dementedmopar
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What exactly are black out lamps... i see them once in awhile on the web but no pics... and i was wondering if any of you guys had some on your trucks
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Black out lights
- Thread starter dementedmopar
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BFR
Rocket Surgeon
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in theory they are so you can travel at night w/o attracting the attention of the enemy. They tend to be dim and sheilded to where they only shine towards the ground.
Deuceswild
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dementedmopar ,
Here are a couple of pics for you.
Here are a couple of pics for you.
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dementedmopar
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Oh I see how it works... thanks a lot... so i guess to find a set of them on M880 is rare?
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M880 retro fit kits complete with the light switch are still out there. The kits show up often on ebay for around $70 then you need a 3 level light switch.
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The blackout lighting system is done in two parts, the driving light is hooded and shines in a predetermined pattern with just enough (yeah, right) light to make your way.
The blackout markers are made up such that the human eye will resolve the "cat-eyes" to look like triangles if you are at a safe distance in a night convoy. If you see the "cat eyes" or the individual slits, you are too close and may hit the truck in front of you.
There are also red or white blackout clearance lights for big trailers, and there are blackout stop lights that are a single white triangle.
MV's have red dash lighting so you will not have any afterimage when checking your gages and then looking back to the road.
dg
The blackout markers are made up such that the human eye will resolve the "cat-eyes" to look like triangles if you are at a safe distance in a night convoy. If you see the "cat eyes" or the individual slits, you are too close and may hit the truck in front of you.
There are also red or white blackout clearance lights for big trailers, and there are blackout stop lights that are a single white triangle.
MV's have red dash lighting so you will not have any afterimage when checking your gages and then looking back to the road.
dg
dementedmopar
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Wow! thanks for the info... much more clear now... i cant imagine driving in a convoy thats pretty much pitch black... thanks again for the info
I highly doubt it will work for his truck. The wiring was redone on the Dodge trucks in the `80's, and therefore the blackout wiring harness likely won't work for his truck. By the way, the description that was given for the "cat's eyes" may be accurate for other trucks, but not for the M880's. On the M880 rear tail lights, for each corner light, there are 5 LED type lights, four red (two groupings of two, on the sides, one yellow in the center.) The yellow light only comes on when the brakes are applied, the other two sets of two are running lights and are on all the time. When one looks at them from a short distance, one can see all four together, giving the appearance of a black vertical pupil in the center of two red "cat's eyes". The idea is that if you are driving too close in a convoy, you will be able to see all four lights on each corner of the truck. If you are too far away, you will only see one (they blur together at a certain distance. and if you are driving at just the right distance from the truck in front of you, it will appear as only two red dots.
Edit: I went back and searched some of my documents and found this little section on "night movements" In a Marine Corp. training manual(Sorry, I don't know what the specific document was, it was only an exerpt): Some of the details are different than for the M880's (the front marker lights and brake lights are yellow, not white, and I recall the given distances were different) but this ought to give you the gist of it.
2. NIGHT MOVEMENTS:
a. In addition to Before Operations PMCS, before you participate in night movement operations, you should do the following:
(1) Review the operation of the blackout light switches.
(2) Check that the blackout drive light and blackout composite lights are functioning.
(3) Allow at least an hour prior to departing for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
b. Night movement may be required for tactical reasons or as a response to some new development that may be either administrative or tactical in nature. Random night movements can also be effective in denying the enemy information as to the commander’s intent.
c. Prior departure on a night movement, you will be briefed about the mission. The mission brief may include information on convoy organization, vehicle assignments, departure and arrival times, traffic control and compliance, march route maximum and minimum speeds, halts and handling vehicle gaps in different situations.
d. When operating at night, the vehicle can travel wither in normal mode or blackout mode. The headlights, clearance lights and marker lights will function in normal mode.
e. Under blackout mode, the blackout drive light and blackout composite light will function.
f. Under blackout conditions, the distance between vehicles will close to between 60 and 180 feet, and speed will not exceed 10 miles per hour.
g. Blackout light switches.
