Light--how much is plenty?

[sotto]

Over Christmas, I visited friends on Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. They live way up in the Wainiha River valley, far away from any "city lights". It gets very dark there, and the stargazing is great. I had along my Pelican M6, and didn't use it once. I was quite amazed in that environment how my little ARC AAA easily answered my need for light for over a 2 week span. It was surprising how I could even see the beam from the AAA shooting off into the blackness.

 

[The_LED_Museum]

I guess it all depends on the ambient lighting conditions as to how much light you need from a flashlight to get a particular job done.
In some circumstances, a Pelican M6 would be appropriate, while in other circumstances, an Arc-AAA would be appropriate.

 

[ZENGHOST]

It really depends on what your use is. I find that when it's pitch black and all I need is light to get around with then any light will get the job done. But if I need to see something off in the distance or if the area I'm in already has some light, then something like an Arc AAA will not be enough.

edited to add: Damn, I type too slow...

 

[cheesehead]

Sure, in pitch black darkness a little light is very useful, but how much more fun would a Vector 3 million cp be? I think a lot!

cheese

 

[sotto]

I agree that circumstances may dictate something more, but if it isn't available for some reason (and flashaholism aside), a "good little light" in your pocket can be more than adequate.

 

[BlindedByTheLite]

indeed.
when there isn't any light pollution, an Arc AAA is way way handier then normal..

even a little bit of light pollution can make it necessary to use a much brighter light tho.. like a one watt luxeon..

and with moderate light pollution, most LED's start to lose their edge for anything beyond medium range and incans begin to dominate..

@ least from my experience.

 

[cheesehead]

May I dare say, even a mini-mag would be useful in this particular set of circumstances /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

 

[evanlocc]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gifNothing is wrong or right under the correct time and place.

Your Pelican M6 and ARC AAA is the perfect pair. But the CR123A Lithium batteries may be an issue for long run.
Don touch your M6 head when 'ON' for 5 minutes or about that, unless your finger are freeze. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/santa.gif

 

[gwbaltzell]

This is an issue I have been trying to figure out how to explain on my night vision page. I think its hard for people to realize unless they have seen it for themselves. I have so much light pollution around here that even inside in the basement it was hard to experiment in "total" darkness. Its also hard for some people to admit that sometimes less light is better.

 

[Canuke]

It isn't that less light is better, it's that more contrast is better. With more ambient light, flashlights need correspondingly more power to have any discernible effect in terms of making an area brighter than it already is.

I was at a star party one night, and had my Inova X5 and Eternalight Rave'n with me, and both were massive overkill once the night vision was active. The X5 lit up an entire house. I still wonder what my L4 would have looked like /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[illumiGeek]

I use a UKE LC100 HID light for night diving and it's great in the water. But after the dive, using it to light up the path back to the car, I find it's way too bright. Even shining it on dark earth or asphalt is blinding. My 1W Lux modified PT40 or Xenon lamped Aqua Flare is a much better (and less painful) choice. Heck, even my 5mm LED modded marker lights offer enough light on a really dark night.

I also go to Star Parties regularly, and it's amazing how little light you need once your eyes have been really dark adapted. My little keychain red LED light is frighteningly bright after a night under the stars. Oh, and when I get in the car and turn the key and the dashboard lights turn on, OW! MY RETINAS!! Instant headache!

 

[Charles Bradshaw]

Gwbaltzell makes an excellent point. I like using the minimum light needed.

 

[sotto]

Our eyes are wonderfully adaptive, sensitive little devices aren't they. Well worth preserving and protecting with a little periodic preventive checking and maintenance, right? I wonder what that should be exactly? My work insurance covers an annual visit to an opthalmologist, thankfully.

 

[IsaacHayes]

I always drive with my dash lights 2 clicks above the dimmest setting. Makes the cabin look darker too and more enclosed... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[gwbaltzell]

[ QUOTE ]
IsaacHayes said:
I always drive with my dash lights 2 clicks above the dimmest setting. Makes the cabin look darker too and more enclosed... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
While I use a similar level away from the city, it doesn't work in town. I can only dim them slightly. But I do wonder how many drivers even know they can and should adjust their dash lights?

 

[Jerimoth]

gwb- I read your article with great interest. This whole area of light pollution, relative light levels, light trespass, etc., is interesting.

I have an HID headlight (Lupine) but try not to use it when I am hiking with the other patrol ranger who is using an LED flashlight, since for simply walking down the trail the LED light is fine.

On a related matter, has anybody ever heard of this phenomena of walking (this may sound heretical) without lights whatsoever? Years ago I was hiking in nearly pitch black, running down a trail in the Sierras without a headlight and found that it if I didn't think about it too much I could pretty much run without actually seeing obstacles, trees, etc. Maybe there was just enough starlight to see things but it was really weird. Then about ten years later I heard of a group of people who hike in the dark on purpose, claiming to use some kind of sixth sense. I know this is weird, and I'm a big fan of candlepower, but I was wondering if anybody has heard of this. I'll tell you that time in the Sierras it really worked- no light- pitch black- but never tripped or fell off a cliff. Weird but true.

 

[sotto]

Jerimoth:

I've heard it said that blind people can often sense the presence of objects: walls, light poles, etc etc. I'm in the hearing business, and there are many parallels between vision and hearing. It is certainly possible to sense the presence of nearby objects with your eyes closed because of auditory effects (sound reflections from walls for example). Of course, even olfactory or temperature cues can tell us about the presence of nearby objects, but my preferred feedback is obtained optically using my favorite addiction. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[gadget_lover]

I'm with the 'just enough' crowd.

A single 5mm white LED will provide enough light to walk in a completely dark area. It's great for looking at things close up.

An underdriven 1w luxeon is quite good for seeing things clearly across a yard or large room.

The presence of a hotspot makes a dim light more useful just as spill makes a bright light more useful.

A nice bright high lux light with a tight beam is just right for checking out the car alarm going off at midnight. You don't always want to be up close and personal. It's nice to be able to illuminate your yard and the neighbors without having to get close to anywhere that a bad guy may be lurking. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Plenty is not only in the eye of the beholder, it's in his situation too.

Daniel