Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Posts on night vision
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geo8rge
08-19-09, 11:42 AM
http://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/nightvision.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Ultimate-Night-Vision-Headlamp---500%2b-lumens-with-/
http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/
cyccommute
08-21-09, 12:19 AM
http://www.visualexpert.com/Resources/nightvision.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/Ultimate-Night-Vision-Headlamp---500%2b-lumens-with-/
http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/
The instructables link is okay, although 500 lumens is pretty weak when it comes to high intensity light. A 20 W halogen will give you more than that at nominal voltage and there are several cheap commercially available LED flashlights and dedicated bicycle LED systems that will give you more in a smaller package.
The other two links are great if you want to go look at stars. Not so good in the real world of riding at night where the goal is not just to see where you are going at something more than a crawl but where you might actually want to be seen by large metal vehicles that have the potential of making a memorial grease spot in your honor. Even a relatively weak light is going to play hell with your night vision. Anything over a few lumens is going to blind you outside of the light's circle.
This instructables comes up now and then. If you take the time to read through all the comments most of its failings are pointed out. (over blown lumen values, wrong assumptions about night vision)
I'm not sure if it was there or on a similar build where the comment was along the lines of "by far the best light on the trail, until another light came past me and I couldn't see anything".
geo8rge
08-21-09, 05:58 PM
The interesting part to me is the use of Cyan leds rather than white leds or halogen. I bought a cheapy UV flashlight which was more of a violet. Anyway I was surprised at how good it was as a general purpose flash light.
cyccommute
08-21-09, 07:06 PM
The interesting part to me is the use of Cyan leds rather than white leds or halogen. I bought a cheapy UV flashlight which was more of a violet. Anyway I was surprised at how good it was as a general purpose flash light.
It all depends on what you want to do with it. Closed course with no other source of light at a slow speed? The cyan would probably be okay. Throw another light source in there or make the course rugged and you'll find the limit of shorter wavelength light and the human eye pretty fast.
If you want to use your lights in an urban setting for commuting, cyan or UV will be impossible to see against any kind of light background. UV isn't called 'black light' for nothin':rolleyes:
Stick with white...the more intense the better.