Any idea what this is?

[Lenny]

Any idea what this is? There are two of them, 3 blocks apart, on the main street of Spencer, Iowa. They where installed a few weeks ago by the DOT. Are they monitors cars? Their speed? The amount of cars going through there? What?

 

[LadyLocust]

Any idea what this is? There are two of them, 3 blocks apart, on the main street of Spencer, Iowa. They where installed a few weeks ago by the DOT. Are they monitors cars? Their speed? The amount of cars going through there? What?

View attachment 109615

Alexa Change the light so I can cross.


I have no idea.

 

[Magus]

Whatever it is, it uses UHF and I get bad vibes from it.

 

[zoomzoom]

Pretty sure it's a newfangled monitoring system that can watch everything from vehicles to pedestrian crosswalks then decide how best to move everybody around by tripping the traffic lights and such.

 

[Neb]

Any idea what this is? There are two of them, 3 blocks apart, on the main street of Spencer, Iowa. They where installed a few weeks ago by the DOT. Are they monitors cars? Their speed? The amount of cars going through there? What?

View attachment 109615

They look temporary. I would expect road work is coming.

Ben

 

[Supervisor42]

They look temporary. I would expect road work is coming.

Ben

Likely. It may have something to do with the RR crossing and the gates.

 

[Pearl]

Take one of them!! It will be in the police report exactly what it is!!

 

[Weedygarden]

Any idea what this is? There are two of them, 3 blocks apart, on the main street of Spencer, Iowa. They where installed a few weeks ago by the DOT. Are they monitors cars? Their speed? The amount of cars going through there? What?

View attachment 109615

Can you look at it more closely? Did you take this photo from your vehicle? There are many possibilities of what it could be. It could be a monitor for emissions. When I first saw it, before I read what you posted, I wondered if it was a weather monitor, but I do not think that is what it is.

Spencer, Iowa is not far from South Dakota. I went to college with a few people from there, many years ago. Does it have a larger Dutch population?

 

[LadyLocust]

Take one of them!! It will be in the police report exactly what it is!!

There isn't a laughing, loving and what time shall I meet ya there emoji

 

[Lenny]

Whatever it is, it uses UHF and I get bad vibes from it.

UHF? Ultra high frequency? How do you know that? Is that poll an antenna?

 

[Bacpacker]

The antenna is the skinny white stick with the coax hanging off. From the length I would assume it is VHF as opposed to UHF. UHF are typically very short.
Can't see the device itself, but my guess is something to monitor vehicle count and timing.

 

[Lenny]

The antenna is the skinny white stick with the coax hanging off. From the length I would assume it is VHF as opposed to UHF. UHF are typically very short.
Can't see the device itself, but my guess is something to monitor vehicle count and timing.

I think you're right about monitoring vehicles. I drove by it and close up, I can see that the stick/poll is telescopic. It is connected to something else via cable too.

 

[Magus]

I think it is a traffic/people counter.

 

[Lenny]

I think it is a traffic/people counter.

Could be or all of the above.

 

[Magus]

It's the wrong kind of broadcast antenna for emotional influence.

 

[Wingnut]

Looks like a newfangled traffic counter... the old ones had lines across the road. But Supe may be right, it might have something to do with that rail line in the pic... perhaps measuring traffic to see whether a railroad crossing upgrade of some sort is necessary?

 

[Supervisor42]

I think you're right about monitoring vehicles. I drove by it and close up, I can see that the stick/poll is telescopic. It is connected to something else via cable too.

So you live there?
You just gotta get us some better close-up pictures!!!

 

[Lenny]

Can you look at it more closely? Did you take this photo from your vehicle? There are many possibilities of what it could be. It could be a monitor for emissions. When I first saw it, before I read what you posted, I wondered if it was a weather monitor, but I do not think that is what it is.

Spencer, Iowa is not far from South Dakota. I went to college with a few people from there, many years ago. Does it have a larger Dutch population?

I took the picture from the inside of a building. Yeah, it has some Dutch people here. There is a wide variety.

 

[Lenny]

I asked a city person this evening who is the head of the Public Works. He said it was to control a lot of lights downtown in case one or more went out during the summer construction. I think he told me the truth.

 

[Peanut]

Given civil engineering these days... Maybe it's a new study to find out how many idiots try to beat the crossing bars. Tax payer dollars at work!

Might be better to study how long can the crossing bars can be delayed before idiots start dying. You, know... to speed up traffic flow!

 

[Amish Heart]

What's dutch people have to do with it?

 

[MoBookworm1957]

Any idea what this is? There are two of them, 3 blocks apart, on the main street of Spencer, Iowa. They where installed a few weeks ago by the DOT. Are they monitors cars? Their speed? The amount of cars going through there? What?

View attachment 109615

They are counting cars, road traffic

 

[Pearl]

What's dutch people have to do with it?

Just a general "area" question!!

 

[Pearl]

I asked a city person this evening who is the head of the Public Works. He said it was to control a lot of lights downtown in case one or more went out during the summer construction. I think he told me the truth.

I told you how to really find out!!

 

[MoBookworm1957]

I told you how to really find out!!

That might get you jail time.
In my neck of the woods it would get you time.
That little piece of equipment is expensive.
In my neck of the woods.

 

[Pearl]

That might get you jail time.
In my neck of the woods it would get you time.
That little piece of equipment is expensive.
In my neck of the woods.

NO, Lenny would do the time, I'm just the gal behind the idea!!

 

[Magus]

I asked a city person this evening who is the head of the Public Works. He said it was to control a lot of lights downtown in case one or more went out during the summer construction. I think he told me the truth.

As far as he knows it.

 

[Weedygarden]

What's dutch people have to do with it?

Not a darned thing! Just a tune in from the past! I've known many Dutch people over the years and this part of Iowa has quite a few.