Substitute for glowsticks

[Rev. Blade]

You wouldn't be able to see red wavelengths underwater as far as you could see blue. A monochromatic red light (e.g. a laser) wouldn't be visible for nearly as far as a higher frequency one...

It doesn't matter how deep you are, it matters how far you are from the light. I agree that the red lights are not going to be visible from as far away as a white or a blue light.

...but those things people put on the back of their tanks aren't even close to being monochromatic.

Most of the "red lights" use white bulbs, and red plastic to filter the light. If a light looks red when you're close, most of the light getting through the filter is red. ...but if it's just a marker light, I'd hope you aren't 60 feet from your buddy; red light or white.





Some people say this or that light fails on dives. Even $1500 lights fail. For a constant on, marker light that (might fail to light on the boat, where it's easy to replace, but) never fails on a dive... I want a glow stick on my tank, and on my dive buddy's tank. Dim so it doesn't bother anyone, but absolutely certain to stay on through the whole dive.

I use a backup light in case my dive light fails. The glowstick is just a locator, and a way to identify my buddy.

 

[CompuDude]

It doesn't matter how deep you are, it matters how far you are from the light. I agree that the red lights are not going to be visible from as far away as a white or a blue light.

Most of the "red lights" use white bulbs, and red plastic to filter the light. If a light looks red when you're close, most of the light getting through the filter is red. ...but if it's just a marker light, I'd hope you aren't 60 feet from your buddy; red light or white.

I use the PrincetonTec EcoFlare, which is a flashing red LED. As has been noted, LED's put out a pretty narrow spectrum of the color in question, and are not just white bulbs with a filter.

That said, as you noted, you can still seem them just fine from any REASONABLE distance your buddy is likely be away from you. Not as bright as those xeon strobes, but then, they last 500% longer or more, and aren't nearly as obnoxious. I like to cover my lights at some point in a night dive to enjoy the phosphorescent life. You're not likely to be able to reach a tank marker light to turn that off, so it's good that those lights be at least somewhat subtle. Hard to let your eyes adjust to the dark with a dang strobe going off ever 2 seconds on your buddy's back!

 

[Footslogger]

What about the blinking yoke screws on your first stage ??

I have one and it works quite well.

'Slogger

 

[bperrybap]

What about the blinking yoke screws on your first stage ??

I have one and it works quite well.

'Slogger

I have both the blinking and non blinking yoke lights.
If you are handy with a soldering iron you can convert a blinking
one to a steady one, but you can't go the other way.

Here is a company that makes a very similar type device
that can be clipped on belts or threaded through a band
around your tank and it supports both blinking and steady by
simply flipping the batteries around.
Haven't tried one yet but I'm probabaly going to order a few.
Gaurdian Light

--- bill

 

[CompuDude]

What about the blinking yoke screws on your first stage ??

I have one and it works quite well.

'Slogger

If I am correctly inferring your actual question, I don't believe those are LED-based, so yes, it's just a white light shining through red plastic.

If it was LED-based it would be trumpeting the fact all over the packaging. None of the simple yoke lights I've ever seen claim to be LED-based. (although that doesn't mean they don't exist)

 

[Diveral]

I use the PrincetonTec EcoFlare, which is a flashing red LED. As has been noted, LED's put out a pretty narrow spectrum of the color in question, and are not just white bulbs with a filter.

That said, as you noted, you can still seem them just fine from any REASONABLE distance your buddy is likely be away from you. Not as bright as those xeon strobes, but then, they last 500% longer or more, and aren't nearly as obnoxious. I like to cover my lights at some point in a night dive to enjoy the phosphorescent life. You're not likely to be able to reach a tank marker light to turn that off, so it's good that those lights be at least somewhat subtle. Hard to let your eyes adjust to the dark with a dang strobe going off ever 2 seconds on your buddy's back!

I use the same light

 

[bperrybap]

The yoke lights I have are LED based.
They are made by Innovative:
Innovative Yoke lights
You can get them with red or green LEDs.
Flashing or steady, and black or yellow bodies.

(This is the one I refering to when I said you could convert
a blinking one to a steady one)

All the ones I have ever seen are LED based. I have never
seen one that uses a bulb. I'd be surprised if anyone makes
one with a bulb because bulbs use WAY more power than LEDs
and there just isn't much room for batteries in yoke screw.

If you do a google, you can find more information or WEB
vendors that sell them. Just google for "yoke light".


--- bill

 

[Footslogger]

The yoke lights I have are LED based.
They are made by Innovative:
Innovative Yoke lights
===================================

That's the one we have too. Seems to work well and it very visable for the types of diving we do. Batteries have good life. We carry the factory yoke screws and only use the blinking ones for night diving.

'Slogger

 

[lmorin]

Glo-toobs. But, whichever kind you get, use the non-blinking kind, please, unless there is a specific technical reason to do otherwise. It's not always what what you like. Speaking for myself and a few others, I can say that blinking lights during night dives are bothersome. My wife and I often dive with a few other divers. We all have different color Glo-toobs. Eases identification. These things shouldn't be bright. That would simply add photic "noise" to the dive.

 

[DI_Guy]

GLO-TUBES - which mode ???

I have two of them, a white and a red. They are a great little gadget. What mode does everyone use ? I don't find the strobe mode too distractive but I do tend to use them in the "full on" mode.