(1) The blackout select switch is a two-position switch. Changing the position of this switch changes the exterior lights between normal and blackout modes. A smaller red switch is located on the lower half of the switch. It is used to lock and unlock the blackout switch. This prevents the accidental operation of regular headlights during blackout tactical operations.
(2) The blackout light switch is a three-position switch. It turns the blackout drive and service lights ON and OFF. The center position turns on the blackout service and brake lights only. The up position turns the blackout drive on, while the down position turns both the blackout drive and blackout service lights OFF.
h. The blackout marker lights provide a means of locating a vehicle during blackout operations without the use of headlights. The MK23 has four blackout marker lights.
(1) The rear blackout marker light will appear red when lit. Blackout marker lights are low in intensity making them hard to see from above. They are designed, however, to aid the operator of a following vehicle in determining the distance between the two vehicles.
(a) The shape of the light, as seen from behind the vehicle, will change in appearance depending on the distance between the front vehicle and the following vehicle.
(b) If the distance between the two vehicles is 60 to 180 feet, or about the proper interval, then the blackout markers will appear as a pair of red lights.
(c) If the distance is less than 60 feet, then the blackout light appears as four lights side by side.
(d) If the distance between the two vehicles is over 180 feet, then the blackout light appears as one light.
(2) The rear blackout stoplights are located directly beneath the blackout marker lights on each side of the vehicle. They are white in color and indicate that the vehicle in front of you is braking.
(3) Two front blackout marker lights show white when lit and are located on the front of the vehicle directly under the turn signals. They will not provide enough light it light the road in front of you, but will indicate your position to other vehicles or personnel approaching from the front.
(a) From the distance of 60 feet to 180 feet, the blackout light will appear as a pair of white lights.
(b) If the distance is less than 60 feet, the blackout light appears as four lights side by side.
(c) At a distance of greater than 180 feet they will not be seen.
i. The blackout drive light is a hooded lamp, which directs a diffused beam to the ground.
(1) It is used to illuminate a small portion of the road, just enough so the operator can safely operate the vehicle without giving away his position; and cannot be seen from more than 250 feet away.
(2) The blackout drive light is usually mounted on the grill of the vehicle. The blackout drive light may also be mounted above, below or to the left of the driver’s side headlight.
Edit: I went back and searched some of my documents and found this little section on "night movements" In a Marine Corp. training manual(Sorry, I don't know what the specific document was, it was only an exerpt): Some of the details are different than for the M880's (the front marker lights and brake lights are yellow, not white, and I recall the given distances were different) but this ought to give you the gist of it.
2. NIGHT MOVEMENTS:
a. In addition to Before Operations PMCS, before you participate in night movement operations, you should do the following:
(1) Review the operation of the blackout light switches.
(2) Check that the blackout drive light and blackout composite lights are functioning.
(3) Allow at least an hour prior to departing for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
b. Night movement may be required for tactical reasons or as a response to some new development that may be either administrative or tactical in nature. Random night movements can also be effective in denying the enemy information as to the commander’s intent.
c. Prior departure on a night movement, you will be briefed about the mission. The mission brief may include information on convoy organization, vehicle assignments, departure and arrival times, traffic control and compliance, march route maximum and minimum speeds, halts and handling vehicle gaps in different situations.
d. When operating at night, the vehicle can travel wither in normal mode or blackout mode. The headlights, clearance lights and marker lights will function in normal mode.
e. Under blackout mode, the blackout drive light and blackout composite light will function.
f. Under blackout conditions, the distance between vehicles will close to between 60 and 180 feet, and speed will not exceed 10 miles per hour.
g. Blackout light switches.
(1) The blackout select switch is a two-position switch. Changing the position of this switch changes the exterior lights between normal and blackout modes. A smaller red switch is located on the lower half of the switch. It is used to lock and unlock the blackout switch. This prevents the accidental operation of regular headlights during blackout tactical operations.
