Published June 29, 2021
Some buoys and beacon posts today follow a design like the one below.
The sign board on the post is usually 120 × 120 cm to 180 × 180 cm, mounted on a 60 × 60 × 60 cm cube.
Sunlight only reaches the lantern's position inside the structure early in the morning and late in the afternoon, when the sun is low. For most of the day it can't get in.
This design suits lanterns that don't use solar power. A solar lantern mounted in that position is shaded, doesn't get enough sunlight and can't run on its own.
If the beacon post is designed with the lantern on top, the lantern's solar panel is never shaded and gets enough sunlight to charge the battery, so the lantern works reliably.
If the buoy is designed with the lantern positioned as shown below, the solar panel is rarely shaded and still gets enough sunlight to charge the battery, so the lantern works reliably.
