
(On preview, what Civil Guy said). The purpose of the disk is the same as in WAG 1.
Of these two, I give WAG1 the higher probability, though I don’t have a lot of confidence in either.
Yup, so it’s likely not power company equipment. If it’s getting power from the pole, those two pipes coming down serve some other purpose. I doubt that they’re dual gas lines, so maybe connections to a sensor array. or even an irrigation system for the field. Many center pivots are electrically driven. That still leaves the rotating disk mystery though.
Perhaps it’s a weather station, where the spinning disk is an anemometer?
Nope. See posts #3 and #5.
All the irrigation pivots I’ve seen have had their electrical controls at the central pillar. Wouldn’t make much sense to do it any other way, I don’t think.
The disk is likely a visual indication that can be seen by a inspector/watchman from the road that the device is actually energized.
Surely then it would face the road rather than be on top, and have some pattern on it so movement would be easier to see?
Looks like the disk has a white stripe on it…
How fast does it turn?
Could be a pump for pressuring up a connection of some kind that they need a constant pressure on?
Could be some kind of cathodic protection for a pipeline. ( some of those are really strange rigs)
That small box low on the pole looks to be part of the whole setup and it looks like a sensor or switch of some sort.
Can you go back and see if anything is written on it?
No clue here as to what the disk would be, just an observation that can be seen if you enlarge the photo.
The meter is getting it’s power by cables coming down the left side of the pole.
The meter is connected to a Square D breaker box.
This would demarc the power company/owner-of-meter. The Squre D breaker box appears to connect to the big box with the disk.
BTW…the big box with the spinning disk has a Master lock on it.
I got nothing else.
Unfortunately it’s right near the intersection and there isn’t much room to pull over and investigate.
This thing just sits there and spins, which seems unusual to me. Usually the visual would be an LED I would think, nothing that could be toyed with as easily as this thing. It’s driving me nuts. I was hoping someone from the Tinley Park Illinois area had seen this before.
I also zoomed in on the picture as best I could but unfortunately even at 8MP I couldn’t make out a company logo or text.