Strobe lights at FEC?

Sitting in the upper level at the UCLA game last night, we noticed that there are a series of strobe lights just barely below the rafters. The lights flash randomly while the game is played, but not during timeouts. At first, they appeared to flash only when UCLA had the ball, but then we noticed it occurred a few times when Texas had the ball.

Is it some type of scheme to screw up the visiting team?

If anything, it's a real distraction sitting in the upper level.

 

I'm guessing that what you were seeing were actually flashes from the courtside photographer's equipment. They mount these lights up in the rafters and synch them to their cameras. There isn't enough lighting otherwise indoors to get great stop-action photos.
Sports Illustrated and other major national magazines have this equipment, and for a big game where a number of these photographers are in town, there may be several sets of the extra lights above the court.
It is a real disadvantage to try to get a quality shot if you are shooting as a student for the Texan or free-lance, if you don't have this equipment. Your photos will be less sharp, colors not as good, etc.

 

We figured it was something like that. There are at least 6 of these strobes up there. The electronics must be pretty sophisticated to time the shutter with the distance the signal must travel to trigger the strobe.

When you sit in the highest sections (70's, etc), then you are very close to "eye-level" with them and they are pretty intense (and annoying).

If you are prone to seizures triggered by flashes, beware!

 

First time I remember this was at the Big XII Championship
Tournament in Dallas a few years back. I couldn't figure out why they had some damn strobe light randomly flashing out of the ceiling.

It was annoying as hell. I guess it doesn't bother the players, so no harm.

Hook 'em

 

exactly what it is. pretty amazing techonology really. really helps out the photographers, and you can't even really notice it if you're on the court.

 

wow, for years I've wondered what those were. Leave it to Hornfans to find the answer.

 

I didn't notice it during the game, but it was very distracting during the warmups.

aggy suffers from delusions of adequacy