Red lights
- OzEclipse
- Moderator
- Articles: 2
- Posts: 2422
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 8:11 am
- 4
- Location: Young, NSW, Australia, 34S, 148E
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
TSS Photo of the Day
Red lights
So I have given up. For this years workshops, [ http://joe-cali.com/nightscape/2020-workshops.html ]
I've purchased these led lights [ https://tinyurl.com/vgl7xw3 ] to give out to each participant at a cost of about USD1.00 each.
In very dark conditions with fully dark adapted eyes, they work well. They use a CR2032 3V button battery and because the only have a momentary button, last for ages. My mate Greg and I got one each in May 2018. Both are still working on the original batteries. The battery can easily be replaced.
Below is the $2 red filtered white LED torch that is my other preferred astro light.
I cut a slot down the side of two pieces of PVC plastic tube that is just a little smaller that the diameter of the flashlight.
The red filter is ten disks cut from a red/orange plastic transparent file folder. One layer, is cut with 4 wings, these hold the filter in the tube. The 10 disks of red filter are simply stapled together.
One split tube is pried open and clamps itself over the end of the flashlight. The second split tube is placed with the split oriented 180 degrees from the first and the red filter inserted. If I need a bright white light at any time, I just pull the filter out by one of the wings and put it in my pocket. I also have other lights.
The PVC tubes are a bit more robust but I have another with the shield tube made from a piece of a black cover from a plastic project binder folder held with multiple elastic bands and I used that for about 3 years before recently making the version with the PVC split tubes.
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
- yobbo89
- Moderator
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 2604
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 7:44 pm
- 4
- Location: australia qld brisbane
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Photo of the Day
Re: Red lights
Now we'll have star party and call it the red light district!
This is my 5th year I think , I just purchased my very first red light haha, i never thought I needed one as I do astrophotgraphy until I tried to image and track the space station by eye! Pretty invisible after getting a flash of white led..
.
cameras : asi 1600mm-c/asi1600mm-c,asi120mc,prostar lp guidecam, nikkon d60, sony a7,asi 290 mm
mounts : eq6 pro/eq8/mesu 200 v2
filters : 2'' astronomik lp/badder lrgb h-a,sII,oIII,h-b,Baader Solar Continuum, chroma 3nm ha,sii,oiii,nii,rgb,lowglow,uv/ir,Thousand Oaks Solar Filter,1.25'' #47 violet,pro planet 742 ir,pro planet 807 ir,pro planet 642 bp ir.
extras : skywatcher f4 aplanatic cc, Baader MPCC MKIII Coma Corrector,Orion Field Flattener,zwo 1.25''adc.starlight maxi 2" 9x filter wheel,tele vue 2x barlow .
- OzEclipse
- Moderator
- Articles: 2
- Posts: 2422
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 8:11 am
- 4
- Location: Young, NSW, Australia, 34S, 148E
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
TSS Photo of the Day
Re: Red lights
I have one of these red/white head torches you describe. It's very easy to accidentally flick the switch to white and it will back diffuse into your eyes, the red beam is focussed. Although my little flashlight is focussed, the ten layers of orange plastic give a really nice diffuse light.
During summer, insects are drawn to any lights. the headlamps draws them to buzz around or in your eyes. The PVC baffle tube means that the light is only visible from the direction you point the torch and so it doesn't bring the insects in. When the insects are bad, I use magnetic bright white multi-LED lamps attached to things well away from my car and my scope to set up. The insects are attracted to the lights rather than my scope so I can set up in peace.
Joe
yobbo89 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:49 pm Good cheap mod with the pvc pipe!.that way you can still use your white light and just slip on your filter when needed.
Now we'll have star party and call it the red light district!
This is my 5th year I think , I just purchased my very first red light haha, i never thought I needed one as I do astrophotgraphy until I tried to image and track the space station by eye! Pretty invisible after getting a flash of white led..
.
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
- pakarinen
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 4037
- Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:33 pm
- 4
- Location: NE Illinois
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
Re: Red lights
Man... That's some icky-tasting stuff!
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
- helicon Online
- Co-Administrator
- Articles: 596
- Posts: 12404
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2019 1:35 pm
- 5
- Location: Washington
- Status:
Online
-
TSS Awards Badges
Re: Red lights
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
- Graeme1858 Online
- Co-Administrator
- Articles: 1
- Posts: 7515
- Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 7:16 pm
- 4
- Location: North Kent, UK
- Status:
Online
-
TSS Awards Badges
TSS Photo of the Day
I Broke The Forum.
