I need a "dim" light for nighttime. Ideas?

[LouRoy]

As a secondary result to a few of the posts in this thread i now have on order a CR2 Ion (Blue). :lolsign:

You'll like the blue CR2 Ion. I have one--very nice color body and great flood.

 

[hank]

I've read more lately about how blue is the most effective light for resetting our circadian clock (that means blue light is what keeps us awake -- it takes several hours after the last blue light exposure before the body starts making melatonin and we start to feel sleepy).

This has links to copies of some of the research:
https://www.lowbluelights.com/sleep_research.asp#

The last couple of weeks, I switched the household lighting after 8pm over to yellow lights, and put an amber bulb in the refrigerator -- and our late night insomnia's gone. Amazing.

I'd been using red light; yellow apparently works well enough, as long as the light is missing the 440-510 or so nanometer range of blue that the eye's melatonin receptor responds to.

I'm using yellow filters now on my LED lights at night and will be trying to swap in some yellow LEDs, to get away from those with so much blue light in them -- saving the blue lights for when I do want to be awake for three or four more hours!

This will vary greatly with age (eye lens color changes) and kind and timing of light, look into the science if you're curious. It's not a simple yes-no thing you can prove for yourself, er, overnight. But it's interesting.

 

[jeffb]

Cr2 Ion is a great choice on low for night use. I also use a HDS U60GT with an "AW" lens and F04 beamshpaper (F04 also works with Aleph2 and McLuxPD for more floody beams and nice lows.) The HDS with both a floody lens and beamshaper make for ALL flood and very low light, that I prefer.

Also, use the CR2 Ion for reading on low, as I prefer the beam over a"hotspot"!


I recently acquired a TnC SF series CR2 and with an Aleph 2 stage switch, the low is very nice and white (1W light).

Let us know your impressions of the "blue" Ion!!

jeffb

 

[nerdgineer]

Uh..get something with a small head (like the Nuwai TM-310H for $8.67 from LED_Experimenter) and put your finger over the head when you turn it on at night. Then use your finger to adjust actual light output. Works for me...

 

[ernsanada]

What about the VB-16 HA III. http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=130315

Variable brightness.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

The last few months I've been using a Photon Freedom in NV Green with Covert nose running on one cr2032 (3V) instead of the stock two cr2016 cells. This is "Some dim, ya." I've also added the smallest O-ring inside the covert nose which not only cuts down on the diameter of the beam but also blocks much light reflected from the inside wall of the covert nose.

I also altered some stock PF NV Green lights with longer, tapered "Sub-covert noses" of my own design -- but a tiny O-ring slipped inside a stock PF Covert nose actually works a little bit better (dimmer, tighter) with much less work.

With the tightened PF beam and the stock, hidiously dimmable UI of the PF it would be pretty hard to find a dimmer light and it wouldn't even be usable by me -- and I've always got the dim light 'wants' bad.

These tricked up PFs are very handy for Mrs Umbra and I and they are way, way dimmer than the old CMG Infinities (not Ultras), the lowest possible setting on a Rigel MIL-Starlight Mini or level 20 on a HDS EDC 60. We both use them every night.

 

[xiaowenzu]

Almost all the the lights mentioned above are WAYYYYY too bright and big for your needs. Get the Photon Freedom Microlight - it runs forever on low mode, and is the smallest light out there, (see my avatar? that's about the size it is) good price (made in USA) and waterproof. It also has EXCELLENT spill, which is what you want.

Go Freedom Microlight!! You won't be dissapointed.