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PetiteFleur
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Reged: 29/02/2008
Posts: 193
Loc: Suffolk
What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless!
      #1914847 - 02/07/2008 15:32

Fitted a red LED light over the chart table in the spring but when used a couple of weeks ago found it was more than useless as I couldn't see the majenta lines or marks at all. As we were crossing the new Sunk precautionary areas at night it was bit disconcerting but ok after I'd switched on the original white fluorescent lamp which I had left in position. What is the forums opinion on the best lamp to use? I was using the Imray C30 chart at he time.

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npf1
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Reged: 09/10/2004
Posts: 1111
Loc: SE
Re: What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless! [Re: PetiteFleur]
      #1914884 - 02/07/2008 15:53

I've got both red and white at the nav station - like you, I end up using the white when I need to take a close look at the chart. But I do leave the red on at all other times.

Have often wondered what green would be like, which, I was once told by an RN man, is what some Navy vessels now use.


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Login_name
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Reged: 07/05/2008
Posts: 555
Re: What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless! [Re: PetiteFleur]
      #1914885 - 02/07/2008 15:53

I've got a white LED over mine. Seems OK.
I was under the impression that, these days, the idea that it must be red was a load of tosh and that the intensity is what matters.

Someone will be along shortly to give a definitive answer.


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michael_w
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Reged: 08/10/2005
Posts: 2218
Loc: South London
Re: What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless! [Re: PetiteFleur]
      #1914889 - 02/07/2008 15:58

I think the Aqua Signal (scroll down a bit, they're called Toronto) chart table lights are the dog's whotsits. They dim by using a nifty polarising filter rather than a red shade. Not cheap.

Worst things are those bendy car ones. Complete rubbish as the area of illumination is usually far too small. You have to keep on adjusting the poxy things.

--------------------
"Procrastinate now! Don't put it off"


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davies
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Reged: 10/01/2007
Posts: 228
Loc: Work in London, live in Portsm...
Re: What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless! [Re: michael_w]
      #1914921 - 02/07/2008 16:44

The red helps me find the chart table in the first place, but I use white for reading the chart.

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Conachair
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Reged: 24/01/2004
Posts: 466
Loc: Canaries
Re: What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless! [Re: Login_name]
      #1914923 - 02/07/2008 16:51

Found this http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/
I nearly always use a LED headtorch with a red filter now at night, for cooking, chartwork etc. Though from that artical the fliter may just help by cutting down the total amount of light.


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sarabande
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Reged: 06/05/2005
Posts: 5374
Loc: Thames valley, or up on the mo...
Re: What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless! [Re: PetiteFleur]
      #1914926 - 02/07/2008 16:54

as posted once or twice previously.

http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/

To ensure that you get full colour discrimination on a paper chart, a dimmable WHITE light is the only answer. Reds around the cabin are fine to enable crew to locate themselves and their socks.

--------------------
Enlightenment is motor-sailing


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jeanne
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Reged: 02/04/2002
Posts: 429
Loc: Sanlucar de Guadiana, Espana
Re: What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless! [Re: PetiteFleur]
      #1915047 - 02/07/2008 19:29

I have read that there is no magic ´níght vision protection´in the colour red, it is simply that a red bulb will be dimmer than a white one of the same wattage. Fit a lower wattage white one and you have the same illumination power, without the problem of seeing the magenta lines.

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pampas
regular


Reged: 17/07/2003
Posts: 603
Loc: Falmouth
Re: What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless! [Re: PetiteFleur]
      #1915075 - 02/07/2008 20:15

Managed to get hold of some orange lights,the type for low voltage that are used in alarms for secruity about 2.5" dia base the lense has a frezel effect, one above dist.panel two in center of cabin and one in the elastic band space. 5 Watt feston bulbs instead or the original 10 Watt. Found to be excellent for reading charts and nice and soothing when in the scratcher. Incidently Blue light not very bright is the best colour for night use,most ships use a orange shade, one ship I was on, an experiment was carried out with different colours and shades,the mates agreed that the tinted blue was the most pleaseing but nothing more was heard. I think red was used,probably because red glass was easily produced and all Naval gun decks were red in order to reduce the visual impact of blood to the occupants.

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DogWatch
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Reged: 10/09/2004
Posts: 9238
Re: What's the best light for a chart table? Red LED's are useless! [Re: PetiteFleur]
      #1915184 - 02/07/2008 22:54

I use one more like this



But mine has a bulkhead fitting rather than plugging into the 12v socket. I find it gives a very nice spread of light and as I only turn it on when required it does not need to be LED. I think I have 5W festoons. I bought 2 for some reason, I still have the second unopened.

The nice thing is the flexibility, I can twist it away so that it is not in my eyes and as it is such a low wattage bulb does not kill my vision.

I think I originally bought from cpc but have spent 30 minutes searching and this is the best match I have found, if they are discontinued I am glad I bought 2!

I know you mentioned map lights, but this is not the same, the lamp is not coned and so is more alike a car interior light above the seats, if you see what I mean...

the best I found is here. If interested, you may be able to convert to bulkhead, though it may suit to be a 12v socket fitting,..

EDIT>>

found another image, this is the type of lamp head, though the flexi part on mine is quite different..



Edited by DogWatch (02/07/2008 23:00)


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