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Black out driving light?

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    Posted: 17 May 2022 at 8:36pm
 I am thinking about a blackout driving light on my 2a to use when I'm sneaking into the area I hunt before daylight.  However, I don't know anyone nearby who has one, so I have no idea how much light they give.  My objective would be to be able to roll over the ridge in 1st gear high range and not light up the top of the ridge or the whole valley on my way down in the other side. Is this practical using a blackout driving light that mounts on the fender?  Can I get 12V bulb to work in one?.  I see several different options on line.  Big $$ for an original NOS, or 1/2 that for a new made in India version.
I've been using the parking lights, but they make more of a general dim glow that lights up the sides of the trail and the trees above but doesn't really show up the trail surface very well, and using them lights the taillights as well. I'm looking to light the ground maybe 5 to 10 feet in front of the bumper enough that I don't drop a wheel into one of the holes in the old culverts. 


Edited by BD1 - 17 May 2022 at 8:37pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 48cj2a Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2022 at 9:32pm
I've done a lot of night driving with blackout lights and using night vision in my Military career. They do not give hardly any light at all. Look into red or low wattage amber might even try pointing them more downward instead of flooding in front of you.

Experiment with putting some duct tape over your lights and cut out a 1 1/2" rectangle in the center.

This is an early VW head light cover to give you an idea.







Edited by 48cj2a - 17 May 2022 at 9:40pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ron D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2022 at 9:48pm
The game won't hear the motor long before they see the light?

x2 on "not much light at all".
You might see something 10 feet in front of your bumper.
Maybe not if going too fast.



Edited by Ron D - 17 May 2022 at 9:50pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote General Eisenhower Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2022 at 10:42pm
Originally posted by Ron D Ron D wrote:

The game won't hear the motor long before they see the light?

x2 on "not much light at all".
You might see something 10 feet in front of your bumper.
Maybe not if going too fast.


Ditto on both those points. Now we use nightvision to improve visibility but the goggles actually destroy your depth perception. And then you have to manually focus for different ranges. It would be a hassle.
Now the  fender BO light on the modern trucks puts almost no light out just like they used to. As stated whatever you are sneaking up on will hear you before it sees you. 
Unless you are sneaking by artillery fire grids or not trying to be seen from the air, then they would work 
Honestly you might have better luck leaving the lights on and moving faster; deer seem to be attracted to that lol


Edited by General Eisenhower - 17 May 2022 at 10:44pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BD1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 May 2022 at 5:32am
The sound of vehicles does not seem to bother game much as long as you don’t stop. I often pass does on the way in. Even the headlights don’t seem to bother them much when you pass them. But on my stand I have seen headlights sweeping through the trees from vehicles coming into the valley start the deer moving out of the open cuts into cover. That’s what I want to avoid.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote General Eisenhower Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 May 2022 at 6:41am
You might have success making covers for your headlights, from there you can control how much light gets out and where
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tamnalan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 June 2022 at 8:16pm
I've run my MB some with the stock fender-mount blackout light at night.   I chased jpet around one night with that dang light.   My kidneys are still complaining from all the bumps I never saw...

It's worthless, IMHO
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Oldpappy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 June 2022 at 11:29pm
They work okay for following a vehicle in front of you, not so much for seeing where you are going. The whole idea is "black out" which was to keep a string of vehicles from being visible from the air. 

Not a good choice for your need, and you would probably be better off with some simple bumper mount lights pointed down a bit. Deer aren't so smart, and once you are at your stand they will have forgotten about the strange noises and lights from 20 minutes ago.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bruce W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 June 2022 at 11:54pm
  I once followed a young lieutenant on foot thru the woods at night with a convoy of M60A1’s and APC’s behind me. All I could see were the two white shoe polish dots on his combat boots, until he fell into a ditch and disappeared. Lucky the whole convoy didn’t follow him in. Who knows what the white dots were for? 😉
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jpet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 June 2022 at 7:07am
Originally posted by Oldpappy Oldpappy wrote:

They work okay for following a vehicle in front of you, not so much for seeing where you are going. The whole idea is "black out" which was to keep a string of vehicles from being visible from the air. 


That’s what I was thinking.

Originally posted by tamnalan tamnalan wrote:

I've run my MB some with the stock fender-mount blackout light at night.   I chased jpet around one night with that dang light. ...
that was so much fun. Playing Jeep hide and seek at night during FCT. I just shut my lights off. Only light I had was moonlight. .... I miss those days ... <sigh> ... now back to your scheduled program
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