The pirates used one why can't I?

[rjphil]

I be a fine-arrrrrt photographer

[Ralph Barker]

[riooso]

Hey wait a minute Ralph, I don't think that is a legal smiley face!

Richard

[RDKirk]

Perhaps, but I doubt it would work as well. The idea is to entirely deprive that eye of all light to get it's highest sensitivity up and running.

Not necessary. It only has to be dim enough to keep the rods activated, and each rod is digital--on or off. That's why USAAF crews used red lights in the ready room before nighttime missions--instead of patches.