What do you use to light up the compass?

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What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby JR-Orion » May 12, 2011 12:39 pm

And do you think a metal body light, or a plastic light with high tech regulated LEDs, could throw off a compass reading?

Some people take off their helmet and use that light, and I've tried that a few times. Doesn't work well in really tight conditions though.

Normally I go with a little flashlight for lighting the compass / clino. Princeton Tec Attitue is my favorite so far (mini review here)-

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10332

I've also used a $6 LED grocery store light that I bought on a whim. It had a red laser pointer built in, which turned out to be pretty darn useful while in the cave. It was similar to this-

http://www.amazon.com/Led-Flashlight-La ... B002YLBA9S
Not the most high quality item ever, but it's still going strong after two rather rough trips.

Just got this, as it was on sale for a crazy price and I couldn't resist-
http://www.scuba.com/shop/display.asp_id_026553
Haven't tried it underground yet.
Letting the days go by / water flowing underground
Into the blue again / in the silent water
Under the rocks and stones / there is water underground.
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby Scott McCrea » May 12, 2011 12:56 pm

Sight Lights, of course. :big grin:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8853
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby Chads93GT » May 12, 2011 1:06 pm

Everyone I survey with either cocks their helmlet back to keep the light from throwing off the compass, or they use their helmet in hand to light up the compass, OR...........they do what I do.............use the helmet to light up the glow in the dark stickers for the suunto and use THAT as a light source. I don't see why you would have a problem using your helmet light in "tight places" because "tight passages" that we survey here that are 10" high or less, we cant even have our helmets on to get through.............

some use a mini mag light in their hand to light it up, but they still cockt heir helmet back to keep it from throwing off the reading. Everyone I have surveyed with...about 95% of all shots are done without a helmet on.
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby JR-Orion » May 12, 2011 1:09 pm

Scott McCrea wrote:Sight Lights, of course. :big grin:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8853


Those look great. Would also cut down on the gymnastics sometimes required when trying to hold the compass and a light.

:kewl:

Never heard of them until now, so thanks for mentioning them.
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Under the rocks and stones / there is water underground.
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby Chads93GT » May 12, 2011 1:15 pm

JR-Orion wrote:
Scott McCrea wrote:Sight Lights, of course. :big grin:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8853


Those look great. Would also cut down on the gymnastics sometimes required when trying to hold the compass and a light.

:kewl:

Never heard of them until now, so thanks for mentioning them.


They work great but you have to have a high lumen LED to really make them shine. Trying to light them up with the 4led setting on an apex wont cut it. Need to use the 3 watt setting on the apex, or high on a fenix, etc. you get the idea. HIGH intensity to charge them up and they work great.
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby Scott McCrea » May 12, 2011 3:08 pm

Chads93GT wrote:They work great but you have to have a high lumen LED to really make them shine. Trying to light them up with the 4led setting on an apex wont cut it. Need to use the 3 watt setting on the apex, or high on a fenix, etc. you get the idea. HIGH intensity to charge them up and they work great.

The more light you put on the Sight Light material, the faster is soaks it up. Meaning it will charge faster if you hold it directly against the light, rather than an inch or two away. It will charge faster if you put it on a big source. The hard part is getting the material directly over the light. If it is off to the side an inch, it doesn't work as well. Big wide lights, like multiple LEDs, Duo 18, etc, work well. Big, bright LEDs, like 3 watters, work well. You can practice in the mirror to figure out where exactly to hold the instrument to get the best charging.

However, I sometimes find it easier to charge them with a non-helmet light. I use a tiny, single 5mm LED light for a station marker. A few seconds of that dumping light directly into the Sight Light material is plenty.
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby Extremeophile » May 12, 2011 5:16 pm

Sorry Scott, but I didn't have as positive an experience with the Sight Lights. I had them on my Tandem for a couple months, but didn't see the point. If I have to use a small hand-held light to charge them up, then why not just use the hand-held to read the instrument (eliminates a step). I also typically try to conserve my batteries while surveying so I have more lumens for the trip in and out of the cave, so I don't want to have to keep my light on a high setting to get the phosphorescent material bright enough be useful. I didn't experiment with the Sight Lights much... trying to charge them with my headlamp on a lower setting resulted in not being able to read the dial. Perhaps I needed more training.

In low crawls I often bounce the light off the ceiling to read the dial.
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby NZcaver » May 12, 2011 5:50 pm

Or you could get a Suunto Twin, which has luminous dials. :woohoo:

Image

Unfortunately the Twin has been discontinued, so you'd be lucky to find one or pry it away from a gadget-obsessed caver who hoards spares. :laughing:
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby Scott McCrea » May 12, 2011 7:13 pm

Extremeophile wrote: I didn't experiment with the Sight Lights much...

Of course, I think you should try some more. I always run my Duo 18 on medium. It is plenty bright to give a hearty charge in about 3-5 seconds. The hardest part is making sure you get the Sight Light material exactly over the source.
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby NZcaver » May 12, 2011 9:36 pm

A couple of small dabs of Tritium paint might be more effective ... :shrug:
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby Anonymous_Coward » May 13, 2011 1:54 pm

I always read my suuntos with my Stenlight Premium held 5mm from the compass card. And I never do backsights...
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Re: What do you use to light up the compass?

Postby MUD » May 13, 2011 2:32 pm

I use Scott's site lites. I like em! But I don't use them until I scoop every available foot of passage. SCOOP as ya go! :laughing:
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