Last fall I was under way for an hour or two on a narrow river (Cumberland), radar was a real life saver, helped keep me in the center of the river (channel is 90% bank to bank). However it has a dimmer. (Brill) My dash lights have no dimmer and they are white, they were murder on my night vision, ended up using a towel to cover them. They are 'switched' to my nav lights, so I can't turn them off separately. How are your lights wired ? Dimmer ? Red ?
While we're discussing lights. . .
- Thread starter bobalong
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First things first: they should be on a switch separate from the nav lights.
Mine were white, on/off. Lost the boat before I performed the upgrade to red w/ dimmer. ( We will be here till -next- winter if I neglect to mention that blue is also a good choice )
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Which brings up a very important consideration: At night, the helmsman will be using navaids, instruments etc and as a result will be partially to fully night blind. You really, really need a second person whose eyes are night adapted to stand watch in addition to the helm. Frankly, at the best of times, the helm will happily, and readily run over a 60 ft oak floating in the water. You need a prepared watchstander.
Mine were white, on/off. Lost the boat before I performed the upgrade to red w/ dimmer. ( We will be here till -next- winter if I neglect to mention that blue is also a good choice )
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Which brings up a very important consideration: At night, the helmsman will be using navaids, instruments etc and as a result will be partially to fully night blind. You really, really need a second person whose eyes are night adapted to stand watch in addition to the helm. Frankly, at the best of times, the helm will happily, and readily run over a 60 ft oak floating in the water. You need a prepared watchstander.
Replace the bulbs with RED ones, and put them on their own switch, with a dimmer.
Mine are on their own switch but without a dimmer. I use DIM, RED, LED bulbs; so far a dimmer hasn't been necessary.
+1 on the lookout!
Mine are on their own switch but without a dimmer. I use DIM, RED, LED bulbs; so far a dimmer hasn't been necessary.
+1 on the lookout!
If the lights are removable and you prefer to not yet replace, you can coat them with red magic marker ( or blue or green) for great relief, though it is good to retouch that coating from time to time.
Or as Willy suggests, add a potentiometer to the light circuit supply if they are all incandescent. Not sure, but some LED's may not appreciate a wide range of power supply.
Or..., in place of the masking towel try a sheet of colored cellophane to flip down over the offenders and turn off everything unneeded providing direct or reflected distracting light on the windshield.
If you happen to have an upper station without windshield and with glare-protected fwd white nave light, not having to look through a windshield can be a big plus at night.
Or as Willy suggests, add a potentiometer to the light circuit supply if they are all incandescent. Not sure, but some LED's may not appreciate a wide range of power supply.
Or..., in place of the masking towel try a sheet of colored cellophane to flip down over the offenders and turn off everything unneeded providing direct or reflected distracting light on the windshield.
If you happen to have an upper station without windshield and with glare-protected fwd white nave light, not having to look through a windshield can be a big plus at night.
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I hope you realize that the engine instrument lights are only one part of the problem.
Many of us will run using:
lit compass
lit engine instruments
backlit radar
backlit GPS/plotter
backlit VHF radio
other problem areas:
companionway safety lighting
bright areas of boat lit by the "all-around white" ( one or two-part ) from poorly mounted light fixtures
light used when referencing paper chart
cigarette lighter!
On "larger" recreational vessels, spurious lighting from the salon escaping from those huge windows and lighting up the area on and around the boat ( turn off the %^#* lights! )
spotlight on other vessels
reflections on shiny boat parts from own spotlight
spotlight so bright that the target itself is bright enough to damage night vision
cellphone/blackberry etc ( leave down below/elsewhere. You are at the helm. Concentrate! )
plus numerous external sources.
You need to get control of them ALL.
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The Mark I eyeball is an excellent night vision system, but only when used correctly. On all but the darkest of nights you will have useful un-aided vision.
Many of us will run using:
lit compass
lit engine instruments
backlit radar
backlit GPS/plotter
backlit VHF radio
other problem areas:
companionway safety lighting
bright areas of boat lit by the "all-around white" ( one or two-part ) from poorly mounted light fixtures
light used when referencing paper chart
cigarette lighter!
