Red light torch advice

[Helen]

My redlight head torches seem to have all died.  So I need to replace them.

I think SGLX showed me that not all red head torches are equal - some were VERY bright (and I did get blinded a few times)...  

So have people got advice on which ones are good and which ones are too bright

Thanks

Helen

[Scott]

one new battery and one dead one will dim things . can't help with brands though 

[astronymonkey]

Got mine from asda. It has two white and one red led with a switch that goes one way for red and other for white.

It was about 3.99 and is just bright enough to see , but not blinding.

Cheers

[Stu]

Very good point Helen. Some people seem to think that because their torch is red, it doesn't matter if it is as bright as a car headlight!! [emoji6][emoji6]

I often just use a normal torch and put multiple layers of red Rubylith over it until it's the right brightness.

I also had some led bike lights which were way too bright, I put black insulating tape over them and they were just about right for reading a map then

[Psychobilly]

I buy cheap white ones and add a couple of  layers of rubylith film ..

Some of the more expensive ones that have both white and red modes  have a host of "features" that can be a right pain... like coming on bright before being dimmable...

Peter...

[nightfisher]

I still prefer the "energizer" head torch with the red and the white lights, seems a pretty good unit, need to put new batts in mine though

[Helen]

Thanks.  I've had a few of the energiser ones Jules, they are the ones that have now died - it seems like the swivel feature has made the connections a bit intermittent 

Helen

[tich]

I brought mine from Aldi has one red LED & 2 white seems to work ok although there's that worry of accidentally putting the white LED's on. Hope I didn't disturb anyone at SGLX although I will remember to pack some wind breaks to put round the scope & laptop next time to try & reduce any stray light.

[RikM]

I use a Petzel Tikka II head torch and as Scott says, one good battery and one dud just to complete the circuit seems to do the trick. It has static and flashing modes in red and white. You have to press and hold the button to switch between colours, so if it is set on red, it stays on red even if you turn it off. Not the cheapest, but it's worked well for me for the last 3 years at least, so works out less than £10 a year

[Uplooker]

Sorry, can't suggest much. I will be interested in the answers as I still use a Petzl head torch, with a proper bulb in it. I use red stage lighting film over the lens. I am going to be distraught when that gives up the ghost. I really do not like the LED torches that give you a 50/50 chance of getting red or white light :-(

Sent from my Fone

[Moonshane]

I took mine apart and snipped off the white ones and sanded the red one and the lenses Matt, then some white tape to dim further. Now gone back to my mini Maglite but with a doctor pepper cap taped on the front.

May start using my headtorch for sketching

[recceranger]

Try this

http://www.torchdirect.co.uk/silva-torches/silva-ninox-ii-head-torch.html

We use it in the Military and it is outstanding. Also very robust and excellent endurance

[jonathan]

I have the Skywatcher dimmable red / white LED torch which has been generally very good, I replaced the strap and clip though which were flimsy.

I don't think it's a huge problem if I do turn it on in the white mode by accident, the dimmer is also the on/off switch which starts at dim so won't blind immediately.  I suppose one could always swap out the two white LEDs for red or paint the white LEDs with red enamel paint, then there would be no danger of getting the wrong ones.

I've also used little button red LEDs too, excellent for shining down a polar scope (these were promotional freebies from Lucozade, not sure what event they might have been from though as I bought them as a job lot at a car boot sale).