chart table red light....any suggestions?

[Matata]

I have a chart table light on a flexible stalk. Probably something like a 5 watt bulb. Problem is there is no red night facility. Any suggestions. Does anyone know where I could look for small red bulbs or to make an quick easy red filter??? Nik

 

[earlybird]

Sounds a bit similar to mine, which has a rotatable red filter operated by a small knob at the end, ( if you see what I mean! ) to give red or white light.
Have you checked to see if yours has this.

 

[sarabande]

this red light preserving night vision business is a fallacy.

All you need is a very dim white light.

In red light, it is very difficult for the eye to perceive detailed print.


http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/

 

[Malish]

you might want to have a look on the ultraleds site - they have red leds in standard bayonet fitments. Cost a bit more than normal bulbs but the power consumption is minimal

 

[fireball]

I've just used a translucent plastic folder as a filter before ... as long as it doesn't get too hot it is fine! As said above - it's just a dimmer light you need and a filter will achieve that.

 

[VicS]

I agree with Sarbande but it does seem to be a personal thing.

If red light you must have then an LED is one possible solution but the old one was to paint a conventional bulb with red nail varnish!

For just a dim white light it might be possible to find a 24 volt bulb to fit

Personally I prefer a decent white light so that I really can see the chart properly.

The person I crewed for for many years built a pencil tray above the chart table into which he incorporated several small white lights and a couple of red ones all controlled by small switches. It enabled red, subdued white or a decent white light to be selected as preferred.

 

[Searush]

Paint the bulb with nail varnish?

I have an old car map light & changed the white lens for an amber indicator repeater (like on the old Minis had). It works for me. It lets me see well enough for reading charts etc & doesn't affect my night vision.

 

[Robin]

Over the years I have had a re-cycled one from an old (small) port nav light, a small fluorescent with two tubes one covered by a red tube, a rotatable red lens on a stalk light, a normal berth light with the bulb covered in red felt tip pen ink, another with nail varnish and lastly an LED one on a stalk that had had brewer's droop and was too dim to even find the switch by. All you really need is a not too bright light and one of those magnifying map lights for when you need to read the tiny detail. All redundant these days with a chart plotter and the backlight set on dim.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I am going to add my support for the "red light fallacy" camp. There is no evidence to show that red light is better for preserving your night vision and a lot of evidence to show that you can't see the chart very well with red lighting. It's the dimmness of the light that counts - but it's personal preference in the end....

 

[noelex]

I am going to add my support for the "red light fallacy" camp. There is no evidence to show that red light is better for preserving your night vision and a lot of evidence to show that you can't see the chart very well with red lighting. It's the dimmness of the light that counts - but it's personal preference in the end....

this red light preserving night vision business is a fallacy.

All you need is a very dim white light.

In red light, it is very difficult for the eye to perceive detailed print.


http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/

Firstly make sure whatever light you use has a dimmer and use it.
The use of red light to preserve night vision is not a “fallacy or myth”, but is based on the fundamental properties of vision.
The article http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/ is often quoted, but has been written by someone with no knowledge of the physiology of the visual system.
Red light will not give you accurate colour vision and if you need this information to use the charts, or you want a “comfortable” light, a dim white light is better. Your night vision will be more impaired however than if you used a red light.
Full dark adaptation takes 25 mins, so it is an asset that should be guarded carefully on night watch..

 

[Csail]

I have a chart table light on a flexible stalk. Probably something like a 5 watt bulb. Problem is there is no red night facility. Any suggestions. Does anyone know where I could look for small red bulbs or to make an quick easy red filter??? Nik

I have some red filter vinyl used on disco lights if that helps.
Or we sell red led chart lights for £10 (about the size of a 2p piece.)

 

[Paul1962]

Hi,
Speak with Index marine in Poole, they used to market an LED flexible stalked chart light that was switchable between White & Red.

Regards

Paul

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

I have a chart table light on a flexible stalk. Probably something like a 5 watt bulb. Problem is there is no red night facility. Any suggestions. Does anyone know where I could look for small red bulbs or to make an quick easy red filter??? Nik

A whole new light fitting with switchable red/white is only about £15.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Firstly make sure whatever light you use has a dimmer and use it.
The use of red light to preserve night vision is not a “fallacy or myth”, but is based on the fundamental properties of vision.
The article http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/ is often quoted, but has been written by someone with no knowledge of the physiology of the visual system.
Red light will not give you accurate colour vision and if you need this information to use the charts, or you want a “comfortable” light, a dim white light is better. Your night vision will be more impaired however than if you used a red light.
Full dark adaptation takes 25 mins, so it is an asset that should be guarded carefully on night watch..

Actually it was a consultant eye surgeon (who is also a sailor) who told mr that the red light is a myth. It's also my experience- but that is only subjective and influenced by my not liking the loss of readability of Admiralty Charts under read light.

 

[BruceDanforth]

I bought an LED head torch with a red facility for looking at charts and doing other stuff when I wanted to keep my night vision.

 

[capnsensible]

Actually it was a consultant eye surgeon (who is also a sailor) who told mr that the red light is a myth. It's also my experience- but that is only subjective and influenced by my not liking the loss of readability of Admiralty Charts under read light.

Thats odd, because since they were invented, submarine control rooms run in red lighting at night. This is to preserve the vision of the Captain and any other periscope watchkeepers.

The technology of cameras will, no doubt, cause redundancy with that but the fact remains it has been effective for a hundred years.

 

[noelex]

Actually it was a consultant eye surgeon (who is also a sailor) who told mr that the red light is a myth. It's also my experience- but that is only subjective and influenced by my not liking the loss of readability of Admiralty Charts under read light.

I hope he was not a retinal surgeon

 

[Ross D]

You can make a red/white LED light very easily which should be small emough to fit into the existing flexi light bulb housing then simply add an on-off-on toggle switch to swap between them. I have just changed all of my lighting to red/white, using Piranah LEDs from http://www.phenoptix.com, they are very cheap and produce a huge amount of light over a 100 degree angle. They also have 4 legs and are square so they fit neatly together and fit into standard matrix board. 12V is 3 white LEDs in series with 150 ohm resistor, or 4 red LEDs in series with a 150 ohm resistor. My cabin lights are 24 white LEDs which are hugely bright or 8 red LEDs which is perfect for night sailing etc.

 

[CharlesSwallow]

I am going to add my support for the "red light fallacy" camp. There is no evidence to show that red light is better for preserving your night vision and a lot of evidence to show that you can't see the chart very well with red lighting. It's the dimmness of the light that counts - but it's personal preference in the end....

I also go with this.

The well known Aqua Signal chart table light has an ND (Neutral Density) polarising filter which works very well in the Night Vision stakes. In fact, if anything, the light gets progressively bluer as it dims - not to mention very much hotter the longer you leave it on - good ad for LEDs!.

If you want a red night light then go to a theatrical lighting supplier and get a sheet of pure red (106 primary red) cut a disc the right size to fit behind the front rubber lip of your Petzl head torch and away you go. you can also make filters for other lights like, for example, a second one in the heads or a cockpit light. Made mine Y E A R S ago!

They even do a ready made add-on. See below

Chas

 

[alan_d]

The use of red light to preserve night vision is not a “fallacy or myth”, but is based on the fundamental properties of vision.
The article http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/ is often quoted, but has been written by someone with no knowledge of the physiology of the visual system.

The article you dismiss has extensive references but you provide none. Could you point me in an appropriate direction to obtain more information? It would be helpful in particular to know which of the "fundamental properties of vision" you had in mind.