Tried a red flashlight for night vision and almost lost my dark adaption anyway

I picked up a cheap red flashlight off Amazon for like $8 thinking I was being smart about preserving my night vision while looking at star charts. First night out in my backyard in Austin I used it to check my finder scope and it felt fine at first. But after a few minutes I noticed I could barely make out faint stars that I had been seeing clearly before. Turns out the filter on this thing lets through some orange light too, not just red. It basically ruined my whole session because I kept going back to it every time I needed to tweak something. I ended up having to wait 20 minutes for my eyes to adjust again each time. Has anyone else run into a fake red light problem or found a brand that actually works for backyard stargazing?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_foster682mo ago

Man fake stuff is everywhere now, it's like nothing is made properly anymore even simple things.

luna_clark382mo ago

My buddy just got a new pair of boots online, supposed to be real leather. He wore them twice and the sole just peeled right off like it was glued on with nothing. He took them to a cobbler who laughed and said it was basically pressed cardboard with a thin plastic coating. The guy said he sees that kind of thing all the time now, stuff that looks okay but falls apart if you actually use it. My friend was so mad he just threw them out, said it wasn't even worth the hassle of trying to get a refund. Makes you wonder what else we're buying that's just junk in a nice package.

jordan3302mo ago

Pressed cardboard with a plastic coating? That's wild, I had no idea it got that bad. I bought a pair of work boots last year and the sole started separating after three months, but at least they were real leather. Your buddy's cobbler must have seen some ridiculous stuff come through that door. Makes you wonder how many shoes we've all bought that are basically just fancy trash.