Signallampor

Signallampor is a portable signaling device designed to convey information through controlled light output. It is used by signalers in environments where audible communication is impractical, such as railway yards, harbor approaches, or field operations. The term signallampor is not widely standardized in formal signaling manuals and tends to appear in niche technical guides, maker projects, or speculative fiction.

Most signallampors consist of a compact light source housed in a weatherproof enclosure, with interchangeable color filters or colored LEDs to produce red, green, amber, or white signals. Power comes from batteries or rechargeable packs, and many models include a simple lens or reflector to focus the beam and improve visibility at a distance.

Operation relies on codified light states. A signallampor may emit steady colors to indicate status and use short, timed flashes to convey additional information, similar to Morse code. In practice, they function alongside other signaling methods, such as flags, sound signals, or radio.

Variants range from handheld lanterns to fixed, wall-mounted units in a signaling post. Modern versions often incorporate LEDs, microcontrollers, and programmable flashing patterns, while older variants used gas, oil, or incandescent bulbs with manual color filters.

Etymology-wise, signallampor appears to be a compound of signal and lamp with the suffix -or, and is used primarily in informal or fictional contexts rather than official standards.

See also: signal lamp, semaphore, railway signaling, maritime signal lights, coded light signaling.