What the heck is this thing?

Factual Questions
1

During my daily commute to and from work, I’ve noticed a peculiar contraption. It is a strobe light of sorts, two lamps side by side, mounted on a tripod on the roof edge of a building located alongside the freeway. It blinks with SOME kind of pattern that might be morse-code, there is definitely a pattern there but since I’m on a busy highway I can’t very well slow down and copy it, and my knowledge of CW is just about useless.

I can’t figure out any purpose for this thing! The building its mounted on belongs to Park*Ohio, a local industrial tool manufacturing company. Its not a regular strobe light, blinking on and off in a regular rhythm. It’s a pattern of long and short flashes. Its always on during my evening commute, but usually not during my morning commute (although it was flashing this morning).

So what the heck is this thing? Any ideas?

2

Is there an airport near by?

3

Closest airports are Burke Lakefront, Cuyahoga County and Lost Nation. All of them are at least 5 miles away. I’m pretty familiar w/ aviation and certain it doesn’t have anything to do with airport and flight ops. It’s not an obstruction hazard light, the building is only 3 or 4 stories high. I may have to take a photo of this thing!

4

And here I was thinking someone had resurected this oldie but goodie:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=258660&highlight=rats

5

Does it have a picture of a bat on it?

6

Does it point at another building across the street, with more offices for that same company in the building?

Then it might be some kind of a transmitter for an internal company network.

But those are usually laser or infrared transmitters, without much visible light at all.

7

Is this. them? If so, maybe you can call them up and ask. I’d do it if I was sure that was the right location, but there are a couple other listings for Park-Ohio in your area. One of the others lists as rubber products manufacturing - probably a different division of the same company.

8

It is possible that they use a warning system when they are using hazzardous materials.

9

My husband says its to scare birds away. Its on in the evening to keep them from roosting on the roof. They’d get used to a regular flash, but the irregular pattern keeps them guessing.
It sounds logical…