(2) The blackout light switch is a three-position switch. It turns the blackout drive and service lights ON and OFF. The center position turns on the blackout service and brake lights only. The up position turns the blackout drive on, while the down position turns both the blackout drive and blackout service lights OFF.
h. The blackout marker lights provide a means of locating a vehicle during blackout operations without the use of headlights. The MK23 has four blackout marker lights.
(1) The rear blackout marker light will appear red when lit. Blackout marker lights are low in intensity making them hard to see from above. They are designed, however, to aid the operator of a following vehicle in determining the distance between the two vehicles.
(a) The shape of the light, as seen from behind the vehicle, will change in appearance depending on the distance between the front vehicle and the following vehicle.
(b) If the distance between the two vehicles is 60 to 180 feet, or about the proper interval, then the blackout markers will appear as a pair of red lights.
(c) If the distance is less than 60 feet, then the blackout light appears as four lights side by side.
(d) If the distance between the two vehicles is over 180 feet, then the blackout light appears as one light.
(2) The rear blackout stoplights are located directly beneath the blackout marker lights on each side of the vehicle. They are white in color and indicate that the vehicle in front of you is braking.
(3) Two front blackout marker lights show white when lit and are located on the front of the vehicle directly under the turn signals. They will not provide enough light it light the road in front of you, but will indicate your position to other vehicles or personnel approaching from the front.
(a) From the distance of 60 feet to 180 feet, the blackout light will appear as a pair of white lights.
(b) If the distance is less than 60 feet, the blackout light appears as four lights side by side.
(c) At a distance of greater than 180 feet they will not be seen.
i. The blackout drive light is a hooded lamp, which directs a diffused beam to the ground.
(1) It is used to illuminate a small portion of the road, just enough so the operator can safely operate the vehicle without giving away his position; and cannot be seen from more than 250 feet away.
(2) The blackout drive light is usually mounted on the grill of the vehicle. The blackout drive light may also be mounted above, below or to the left of the driver’s side headlight.
glj
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Is it done differently now?
I'm not military, so I don,t know these things. But it seams that a modern "blackout light" might consist of an IR illuminator; the driver wearing night vision goggles. This might be good, unless, of course, the bad guys have night vision capability; even a PVS-14. I'm sure I'm behind the curve, and this has likely been done. It has, in fact, at least in the mountain trails around Dammeron Valley.
Gary
I'm not military, so I don,t know these things. But it seams that a modern "blackout light" might consist of an IR illuminator; the driver wearing night vision goggles. This might be good, unless, of course, the bad guys have night vision capability; even a PVS-14. I'm sure I'm behind the curve, and this has likely been done. It has, in fact, at least in the mountain trails around Dammeron Valley.
Gary
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I am checking the B/O light driving on my deuce tomorrow night. (I get my N/V goggles in!!! YAY!!!! 
glj
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The small amount of reflected light from the "blackouts" will improve your ability to see at night using your night vision goggles. Same as will the stars, etc. However, starlight (and blackout lights) are "visible" spectrum light, and can be seen by the human eye. Infrared (IR) light cannot be seen (unless you are using NV goggles). Ah, there is the rub. We are all born with the ability to see visible light (most of us, anyway), but we can see IR as well with Night Vision, and I guess that is really the problem. All modern militaries have Night Vision equipment and will be able to see you coming. So, yes, the blackouts will enhance your ability to see at night, and hopefully the enemy will not see the downward deflected visible light. If one were to attach one or more of the many IR illuminators (LED or laser), such as the one Pentagon light offers (LED; close quarters, or short distance), or the Atilla (high power laser IR) for 1000 meters or so, you will be able to drive full speed all lights out; and hope the law or the bad guys don't have NV as well (and even better if they were deaf).
Gary
Gary
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