Seeking a rather dim red LED light

While there are those who are looking for the brightest, I'm looking for a dim (enough to read, nothing more) red led light for maintaining night vision while observing the heavens through a telescope.

Something small (Sonic size) preferred.

Dave,
Arc makes a AAA with a red LED, it is probably not as dim as you wish though. Dimming a light down is pretty simple to do though, just pour epoxy into the head until it dims it down enough. I would do it in layers as the light absorbing quality of epoxy changes as it dries. Get epoxy that dries to a white color, not the clear stuff.
You can change out the LED on a Madmax to a red from stock white, turn down the adjustment to minimum and see if that will work. My plan for red is change the stock LED out of a Dorcy single AAA light ($6) change it to a red Luxeon just for entertainment. That will make the light brighter which is good for me but not to good for you.
The other option is a CMG Infinity AA light, I hear the red light is rather dim and the battery will run for a looooong time. Good luck!

I'll answer with an easy mod. Most Targets sell Eddie Bauer branded LED lights, which are rebranded LedLenser lights. Previous thread about Eddie Bauer lights here.

The medium-sized key chain model (looks about the same size and shape as a typical keychain laser pointer, using 3 button cell batteries) has a unique feature - a user removable LED. Just get a 5mm bright red LED and cut the leads to the same length as the white LED you pull out of the light. If it doesn't work, polarity is likely reversed, just remove and reinstall turned 180 degrees. Very easy and not too expensive. A needle-nose pliers with some padding will help pull out the original LED, it's tough to do with bare fingers.

I have tried this out myself, and it does result in a dim red pocket light. It was a little too dim for my taste though so I put the white LED back in.

i think palights are also available with a red led.

if you could get a pal selector with a red led, you would have the choice of dim to bright.

the other choice of a regular infinity red.

if you look on Craig's site, there is a light with red led's just for astronomy. i dont recall the name, but it has a built-in dimmer!

Bob

Re: Seeking a rather dim red LED light *DELETED*

Post deleted by snuffy

You can get a Rigel Systems "Skylight" for adjustable brightness white and red light. I borrowed one over the summer for a few days, and have it right here if you're interested.

It isn't small (Sonic-sized) though.

I would also suggest the Pal in red. The one with 5 or 7 levels. I have used the white one many times star watching. It is bright enough to find things, but not to bright to mess with night vision.

My first thought was the Palight also, the standard Infinity would be more robust (but smaller) but not adjustable.
I like the idea of the epoxy for a permanent adjustment.

The Rigel Systems StarLite (red only) and the IMHO more versatile SkyLite (selectable red or white) are purpose built for astronomy with continuously adjustable brightness levels - but it is bigger than the Sonic.


However one that doesn't seemed to have been mentioned is the Photon 3 red - which is small, and has 3 intensity levels - also boasts 120 hours advertized battery life on a single 2032 coin cell.

There is also a "Covert" version (with a hood for the LED)which will help cut down on extraneous light spillage.

if you want it really dim and stylish with expensive and hard to find batteries:
LedLenser V2 Nano Lenser
LedLenser Micro Lenser
those are functionally identical.
look here
bernhard

If you take any 3v light with a bi-pin bulb and swap the bulb for a red LED, you'll get the desired effect. I did it to a 2 AAA Garrity penlight.

Or check out this: LedTronics KeyLED™ Key Chain Light

Pelican also makes a similar light. If you don't like button cells, there is CMG Infinity. If you want super small, then get a coin cell squeeze light.

I'd second the red infinity. Sand the LED with some fine grit to smooth the beam out, and use a rechargable. The lower voltage will dim it down some more.

The infinities use AA bateries if you didn't know. One battery should last you a long time.

No need to be so elaborate

Take any one-bulb red LED light. Apply masking tape over the LED. Dims it up nicely.

I too am an amateur astro person, and it's a good fix.


RossB

Re: No need to be so elaborate

I like the Rigel as well...
When you first set up, your night vision is not at its best, but as the nights wears on, you will find yourself dimming it down further. The only use for the white light I can see is to blind someone who is hogging the eyepiece.

David <><

Re: No need to be so elaborate

[ QUOTE ]
RevDavid said:
The only use for the white light I can see is to blind someone who is hogging the eyepiece.

David <><

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't forget those clods who won't disable their car/van/truck interior lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon8.gif

Re: No need to be so elaborate

[ QUOTE ]
snuffy said:



Don't forget those clods who won't disable their car/van/truck interior lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon8.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


ROFL
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hahaha.gif I stand corrected... I forgot about them.

David <><

Thanks

Thanks for all the suggestions. At the moment the red Infinity is looking like a good choice.

I had an Infinity Ultra (daughter took it to college) and read the non-ultra was somewhat dimmer in general with longer battery life. AAs are a big plus too.

Live long and prosper.

Re: Thanks

DLG,
Yup, the regular red Infinity is great for astronomy. Its runtime is so long and its dim light so unobtrusive that I often just leave it on (hanging around my neck, pointing at the ground) when I'm not actually using it. When I need it, just grab it and it's ready!

simply mod any 2AA flashlight with a single red LED, all you will need is a series resistor.

Use a good quality super bright LED e.g. agilent, kingsbright etc, the brightest available for any given current e.g. 20 mA, you can then make this dimmer if required by changing the resistor.

To get a diffused light instead of a spot as this will be much kinder on your night vision, file the rounded part of the LED flat with a nail emery board.

If size is an issue you could make one to clip onto a PP3 battery. Rip up an old dead PP3 and salvage the battery terminals. Cut a piece of stripboard this size and solder onto it 4 red LED's in series with a 68 ohm resistor. Connect the tails from this board onto the salvaged battery terminal, and fix in place with some epoxy resin.

Otherwise you should be able to pick up a real cheap 2AA torch for about $1 and at this cost you will not care too much if it gets lost when out stargazing at night.

Alternatively if you wish for something more robust you could get adventurous and mod a minim*g.

hope this is of some help to you.