On "larger" recreational vessels, spurious lighting from the salon escaping from those huge windows and lighting up the area on and around the boat ( turn off the %^#* lights! )
spotlight on other vessels
reflections on shiny boat parts from own spotlight
spotlight so bright that the target itself is bright enough to damage night vision
cellphone/blackberry etc ( leave down below/elsewhere. You are at the helm. Concentrate! )
plus numerous external sources.
You need to get control of them ALL.
----
The Mark I eyeball is an excellent night vision system, but only when used correctly. On all but the darkest of nights you will have useful un-aided vision.
Changing all of the dash bulbs to RED & adding a dimmer would be the preferred remedy. However I really get nervous about removing a couple of dozen screws holding the dash bezel in place and then moving that entire assembly out far enough to access the bulbs. Hundreds of wires and plugs that have settled into place for 10-15 years being disturbed. If I had a rear access panel maybe that would be a viable solution. My dash is a nightmare in terms of access.
If no other ideas surface I will make a Sunbrella cover for the gauges, bad news is, then I can't see them.
If no other ideas surface I will make a Sunbrella cover for the gauges, bad news is, then I can't see them.
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Another thing, besides Red (lo Freq) LED's that will help your transition to Night vision, is the Yellow Shooting glasses lenses. You will see better longer into the near Dark with those Yellows.
I discovered that by accident while testing my new shooting glasses as we fished.
I discovered that by accident while testing my new shooting glasses as we fished.
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all good advice above. what i'd try first is simply install a dimmer on the lights.
diming electronics is absolutely critical at night as well as turning off all lights around the helm. I'm always amazed by the number of guys running at night with displays on full bright and overhead lights around the helm. blind as bats!
diming electronics is absolutely critical at night as well as turning off all lights around the helm. I'm always amazed by the number of guys running at night with displays on full bright and overhead lights around the helm. blind as bats!
You can get colored plastic report covers at the school supply section... Find a red one and tape it over the instruments at night. Works for chartplotters, too.
Instruments that you don't HAVE to monitor, you can simply take the bulbs out of them, or cover them with cardboard.
Instruments that you don't HAVE to monitor, you can simply take the bulbs out of them, or cover them with cardboard.
My boat was manufactured with a stern light and a combination anchor/steaming light that's just above the flybridge windscreen. The original design was fine, the combination light had two bulbs, one facing forware and one facing rear. For steaming, only the forward facing light was lit, for anchoring, both were lit.
For reasons unknown, the original owner replaced the ficture with a one with a single bulb that is illuminated as a steaming light and anchor light. As you might guess, this is the "poster child" for night blindness.
I seldom operate at night, but on the two or three occasions when I have, I found it necessary to cover the light with a coffee cup. Each time, I was up the river and alone. If I had seen another boat, I would have uncovered the light.
Restoring the light to original is one of my projects.
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I used the ELECTRONIC dimmer from Blue Seas http://www.boatfix.com/shop3/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=22158 and their switch http://www.boatfix.com/shop3/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=22478 both purchased from BoatFix.com. There are different amperage units for the Electronic dimmer and even 24 VDC units. I wired mine to the gauge and compass lighting, works beautiful. NO bulb change required.
I've seen this problem frequently... either the light has been replaced or the switch has.
Even when it's correct, there's often so much glare off the foredeck that you STILL can't see.
On my fishing boat I installed the all-round light on the rear of the bimini.. Looking forward you couldn't even tell it was on.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i133/stmbtwle/Antennaandsternlight.jpg
I already had the separate switches, but did add a dimmer to fine tune the amount of light actually needed.. On my old boat, I added the dimmers, etc. but also added an idiot light panel like all the newer cars have. That way I could turn off the backlights to the gauges if needed and still be sure I had some warning if something went wrong mechanically.
Part of my routine is to set all instruments, etc to night settings when I turn on the nav lights. Do this well before dusk and your night vision will come in sooner. Another trick is to close one eye when glancing at the gauges/instruments.. Doesn't replace another set of eyeballs on lookout, but it does help preserve what little night vision you have after looking at anything bright..
Part of my routine is to set all instruments, etc to night settings when I turn on the nav lights. Do this well before dusk and your night vision will come in sooner. Another trick is to close one eye when glancing at the gauges/instruments.. Doesn't replace another set of eyeballs on lookout, but it does help preserve what little night vision you have after looking at anything bright..