Head Mounted Lights at Columbus

[dale-geffs]

After reviewing the training slides prior to my test this year I noticed something that has probably been there but I have missed in the past (only my second year). There was a statement that no head mounted flashlights are allowed. Does this apply to head mounted red LED lights which are commonly used when setting up gear in the dark? I can understand about white light flashlights but have a hard time understanding if red lights are restricted too.

[rene-gedaly]

Those red LEDs can blind other observers when you move your head up and away from your work area. It's surprising but test it out yourself and you'll see. Many red lights we use are too bright, not just the head lamps. I've had to retire two sets and now use the LED in the mouth method.

[dale-geffs]

It would seem anything attached to your head including in the mouth would have the same issue. I suppose the key is to keep it dim. I'll search for another solution.

[dale-geffs]

Since the headlamps are not allowed what are others using to change setups as I will doing frequently. I'm not worried about phones, iPads or computers since I have those covered with Rubylith but I need to swap a lens every once in while, traverse to the electrical boxes and most importantly get to the restroom without stumbling around in the dark. Are there some recommended red lights that won't offend the visual observers? Am I allowed to setup a very dim red light to illuminate my entire workspace with shielding in place so others can't see the actual light itself?

[rene-gedaly]

Dale, I've only seen others use those handheld LED lights. A couple of times I used a red table lamp to illuminate my space so I could more easily read my star charts but when I was told it threw too much light, I stopped using it.

This is a great question, though. I'd ask the Netslyder email list about this.