Wanted: Dim, Red, Small, Long Run Time (for Astronomy)

Bolster

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I enjoy astronomy. I'm looking for some quality red LED lights that are preferably adjustable down to pretty dim levels

The best arrangement I've found so far is an omnidirectional LED hanging from the neck, because that's where you generally need the light: to see star charts and fiddle with telescope parts at chest level. (Headlamps are OK but beams tend to bounce off telescope parts and back into the eyes, setting back your dark adaptation that you've patiently waited an hour to develop.)

Insane long run times are a big plus; sessions can span multiple nights. Single AAA battery would be ideal but AA is OK. No white LEDs with filters, I want red LEDs.

My best cobbled light so far is an old-style Gerber Infinity Ultra red LED AA (like the CMG Infinity), with the "screwdriver" rear end and battery rattle...it allows some adjustment of brightness. (The newer Infinity Ultra has a "peak" rear end w/ no battery rattle, but doesn't dim down) Then I've put the Obscene Fenix diffuser on it. Hang it by the lanyard around the neck and it's good...but the diffuser can fall off, and it's sort of a McGyvered light; I'm sure I could do better. Your suggestions appreciated.
 
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paulr

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You want a Rigel Skylite which was made specifically for astronomy. Runs ridiculously long on a 9v batter;, various led color configurations including deep (660nm) red are available; it has a brightness adjustment knob like a radio, and goes ultra dim. Not very waterproof but you aren't going to do astronomy in the rain anyway. There was a CPF special a while back giving a slight discount to CPF'ers. I don't know if that's still going on.
 

Bolster

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The Rigel you mention has some very attractive features, particularly the dial. You're right, I do want one. Thanks!

Also I would be interested in smaller and less plasticy options.
 
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paulr

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For small but plastic: try a Photon Freedom, tiny, cheap, ultra-dimmable, and at least at the dim settings the red led version runs a very long time on a 2032 coin cell.
 

Mr_Dead

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For small but plastic: try a Photon Freedom, tiny, cheap, ultra-dimmable, and at least at the dim settings the red led version runs a very long time on a 2032 coin cell.

+1 for the Photons. Most users don't take the minute or so that it takes to learn the interface, but it's the best I've seen- you can start of dim and go brighter, or start of bright and go dimmer, and they're available in a huge range of colors. Some folks feel that the turquoise and green work better for preserving night vision than red- that red preserves night vision better for a given brightness, but green or green/blue allow better vision at lower light levels. I have both, but haven't compared them side-by-side. I suspect they're right- too bad nautical charts are printed in colors designed to work under red light.

The Photons I've carried on my keychain have always gone obsolete before the batteries died, and I've ended up replacing them for features or brightness. I understand the colored LEDs use much less current than the white.

They're reasonably waterproof, weigh next to nothing, small enough that you could sleep with one around your neck and not notice, and versatile, with infinitely variable brightness, strobe, and SOS.
 

cy

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got an original CMG Infinity RED led 1x AA light in really nice condition.
a few bare specks as received from CMG.

have never done runtimes... but it's a long time..

$35 + $2.50 shipping. add $2 if you want metal box.
 

ViReN

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Proton in existing format is a 1 AA light with dedicated 1 5 mm RED LED. Runtime is exceptional.... and the advantage is, if you need white light... you don't have to carry another light... same light will do :)
 

Bolster

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Interesting writeup on the SkyLite II here, which addresses some of the issues reported re: the SkyLite I.
 

Marduke

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Stick a red LED (ie. from Radio Shack) and a CR2032 in a black fauxton from DX. 10 of them are still 1/3 of the cost of a Photon. Yeah, no variable brightness, but they are cheap enough to hand one out to all of your astronomy cronies as a cool gift. You could use two, one with a very red LED, one with a brighter one. Wear one around your neck, one around your wrist.

+1 for the Rigel for a primary red light.
 

Quickbeam

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"...red preserves night vision better for a given brightness, but green or green/blue allow better vision..."

I have to say that this the most exquisitely simple (and yet accurate) statement of the difference between using red and green light for preserving night adapted vision that I have ever seen. Well said!
 

Bolster

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Oh. I thought green was merely for not showing a bright signature on someone else's night-vision-enhancement hardware.
 
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Mr_Dead

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"
I have to say that this the most exquisitely simple (and yet accurate) statement of the difference between using red and green light for preserving night adapted vision that I have ever seen. Well said!

Thanks for the kind words.

I've been told that I should write so often that I've actually given it some thought. There are some things I'd like to try along those lines.. but writing for a solely machine "readership" has been pretty profitable. ;)
 

Brody

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I have had a Rigel Skylight since 2003, and it is a great light for astronomy! If you want a smaller package, try the Skylight Mini.
White light is not as good for preserving night vision as red. It you are going to be observing the stars, you will want to use the red.
 

Lightmania

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you could try peak:

http://www.peakledsolutions.net/Products/Matterhorn_HA_1LED.html

i don't know if that'd be too bright for your needs.
you could contact them to see if they could make you a low power version.

I just recently purchased this one (one LED red) for this very purpose. They must have changed the LED or something cuz its very bright. Way brighter than the Kilmanjaro red 5 LEDs that I got before, again, for this purpose. Which is weird 'cuz both are the High power version, not the Ultra power version and both had fresh battery. Its still a good dim light but not for chart reading.

I would love to know if someone was successful in getting a low-power red Matterhorn from Peak Led Solutions 'cuz I love the size of the Matterhorn series.

I have the Rigel light, too and for night vision preserving, its still the best one of all the red LED lights I've tried. Still, I have been on a look out for a light with the features and brightness of the Rigel but built similarly to the Matterhorn.
 

Dr.K

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+1 on the skylite, I have used one for years also. By far the most used astronomy tool.

Without it, my telescope and star charts are useless.;-?

BTW, on my last session, the 9-volt in my skylite finally died, my only back up was my aviator in red, much too bright for up close chart reading. I had to hold it way back behind my head to "dim it down" a little.
 

Bolster

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After reading about the different possibilities, I think what I really want is the functionality of the skylite (minus the white...I'd use a different flashie for that) in a AAA form factor like the peak. Wonder if I can cram them together and get what I want...
 

Lightmania

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Lemmie add one more thing about the Peak lights and the Rigel lights is that they both have good red color to them. Many of the red LEDs I tried were more of the orange-red than the true red (around 650mm to 660mm, I believed).
 
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