Red Light Torch DIY!

[midge91]

Hi,

Just thought I would save people some money by sharing my way of making a red light torch.

Go to ASDA/Tesco and buy a £1-£2 torch, then buy the cheapest RED nail varnish you can find. Paint the nail varnish on the glass bit of the torch (give it a few coats 3 should do it.) Let it dry and then turn the torch on. Hey presto you now have a red light torch that preserves night vision for under £5

Midge,

[Pete Presland]

ah! but it would not have "celestron" or "meade" written down the side of it

[JonnyTheBlade]

Yes but it's saved me £10 including delivery charge! Astronomy is an expensive enough hobby as it is. I would never take short cuts on quality equipment or accessories but this is a good tip. Will the nail varnish stop any pin holes of white light?

[cosmological]

Or you could use a red sweet wrapper instead, that would save you going down to the shop and getting funny looks because you're a bloke buying nail varnish

[cantab]

I just went to Poundland and picked up a rear bike light.

[JonnyTheBlade]

Yes Thanks Cosmo, I was just thinking of using my girlfriends really but i like the idea of fishing out an old rear bike light from the garage now.

[Captain Caveman]

Mini Babybel wrappers worked well for me

[pastiche]

I used 3 Quality Street wrappers folded and inserted into the lens cover of the lamp on my Maplins power pack and it works a treat.

[JonnyTheBlade]

I may sound quite niave but are you guys all being serious?

[pastiche]

I may sound quite niave but are you guys all being serious?

Absolutely serious. When I am setting up my telescope outside I find the now red light on the powerpack really useful. By making the light shine red by using the sweet wrappers I can find all my bits and bobs without ruining my night vision. The more wrappers, the dimmer the light ... perfect.

[Tim]

You can get a head torch with Red LEDs at Go Outdoors for about £4.

Worth noting though, especially at star parties, that those bright LEDs aren't really suitable, and can still diminish night vision, especially other peoples.

I watched with interest (being solely an imager with a well lit warm room ) as 'proper' astronomers used a red torch you could hardly see by to read their star charts.

You can actually make quite a decent red light torch with a mini Maglite, simply swap the LED in it for a red one, saves using the red filter which comes off with the rubber end I found.

Cheers

Tim

[Tim]

Oh, and I put red insulation tape over green LEDs (why oh why do they use them in astro gear ) and over any other light too bright to be useable.

[5thelement]

I bought an asda torch..and an asda xmas pudding with red cellophane around it lol red light torch..done!

[Tinker1947]

These work very well, adjustable brightness.

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Dual LED

[bullettooth]

mine cost me nothing had a crappy lil torch lying around my house and painted the plastic with my wife's red nail varnish from a sex and the city set she got the christmas before haha. painted 3coats on front and two on the back. i can see my star chart and noted easy with it and it doesnt affect my night vision. simples.

[RogerTheDodger]

Absolutely serious. When I am setting up my telescope outside I find the now red light on the powerpack really useful. By making the light shine red by using the sweet wrappers I can find all my bits and bobs without ruining my night vision. The more wrappers, the dimmer the light ... perfect.

and as a bonus you get to eat the sweets

[SPOD]

I started eating Quality Street and saved the wrappers...my dog ate them, so maybe I will just buy a Red Torch.

He also ate or at least tried to eat a water expansion bottle I was going to use as a small fuel tank to ballance my carbs on my GPZ.

But the nasty varmint also ate a box of Glenfiddich Chocolate Truffles my daughter bought me for Christmas....anyone want a dog ?

Spod

[onesmallstep]

Buy a roll of brake light repair tape from a car accessories shop, approx price less than a fiver. Two or three strips over the lens does the job nicely and you have enough left over for several dozen torches.

HTH!

[cantab]

Unfortunately my family will complain if I make the fridge light red. It gets me most nights when I pop in to make a cuppa, I never remember to close my eyes before getting the milk.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

As Tim said, bright red torches will still diminish night vision. Be sure to add extra layers over the portions where the LEDs are, or just mask them with tape, making sure noone can actually look straight at them, whilst still allowing red light around it.

[Balder]

Or you could use a red sweet wrapper instead, that would save you going down to the shop and getting funny looks because you're a bloke buying nail varnish

QFTW

A Red sweet wrapper? Buy the whole tin....

At least you can munch on the sweets, become a fat knacker in the process and enjoy yourself.

Grrr, I love the smell of acetone based paints though (nail varnish included)

So cheapo torch £0.50 and an after Xmas bucket of sweets, £5

Call it £6 - big grin factor

*Priceless*

Get the ones with strawberry & orange centres; they count for the 5 a day in my books.

[glowjet]

You all do realise, of course, by this very imaginative DIY of red lights that you are taking the bread out of the mouths of the Astronomy retailers who are trying to earn a meager crust during these very hard times, we could end up being flooded with unused red torches, something els the European Common Market will no doubt have to legislate for, he he he Happy New Year everyone

[RogerTheDodger]

I converted a head mounted LED cycling light by swapping the white LEDs for RED LEDs.

[midge91]

You all do realise, of course, by this very imaginative DIY of red lights that you are taking the bread out of the mouths of the Astronomy retailers who are trying to earn a meager crust during these very hard times, we could end up being flooded with unused red torches, something els the European Common Market will no doubt have to legislate for, he he he Happy New Year everyone

The less they sell the cheaper the prices meaning cheaper red light torches for everyone. Queue the Revouloution Brothers!!!

[pastiche]

As I do some of my viewing in the front garden I unthinkingly put a red bulb in our front porch light.

Why do I have a sudden increase in cars cruising slowly by my house?