GEAR RETRACT PROBLEM. BEACON SHIELDED AND TOO DIM SO ALMOST UNUSABLE.

Narrative

AFTER TKOF ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT GEAR (MANUAL) ON SMA. HOWEVER; COCKPIT EQUIP ON FLOOR PREVENTED FULL RETRACTION. THIS CAUSED CONSIDERABLE COCKPIT CONFUSION. ON A DIFFERENT POINT; THE ARPT BEACON AT RVS ARPT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY UNUSABLE BECAUSE IT IS TOO DIM AS WELL AS BEING SHIELDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS WITH LCL FAA OFFICE FOR MANY YRS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH AN EASY MUCH NEEDED SOLUTION. DUE TO BEACON BEING AT TWR LEVEL IT IS SHIELDED FOR ABOUT 40 DEG AND KEPT DIM SO THAT CTLRS ARE NOT BLINDED. SUGGESTIONS TO PLACE BEACON ON ROOF OF TWR ARE GREETED WITH 'THE ROOF DOESN'T LEAK SO WE DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH IT'. THE ARPT MGR AND ARPT ENGINEER HAVE A SUITABLE SITE SELECTED BUT CANNOT SEEM TO GET ANY ACTION. THE BEACON APPEARS TO BE A SPLIT LIGHT MIL FACILITY FROM CERTAIN APCH AREAS DUE TO INTERRUPTION OF LIGHTING CAUSED BY SHIELD. RPTR CONCERN HEIGHTENED DUE TO ARSA RIGHT NEXT TO FIELD AND PROBABILITY OF VIOLATING THE AIRSPACE WHEN UNABLE TO IDENT RVS. WHEN TWR NOT OPERATING ONLY 1 RWY IS LIGHTED AND RPTR BELIEVES NOT AT HIGH INTENSITY SO VERY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE AT NIGHT. FEELS THIS HAS BEEN A BAD SITUATION FOR MUCH TOO LONG AND SOLUTION SHOULD BE WORKED OUT.