Re: Red lights
Regards
Graeme
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.
https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
- yobbo89
- Moderator
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 2604
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 7:44 pm
- 4
- Location: australia qld brisbane
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Photo of the Day
Re: Red lights
i believe it did green/red and white light.
cameras : asi 1600mm-c/asi1600mm-c,asi120mc,prostar lp guidecam, nikkon d60, sony a7,asi 290 mm
mounts : eq6 pro/eq8/mesu 200 v2
filters : 2'' astronomik lp/badder lrgb h-a,sII,oIII,h-b,Baader Solar Continuum, chroma 3nm ha,sii,oiii,nii,rgb,lowglow,uv/ir,Thousand Oaks Solar Filter,1.25'' #47 violet,pro planet 742 ir,pro planet 807 ir,pro planet 642 bp ir.
extras : skywatcher f4 aplanatic cc, Baader MPCC MKIII Coma Corrector,Orion Field Flattener,zwo 1.25''adc.starlight maxi 2" 9x filter wheel,tele vue 2x barlow .
- OzEclipse
- Moderator
- Articles: 2
- Posts: 2422
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 8:11 am
- 4
- Location: Young, NSW, Australia, 34S, 148E
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
TSS Photo of the Day
Re: Red lights
At a very dark site, even red lights are often too bright.
The big advantage of having the PVC baffle or snoot tube is that the light only goes where you want it.
Using 10 layers of red-orange plastic not only dims but also diffuses the light to a nice soft patch.
Cheers
Joe
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site : http://joe-cali.com/
Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80.
Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's.
Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12
Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec.
Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari
Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
- pakarinen
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 4037
- Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:33 pm
- 4
- Location: NE Illinois
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
Re: Red lights
A buddy bought me a Gander Mountain LED headlamp a couple years ago - solid red, flashing SOS red, and white. It's handy, especially since you can angle the beam down, but the solid red is very bright. I use it for camping and home repair, but If I used it for astro, I'd slap some red nail polish on it or add a layer of tail light tape.
Since it has an elastic headband, I sometimes slip it down around my neck - more comfortable but less aiming control.
Man... That's some icky-tasting stuff!
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
- helicon Online
- Co-Administrator
- Articles: 596
- Posts: 12404
- Joined: Mon May 06, 2019 1:35 pm
- 5
- Location: Washington
- Status:
Online
-
TSS Awards Badges
Re: Red lights
Yeah I would paint it or cover with two layers of red cellophane.pakarinen wrote: ↑Tue Jan 28, 2020 2:00 pm
A buddy bought me a Gander Mountain LED headlamp a couple years ago - solid red, flashing SOS red, and white. It's handy, especially since you can angle the beam down, but the solid red is very bright. I use it for camping and home repair, but If I used it for astro, I'd slap some red nail polish on it or add a layer of tail light tape.
Since it has an elastic headband, I sometimes slip it down around my neck - more comfortable but less aiming control.
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
- pakarinen
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 4037
- Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:33 pm
- 4
- Location: NE Illinois
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
Re: Red lights
I've read that some ppl use music stand lights - don't recall if they paint them red or just attenuate the output somehow.
Man... That's some icky-tasting stuff!
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
- MistrBadgr
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 748
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 9:27 pm
- 4
- Location: Broken Arrow, Okla, USA
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
Re: Red lights
Note: My theory for using the kite string is that if I catch the light on something, the string will break before hurting my neck.
I like your little light with the temporary button. I will have to see if I can find one. For the price, it would be handy to have several around.
Many small scopes, plus a Lightbridge 12, LX 70-8R,6R,6M
Many eyepieces, just not really expensive ones.
- John Fitzgerald
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 211
- Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:04 am
- 4
- Location: Arkansas
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
Re: Red lights
http://zebralight.com/H502pr-Photo-Red- ... p_175.html
No good deed goes unpunished.
- Ylem
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 7594
- Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 2:54 am
- 4
- Location: Ocean County, New Jersey
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Photo of the Day
Re: Red lights
I have an old red railroad kerosene lantern. I fill it with citronella oil to keep the bugs awayGraeme1858 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2020 5:33 pm I've got an old railwayman's torch with a removable red filter. Good for astronomy and good for stopping trains in the dark in an emergency!!!
Regards
Graeme
-Jeff
Member; ASTRA-NJ
Orion 80ED
Celestron C5, 6SE, Celestar 8
Vixen Porta Mount ll
Coronado PST
A big box of Plossls
Little box of filters
Create an account or sign in to join the discussion
You need to be a member in order to post a reply
Create an account
Not a member? register to join our community
Members can start their own topics & subscribe to topics
It’s free and only takes a minute