Even if the slow flash mode does not achieve the required 50 - 70 times per minute to be considered a considered a distress signal, I strongly urge you to not use it unless you are under distress. I doubt people watching from shore are going to count the speed of the flashes before calling the authorities. Brian Blankinship > > Even if it is slower than what is legally a distress signal, would it be > wise to not use it anyway? > > Dave *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 4/24/2002 10:46:10 AM Pacific Daylight Time, squtch_at_quiet-like-a-panther.org writes: > What are the inland rules again for how fast is has to flash for it to be a > distress signal? I seem to remember that it was at least once a second. If > that's the case the slower mode might be useful for signaling other boats > to > your presence. > > Even if it is slower than what is legally a distress signal, would it be > wise to not use it anyway? > I don't know what the inland rules require. You might want to consult John Dowd's Sea Kayaking or Burch's Sea Kayak Navigation. The coast guard web site may help also. When using a light source as a potential distress signal consider that a strobe intended as such is omni directional and an led is directional. What this means is that a 360 degree strobe placed on shoulder of pfd has a greater likelihood of conspicuity from all directions as opposed to an led that flashes in only one direction. Also, an (assumed) headband mount gives rise to many questions. They are: would it survive a rough water capsize? would vertigo affect a user with a headband mount. could multiple units be lashed to pfd? would pfd mount affect directional nature of led signal? hmmmmm... Rob G *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 4/24/2002 12:36:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time, squtch_at_quiet-like-a-panther.org writes: > > would vertigo affect a user with a headband mount. > > I'm not sure what you mean by this. How might wearing a headlamp cause > vertigo? I've worn headlamps for years for both backpacking and paddling > without any problems. > Vertigo generally concerns off balance or dizziness, however, when discussing signal lighting, vertigo is the dizziness related to a flashing signal, usually in nighttime conditions. Imagine driving at night, in snow, rain or fog. Then, flash your headlights to high every second for a bit. One will usually experience vertigo, quickly. I was only addressing the signal potential of the led. And by the way, I caught the ad for the light a couple months ago and have yet to find them. A head mounted led flashing a signal may provide the same consequences. My pfd mounted strobe is a bit of a vertigo producer at night, at sea. I woder if you might test the headmounted led signal at night while paddling to judge its affects compared to a strobe? Rob *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
David Anderson <squtch_at_quiet-like-a-panther.org> wrote: > Okay, so it's my own fault for not paying close enough attention the first > time around on this issue (or the second . . .) > > I have just received a Princeton Tec Aurora LED headlamp to test. It's quite > a nice little light, and one of it's features is that you can set it to 2 > different strobe modes. Slow flashes about every 2 seconds and fast is about > twice a second. Don't know the legal timing for use as a distress signal. A few practical considerations: Any strobing will likely be regarded as a distress signal, AFAIK. Timing may be irrelevant, especially since yours is not omnidirectional. Consequently, an observer will not see every flash. The biggest concern: For locating you in seas, the Coast Guard strongly prefers a constant light. Strobes are hard to focus on, and make keeping you in sight harder than a constant light. A local bar pilot fell into the sea off the Columbia River, and was lost for a couple of hours. The CG helo eventually located him from the splashing his arms made as they flew past, not his strobe (which had failed), and not his reflective tape. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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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