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Reddening interior lights for astronomy outings?

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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7664
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Topic: Reddening interior lights for astronomy outings?
Posted By: TheBum
Subject: Reddening interior lights for astronomy outings?
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 5:14pm
One of the things I plan to do with our Boom-n-Bake-n-Pod is drive it to dark sky sights to do some star gazing. I need a way to make the interior lights red so that I don't de-acclimate my eyes if I need to go in the 'Pod for something.

I'd like something that goes over the ceiling lights rather than use red light bulbs/LEDs. I could get a red gel-sheet to make dome-shaped filters, bit I'd prefer something premade. Does anybody know of any product that would work?

BTW, I'm not worrying about the bathroom light; I just won't turn it on.

Thanks.
Alan



Replies:
Posted By: codycountry
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 5:35pm
How about getting some red sunglasses for inside use (Elton John style) and not messing with it?


Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 5:54pm
that is a great idea !  

-------------
God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."


Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 6:06pm
LOL

-------------
Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171


Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 6:08pm
Depending on the shapes, try some of the police supply on line stores. Most cruisers have a red tinted interior light, for the same reason, to not affect your night vision when in and out of the cruiser on stops etc.

-------------
Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171


Posted By: codycountry
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 6:10pm
Thank you Jato. 
Glad to assist.   
I do have a lucid thought every once in a while. 
Usually no one is around to tell it to. 
Plus I need to post more posts so I can stop being a Guppie.  Or Grouper. 
Snow is flying here in Cody, Wy.  Rpod is still under the cover and camping season here yet a while away.


Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 6:33pm
Originally posted by codycountry

How about getting some red sunglasses for inside use (Elton John style) and not messing with it?


They'd have to be wrap-arounds. :)


Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 6:34pm
Originally posted by Leo B

Depending on the shapes, try some of the police supply on line stores. Most cruisers have a red tinted interior light, for the same reason, to not affect your night vision when in and out of the cruiser on stops etc.



Good idea. I would have never thought of that.


Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 7:31pm
Cody,  Just got rid of our 7 - 8 inches of snow that we got just before Easter weekend.  Now we are to get some more this weekend.  Perfect timing when I get off work and supposed to cut some trees down for firewood, on our 9th face cord so far this winter.  Our pod is still snuggled in our horse barn, screaming to come out of hibernation.  How much snow are you supposed to get, I think your system is the same one we are to get either Friday or Saturday with the snow.  How much snow do you still have on the ground?

-------------
God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."


Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 8:04pm
I would forget making the factory lights red.  Too intense even if they are red, I would still worry about affecting your acclimation.  Get a battery powered camping light and convert it to red.

-------------
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual


Posted By: codycountry
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 8:23pm
Couple inches are on the ground here and snowing hard, straight down, currently. We have had virtually no snow all winter.  Ice fishing season was a non event.  My horses and mules are under their three sided shelter tonight wondering what that white stuff is, high winds and snow predicted for tonight and tomorrow.  Rpod cover can take 60 mph winds when parked next to the house.  And it does blow that hard here once in a while.  Chinooks.  Very dry winter here, we are supposed to get up to  a foot of snow with high winds tomorrow, which is pretty common in the spring around here.  I hope it happens.  Very low snow pack in Yellowstone and the mountains.  Gas is cheap.  I expect to see a LOT of tourists here once the park opens.  Yesterday I saw my first Yall Mart camper tourist in a pickup camper, so they are coming.  Luckily I live out of town in the country so the tourists don't bother me too much.  


Posted By: alan7170
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2016 at 11:50pm
From one Alan to another...

I am an amateur astronomer and about half the use of my Rpod is for dark sky trips with friends. 

Originally I purchased some rubylith film (Google it) and taped it to the light cover...I should mention I have a 177 and only made one fixture red.  Anyway, I eventually took the film off and installed a red bulb that I purchased at oreilly auto parts.  Works great!  Even though it is not an led like my other lights, I really don't have it on that long so don't worry about the power draw...usually just long enough to make some tea, use the restroom and head back out to the telescope.

I am in Arizona...where do you go for dark skies?

Alan 


Posted By: Q7-retired
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 8:51am
Many years spent on the bridges of ships at sea (and submarine sails!) make me a fan of red goggles for the use you're describing.  Try finding ski or sport goggles with red lenses, wear them for about 45 minutes before astronomy and generally keep the light level inside your pod low.  However DON'T drive to your stargazing site with the goggles in place -- they really reduce ambient light levels.


