I have a question relating to eyeballs. I like to read in bed but the light bothers Julia. I bought an old tensor lamp that uses 12 volt automobile bulbs and wonder if it would harm me to use a red light bulb for reading at night after she is asleep? Long term for an hour maybe longer most every night.

You might end up with a bad case of pink eye. :) Be very careful!! :) :)

Mike

Thatch, have you thought about those booklights they sell? The earlier ones were quite big and bulky but newer ones are smaller and more compact with just as much light.

I use one sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep and don't want to wake the little lady up.

I'd go with some of the compact lights available,Indigo\Chapters sell a clip on with a flex neck for $5.95 CAD. Red is not that great as it may cause after image or as Mike said Pink-eye :no:

Alan

You can develope conjunctivitis from reading with a red colored light bulb?

No! You develop it from a virus or if there is lots of dsicharge(MMM) from a bacterial infection.
I've seen people with conjunctivitis so bad it looks like their eyes are bleeding

Alan

I use a little booklight uses like 2 AAA batteries lasts for hours perfect light for reading and you can aim so it doesn't practically light up anything but your book.

Too lazy to pull out a physiology text and double-check my tattered memory. A little eye-physiology. Your rods are active in dim light, and do not detect color. Their 'frequency response" (action spectrum) is (IIRC) shifted to red. Cones are color sensitive but require much more light intensity to see. Interestinly, in extremely dim light, our vision is monochromatic.

When your eyes are fully dark-adapted (e.g., an airplane pilot at night, or someone driving an expensive German car), dim to moderate red light will keep your pupils dialated and still give reasonable vision of illuminated objects. Backyard astronomers are using red LED flashlights in the field to maintain their dark adaptation. http://www.telescope.com/shopping/search/searchresultsmain.jsp?fresh=1&searchType=advanced&iMainCat=0&iSubCat=0&attribute14=0&attribute15=0&attribute16=0&RS=1&keyword=LED+flashlight

I.e., red is good (preferred, in fact). The red light can be quite dim.

hmmm... I didn't explain that too well, did I? I think I am channeling Cliff Claven.

Thatch,
I'll ask Dr.Hickey Monday see what he says,Mark does have valid theories there.

Alan

Thanks Alan. I knew the military uses filtered red light in many cases where night vision can't be compromised, and I thought as general lighting in places like CIC on ships where there are a lot of CRTs in use and the background light can't interfere with equipment operators but also command needs to be able to read, write and other things.
I am mainly concerned with long term use. The little book lamps just don't work well for me and I am getting to a point now with trying to shield light that reading in dim light at my age could accelerate the degeneration caused by age.

Conondrum.


I like the little lamp and will fix it reguardless of whether or not I can use it for reading. The small base and telescoping neck, adjustable ball shade make it a usefull piece of American Modern that can a great lamp to be used for doing soldering and close in work. Not with a red bulb though.