Ralph, since there are about 36 of the DFWseayakers (a DFW group started by Bob Griebel and me) going to paddle Caddo Lake in TX/LA on the weekend 6-9 April, we will be very interested in the results. They may not be in time for our outing, but any interim results or comments from others will be surely welcome. Caddo is not a high traffic area, but having light during the evening hours paddling the swamp and canals will be useful to keep the group together. (impromptu night paddle may spring up although none is formally planned) We do have 5 other paddles scheduled with Friday and Saturday camping planned. It should be a blast. --Mel-- =^..^= http://melskayakpage.homestead.com http://www.mellammers.net http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Foldableseayakers mslammers_at_mellammers.net foldableseayakers_at_yahoogroups.com -----Original Message----- From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net] Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 4:13 PM To: paddlewise-digest_at_lists.intelenet.net Subject: PaddleWise V1 #1426 -------------- Ralph Diaz Wrote: >Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 10:46:28 -0500 From: "ralph diaz" <rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com> Subject: [Paddlewise] Being Seen At Night--LEDs etc. Rec.boats.paddle.touring has been having a discussion on LEDs but it seems mainly confined to using LED white lights around a campsite for reading, cooking, searchiing through gear bags. We have touched on the general subject before. But since the LED scene is an evolving one, I am wonderiing what handle anyone might have on their effectiveness in being seen on a kayak paddliing after dark. I am particularly interested in LED visibility performance in situations in which there is a lot of background "noise" in the sense of city lights etc. that may hid the beam of light emitting from a kayak. We are now in the beginning stages of a pilot program in which we will be testing various lighting schemes on kayaks in New York Harbor. This is being done in cooperation with the US Coast Guard and local commercial interests (some reps from the Sandy Hook Pilots Association; possibly other local operators). On the kayaking side it will several local kayakers (including me) and the Manhattan Kayak Company (a local touring and instruction company that does run evening tours on the Hudson River off of Manhattan--Eric Stiller is a principal of the company). Sometimes such initiatives never get anywhere but, if it does happen, what it will involve is several kayakers with radios and various lighting devices. In the test stage, operators on various size vessels will try to spot the kayakers' lighting schemes under different situations of total darkness and background light "noise." The Coast Guard will also be trying to spot them and will secure the safety of the testing area through radio announcements and patrols. Again, this is preliminary. What we hope will come out of this are some realistic tests on a formal basis in various conditions. The results should be a rating of different lighting systems and recommendations. I think that existing type lights and possibly LEDs will do the job. It would be good to know which. But if nothing is on the market today that fulfills the need, we would then approach manufacturers with a wish list of light devices they might produce as prototypes or modifications of existing items. If you have any ideas on this, let me know. Oh, another thing. We are trying to establish lighting recommendations for the following categories: 1. Just-in-case lights for a paddler to always have with him/her just in case they get caught in low light situations at the end of the day because of delays caused by winds or illness. 2. Lights for an individual to have when he or she sets out deliberately for a night paddle trip. 3. Lighting schemes that a group may want to employ as it paddles as a bloc. ralph diaz - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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