Red Light Torch DIY!

[Smudgeypoo]

I painted my spectacle lenses with red nail varnish, now I don't have to worry what colour the lights are.

Seriously, if you need to open fridge, turn light on, whatever...close one eye. It only takes a very short time for the exposed eye to match the good un.

[JonnyTheBlade]

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.

Quick fix for this one. Take a flask out with you ready done!

[Rob 2632]

All this talk of sweet wrappers and chocolates wheres your new year resolutions you should be following ya grannies advice and eat carrots cos they make you see in the dark. A great new year to you all, me Im sulking new telescope for christmas and its broken had to send it back to the shop who will send it back to celestron for replacement.

[midjam]

I can now treat my wife with some sweets or new nail polish, she doesn't need to know I have a hidden agenda

[faulksy]

i bought a led lamp from a petrol station they sell them everywere even b and q they are round with a magnet on the back and they also have a hook very handy, then went to my local car scrap yard and bought a round rear brake light that was on a trailer and bonded it to the lamp works great, so now i can hang it on my e.p. case whilst i choose hang it above my ep tray on my mount and also hang it above my parcel shelf on my car when i go to a dark site. and with it being led batterys last for ever well a while any way

[laser_jock99]

Asda are currently selling a cheap LED camping torch with white LED at the front and a red LED illuminated handle. The LED module can be easily reversed to give red out the front.

No need for nail varnish, sweet wrappers, mini babybells etc!!

[kor84]

I've taken my netbook out in the past to use stellarium but even with the nightmode on I found it to ruin night vison, any ideas?

[JamesF]

Whatever the light source is in my mini maglite it doesn't look like an LED, so I just wrapped red cellophane over the end and held it on with an elastic band. That worked nicely until a birthday offered me the opportunity to ask for a proper red light torch.

James

[Richardisgreat]

I did exactly what bullettooth did. I also had a cheepo torch lying around and I borrowed some of my daughters red nail varnish gave it a couple of coats and job done. My best advice is buy a torch that you can hold In your teeth as I find myself doing that alot as I search through eyepieces and change them etc.

[boltzy]

Googling for 'red cellophane' found this for £1.19, you could do *lots* of torches with that (not as tasty as Quality Street though )

Edited July 4, 2012 by boltzy

[Probablynot]

Humbrol do a clear red in their modelmakers' range of tiny paint tins. Or at least they used to - not sure about now. My own tin dates from about 1970, and it's still useable!

[Avo]

Wife asked me with an enquiring look on her face whilst taking a glance at my toe nails, "why is my red nail varnish disappearing darling, is there something we need to talk about ?........

Needless to say felt it best to confess.

[Astroegg]

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

Definitely! Last time I got a remark that it wouldn't match my lipstick!

Better to take the Strawberry Delight wrappers from a tin of Quality Street and use an elastic band to attach to the torch.

[paul schofield]

I use a pretty standard LED Torch with the glass colored with an indelible red marker pen and it works great.

[midjam]

Someone gave me this link for a cheap redlight headlamp, only £8 including delivery. Anyone have one of these, are they any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Head-Torch-Light-Lamp-Red-Night-Vision-c-w-batts-/150633984848?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item23127c3350

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Looks the same as the one i got from wilkinsons for £4.

It's ok but the switch is off in the middle, left for red and right for white, so it's quite easy to accidentally slip all the way to white when trying to turn it off.

[faulksy]

i bought a petzel head torch 3 settings for white light and 1 setting for red works a treat use it all the time

[midjam]

Looks the same as the one i got from wilkinsons for £4.

It's ok but the switch is off in the middle, left for red and right for white, so it's quite easy to accidentally slip all the way to white when trying to turn it off.

Might have to have a look in wilkinsons, Bournemouth, Poole, Winton store? I could just remove the button for the white as I would only be using it for red light.

[scarp15]

i bought a petzel head torch 3 settings for white light and 1 setting for red works a treat use it all the time

Yep Im also a petzl fan and use an elite head torch which has amongst its settings, one focused led redlight setting, small and compact and versatile. I also find it functional for not getting in the way if wearing and looking through the eyepiece. A bit expensive but I also use it when out hill walking etc.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Might have to have a look in wilkinsons, Bournemouth, Poole, Winton store? I could just remove the button for the white as I would only be using it for red light.

It was actually in ferndown, but i imagine the others will have it too. As for the switch, it's a slider rather than buttons to remove, but it'd still be easy enough to block off if you never plan to use white light. Worst comes to worst you can just remove the white LEDs.

There are 2 white LEDs, one on either side, and 1 red in the middle. The red can be a little dazzling for anyone you look at, so i stuck a single tiny strip of masking tape directly infront of the LED, so only diffuse light gets out.

[icrusoe]

Seconded on the Petzl's. They white led's are insanely bright and useful when needed and the three way switch is a definite plus!

[midjam]

It was actually in ferndown, but i imagine the others will have it too. As for the switch, it's a slider rather than buttons to remove, but it'd still be easy enough to block off if you never plan to use white light. Worst comes to worst you can just remove the white LEDs.

There are 2 white LEDs, one on either side, and 1 red in the middle. The red can be a little dazzling for anyone you look at, so i stuck a single tiny strip of masking tape directly infront of the LED, so only diffuse light gets out.

Thanks

Edited July 5, 2012 by midjam

[Tasape]

Mm superbrite led will nor aid your-night vision at all ,when I were in the navy we used right angled torches torches with the bulbs painted red and a red filter on the lens they are low wattage and you can use them for reading ,as you can imagine night vision at sea is vital as is doesn't impress the mod when you dent a 30 million squis warship

[majapala]

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

Brilliant! I forgot to look for something with red cellophane on it in the supermarket today, and reading this made me realise I've got a leftover one of these in the back of the cupboard. 5 minutes later, astro torch made (with a £2.99 torch from wilko).

[Chris Rowland]

M&S do some seriously nice Cherry Liqueurs - a whole CHERRY soaked in LIQUEUR & COVERED in rich DARK CHOCOLATE

And each one is wrapped in a square of dark red cellophane, just right for wrapping over the front of a torch. And if one isn't enough (and it seldom is) then try another one.

Chris