Lighthouse Lens
A Fresnel lens is a compact optical component with a series of concentric grooves on its surface, allowing it to achieve the same optical effect as a traditional lens but with a thinner and lighter design. It’s commonly used in applications like lighthouses, projectors, and solar concentrators due to its ability to focus light efficiently.
The VRB-25 is a lighthouse optical system designed and built by Vega Industries Ltd. in Porirua, New Zealand. It was originally designed in 1993-95 with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard to meet USCG requirements for a robust mechanism
Orders of Lenses
The “Order” of a lens refers to the size and weight of a given lighthouse Fresnel lens. The first order lens is the largest and produces the strongest beam of light.
| Order | Radius (inches) | Height (inches) | Weight (Pounds) | # Built in US |
| First | 36.2 | 101.97 | 12,787 | 467 |
| Second | 27.6 | 81.46 | 3,527 | 261 |
| Third | 19.7 | 62.05 | 1,984 | 384 |
| Third 1/2 | 14.7 | 42.9 | 1,200 | 25 |
| Fourth | 9.8 | 28.43 | 441 – 661 | 889 |
| Fifth | 7.4 | 21.3 | 265 – 441 | 580 |
| Sixth | 5.9 | 17.05 | 65 – 220 | 635 |
| Seventh | 5.7 – 4.1 | 6.5 | 15 | 54 |
| Eighth | 3.1 – 2.9 | 3.25 | 6 | 0 |