Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 08:51:30 -0500
From: Bob Denton 
Subject: [Paddlewise] Led Kayak Lights

I have been playing around with LED (Light Emitting Diodes) for the past
week. I made one device using a bright red LED from Radio Shack with 2000
MCDs  and one amber which said 12000 MCDs (Which may have been a misprint). 

I dropped the amber into the shell of a standard flashlight bulb with a
resistor and but the "bulb" in a standard 2 Dcell flashlight. There was
certainly enough light to read by and as a signaling device, quite bright in
the dark.  It has been on continuously since last Friday with no change in
brightness. Last night I built a device with a radioshack battery case, a
small switch and the red LED. It's rated at 2000 MCDs but seems much
brighter then the amber, and it's VERY visible at night. I intend to leave
it on until it dims or fails.

Either of these LED units are bright enough to read with and they certainly
have the advantage of being invisible to insects.

cu

Bob Denton 
Aqua-Gulf Transport
bdenton@aquagulf.com 
www.aquagulf.com  



Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 17:55:40 -0500
From: Bob Denton
Subject: [Paddlewise] LED lights

My 2 led devices are still going strong on their original set of batteries.
One since Friday night running on 2 D cells and the other since Sunday with
2 AAs. I am going to try a couple more using 2 AAAs and mount it in a PFD
signal light I just bought.

cya

Bob Denton
Aqua-Gulf Transport
www.aquagulf.com 



Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 19:54:45 -0500
From: "Robert Woodard"
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] LED lights

Very cool. Have you seen any white LEDs in your ventures?



Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 11:22:01 -0500
From: Bob Denton
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] LED lights

Yes, they are out there but a bit more expensive then the orange which I am
using. I will be mail ordering a few soon and try some more tests.

cu



Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 10:23:55 -0500
From: Nick Schade
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] LED lights

One reason LEDs run so long on batteries is they don't draw much power
(obviously), and one reason they don't draw much power is they don't put
ut much light. The LEDs will probably be very hard to see from more than
100 ft. One or two lights probably won't provide much visiblity.

Now, if you had a whole string of them along the sheerline you would really
show up.
Nick


Nick Schade
Guillemot Kayaks
10 Ash Swamp Rd
Glastonbury, CT 06033
(860) 659-8847

http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/

>>>>"It's not just Art, It's a Craft!"<<<<



Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 12:09:43 -0500
From: Bob Denton 
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] LED lights

Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong! 

The LEDs that I am playing with are 1.2 (12000 MCDs) and .5 (5000 MCDs)
candle power. They are bright enough to read with and in tests on the water
at night are visible for at least 500 yards. The LEDs you are referring to
typically put out between 50 and 350 MCDs.

I am going to try some trials this weekend to see what the maximum range
will be with an LED mounted in a Vortec head lamp and another mounted in an
$8 clip on PFD light (1 Dcell type converted to 2 AAs.) My guess is
visibility on a dark night will be 1/2 mile.

There are supposed to be new White LEDs that go as high as 4 candle power
that are available. 



Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 12:04:23 -0600
From: "Dickson, Dana A." 
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] LED Lights

I modified a Pelican clip on headlight (2AA) to use a green LED as a light
source.  It is intended as a skulking light as well as a long lasting
flashlight.  I found the LED at Radio Shack, the light gives enough
illumination to see for walking in the woods and on the rocks of the North
Shore of Lake Superior.  I observed that the LED was quite visible for
several hundred yards as an unnaturally bright and small green dot.
Multiple LEDs would work well as a signal marker, see the flashing LED bike
lights for an example, a single LED is not likely to give off enough light
to be useful as a safety signal.

Dana Dickson 



Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 10:31:53 -0800
From: skerries@hotmail.com 
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] LED Lights

Hi Dana,
I think the newer, more powerful LEDs have great potential as kayak
"running lights". I don't think I'd want a single green LED as people might
think this was my starboard running light. And though the rules differ for
inland and open ocean waters, I think many people would interpret a rapid
flashing light as a distress signal (and a slow flashing light as a buoy:-)
Philip T.



Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 13:25:43 -0600
From: "Dickson, Dana A."
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] LED Lights

Philip,

I agree with all your points.  I have used green and red multi LED bike
lights, in a non-flashing mode, as running lights on my kayak.  These lights
were in addition to the white lights on our heads.  USCG regulations for
kayakers can be met with a flashlight that can be used for signalling.  We
added continuous lights for warning and ended up attracting a large power
fishng launch.  I think the operator wanted to see what was going on with
the odd lights on the water.  He did not seem to appreciate our efforts; he
called out on his PA system that we should meet power boat lighting
requirements or get off of the lake.

Dana Dickson 



Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 14:39:25 -0500
From: Bob Denton
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] LED Lights

If you still have the package you'll discover that this LED is probably only
a couple of hundred MCDs. The Super Brights are considerably bigger as well
and tend to disperse the light better, especially with a lens and reflector.

cu



Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 16:15:21 -0500
From: Michael Daly 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] LED Lights

Philip wrote:

> And though the rules differ for
> inland and open ocean waters, I think many people would interpret a rapid
> flashing light as a distress signal (and a slow flashing light as a buoy:-)

To expand on this, I have been told it is illegal to use a flashing light
on the Great Lakes for any purpose other than an emergency.
(BTW, how does one differentiate a flashing emergency beacon from a
steady flashing buoy? My strobe isnt that rapid.  Buoys with irregular
flash sequences are obvious, but...)

Colorado Kayak, in their catalogue, suggest using a flashing light
to mark your campsite during evening paddles.  Not recommended
in the Great Lakes.

Mike



Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 18:03:41 -0500
From: Bob Denton 
Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] LED Lights

If you can speed up the flashing of the LEDs to 60 pulses or more per
minute, they appear steady and increase battery life.

cya



Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 17:07:03 -0500
From: jsanford
Subject: [Paddlewise] LED

Is not the power consumed by any light divided by light and heat.  The more
light and less heat the more efficient the lamp.  I wouod guess that the
new LEDs are highly efficient.  Joe S.