Miata Mailing List: May 1995, Message #37
sponsored by



     


   From: "Alex Little ((919) 254-5038)" 
Subject: Red panel lights
   Date: Mon, 1 May 1995 23:17:52 -0400

> -Dave wrote:
> I believe the reason for red/amber is that it doesn't affect your night
> vision as much.  Anyone know if this is the case for sure?  And why would
> that be useful in submarines?

Here's the perceptual stuff on red dash lights:

Red light is sometimes used to provide visible illumination in environments
where people need to see, but they don't wan't to mess up their 'night vision.'
Red light allows you to remain dark-adapted (so the rods in your retina can
remain sensitive to very low light levels.  then, if you do actually need
to see a faint light, like a target at sea, you don't have to wait an hour
to completely adapt to darkness).  This happens because our night vision 'stuff
is not real sensitive to red light, even at levels bright enough so that the
day vision cells can operate, allowing us to be able to read numbers
and maps and stuff.  Maybe that's why subs were mentioned?

The history:
Red lights were once used in aircraft so that pilots could also see outside at
night.  Now, electronics 'see' better than humans under almost anu conditions,
so the pilot only needs to be able to see the instruments (usually) and
find where his or her coffee cup is located.
Modern cockpits are all lit up and the instruments need to be seen and read
quickly and accurately.  Multicolored lights flash and blink and compete for
the pilot's visual attention; there's plenty of light in this environment.

So, what's this mean to my Miata?  Well Dave is correct -- red doesn't affect
night vision as much.  However, that's not what we want for night driving.
While red/amber lights on a car's instrument panel may look way cool, they
provide no advantage because drivers at night are not dark adapted.  Otherwise,
WE'D WANT OUR HEADLIGHTS OFF (or maybe have dim red ones).  YIKES!
Trust me.  We're better off the way it is.
Miata drivers need to be able to see colors and shapes and things at
night or they may bump into more than just the roadside radar.

I suspect that Mercedes and Lexus may have it right -- they shine white light
on the panel and project thru it too.  (Others may do this also, but I can't
think of them offhand.)  It gives a nice, even illumination without the
funky colors.

Red may appear to glare less, but that's because they generally aren't as
bright as green.  If you cut the green lights down low, they
don't glare much either.  So, there's no real reason other than preference
to use the red.  But, if that's what you like, use it.

That's all for now.
Looking forward to seeing the green lights in my Miata as I drive home soon,
It's been a very long day.

I'll be away for a couple weeks starting tomorrow.  I'll be doing a road
tour of the Colorado rockies and then off to a conference in Denver next week.
Unfortunately, no Miata will be waiting for me at the Denver airport.

Y'all behave....see ya when I get back.
Alex Little
Raleigh, NC