SECTION 3 INSPECTION
A. Power & Monitor. Secure power to the rotation mechanism (if equipped) and
lamp. Turn off the Aid Control Monitor System (ACMS, if equipped) to
prevent inadvertent keying of the radio link.
B. Documentation. Carefully identify any previous damage that has occurred to
the lens and document it according to the panel number located on the metal
frame. This will prove invaluable if replacement prisms are needed and
documents damage due to deterioration and vandalism. Ensure all cracks,
chips, and missing prisms are entered into the record. Label the glass prisms
from the center (number one) and the remaining prisms in sequence,
identifying them as either upper or lower prisms. Corner prisms on flash
panels are further identified as left or right. Perform photo documentation of
existing conditions, if possible. Make copies of the appropriate sketch in
attachment (1) for each lens section or photograph each section and note any
damage. Example of lens damage is shown in Figure 3-1.
Figure 3-1. Chipped Glass Prisms
C. Procedure.
1. Inspect the litharge, the original white lead-based compound that secures
the prisms in place, to see if it is deteriorated. Evidence of deterioration is
loose or flaking litharge, loose lens prisms, and areas lacking litharge
where the wood wedges are clearly the only visible support of the lens
prism. (In Figure 3-1, the wedges are visible, but the litharge is intact.)
3-1
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