-------------
Best regards, Jim
2015-RP178
TV 2015 Audi Q7 TDI and 2017 Ford F150
At home in "Our Pod"


Posted By: john in idaho
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 9:50am
How about a red flash lite or a red head mounted light?


Posted By: Pete Brayton
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 10:15am
Hello Alan(s), I too am an amateur astronomer who frequently camps at dark sky locations. I have replaced the porch light with a red LED but, it is still pretty bright. I plan to get another red LED to replace one of interior bulbs. Just bought a used 20" Obsession and I dabble a little with astrophotography. I frequently meet a buddy from Oklahoma City at Black Mesa SP in the OK Panhandle. I also use a red headlamp.


Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 12:01pm
I have an 8" Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain. I live in Dallas, so I have to get out of town a long way to get past the light pollution. The Texas Astronomical Society has a dark sky site in Atoka, OK, which is about a 90-minute drive north.


Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 8:11pm
how about anticipating your gaze approx 45 minutes ahead of time and turn all the pod lights off?  hogone

-------------
Jon & Pam
2013 RP177
2023 F150
2017 HD Streetglide
CHEESEHEAD


Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2016 at 12:26pm
Originally posted by hogone

how about anticipating your gaze approx 45 minutes ahead of time and turn all the pod lights off?  hogone


I'd still need light to see to find the bathroom. Even though they're called "dark sky" sites, stellar light is actually quite strong once your eyes adjust to it. In a trailer, especially in the bathroom, that illumination is gone.


Posted By: JohnBG
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2016 at 1:31pm
Maybe paint this on the inside or outside of the light lens:  http://www.amazon.com/Krylon-Stained-Glass-Paints-Aerosol/dp/B000QD9NYA - http://www.amazon.com/Krylon-Stained-Glass-Paints-Aerosol/dp/B000QD9NYA

Or perhaps this:  http://www.amazon.com/VHT-SP888-Red-Nite-Shades/dp/B005257R0O/ref=pd_sim_60_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=4137OhlO4AL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0Q5PT3NFQEXYCRA3JJHJ - www.amazon.com/VHT-SP888-Red-Nite-Shades/dp/B005257R0O/ref=pd_sim_60_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=4137OhlO4AL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0Q5PT3NFQEXYCRA3JJHJ


-------------
2010 R-Pod RP-171
2010 Honda Ridgeline TV


Posted By: jstrenn
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2016 at 1:59pm
How about something like this:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Generic-20147-Bushnell-TRKR-1000-Lumen-Lantern/42441354 - http://www.walmart.com/ip/Generic-20147-Bushnell-TRKR-1000-Lumen-Lantern/42441354

It has a red light "night vision" feature.  May be a better option than permanently coloring your lenses in the pod.


Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2016 at 9:46pm
Originally posted by jstrenn




How about something like this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Generic-20147-Bushnell-TRKR-1000-Lumen-Lantern/42441354 - http://www.walmart.com/ip/Generic-20147-Bushnell-TRKR-1000-Lumen-Lantern/42441354
It has a red light "night vision" feature.  May be a better option than permanently coloring your lenses in the pod.




Nice find! It's exactly what I was looking for.


Posted By: jstrenn
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2016 at 9:35am
I happened to buy one of these at Sams Club last weekend (Bushnell, but not the same model).  I bought it for the white light and noticed it had a red light feature for night vision.  If your a member you may want to check them out.


Posted By: johnmaci
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2016 at 9:47am
I don't have pictures with me, but I used the Theatrical Lighting Gel Sheets and they work marvelously.
The sheets come large enough where you can simply layer more than one sheet atop each other to get the density wanted.
I believe I purchased the Deep Salmon, but the choice is up to you:
http://www.stagelightingstore.com/Stage-Lighting-Store/Theatrical-Gel-Sheets-Reds-Pinks


Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2016 at 8:57pm
Originally posted by TheBum

Originally posted by jstrenn


How about something like this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Generic-20147-Bushnell-TRKR-1000-Lumen-Lantern/42441354 - http://www.walmart.com/ip/Generic-20147-Bushnell-TRKR-1000-Lumen-Lantern/42441354
It has a red light "night vision" feature.  May be a better option than permanently coloring your lenses in the pod.

Nice find! It's exactly what I was looking for.

Bingo.


-------------
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual


Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 04 Apr 2016 at 2:28pm
I picked one up at Walmart a couple of days ago. It's sufficiently bright when turned all the way up for white light and the red light is sufficiently subdued.

Thanks for all the responses, all.



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