Headlamp Safelight?

[Harlan Chapman]

Is anyone using something like a red LED headlight as a safelight?
If so, what?
I need safelights in my darkroom.
If the headlamp is a viable safelight that would certainly simplify things.
Thank you.
-Harlan

[Leigh]

The Thomas Duplex safelight uses a sodium vapor (yellow) lamp that's bright enough to read tiny print on bottle labels anywhere in the darkroom.

A headlight with red or yellow LEDs would probably work, but I don't know if you can find one, white being the commonly-used color for such devices.

Graded photo paper emulsions are sensitive to blue light, while variable-contrast papers are sensitive to blue and green.

I assume you're not looking for anything that would be safe with panchromatic film.

- Leigh

[Brian C. Miller]

I use a Princeton Tec headlamp. It fits onto a headband, and the red LED is bright. I bought it quite a while ago, and I don't know if it's currently made. There are other red LED headlamps, though. The Princeton Tec Byte data says it has a red LED light.

[ac12]

I had a WHITE painted darkroom, and all I needed was 2 safelights with 7-1/2 watt bulbs. The white walls and floor made that small bulb work just fine and there wasn't a spot in the darkroom that wasn't illuminated by direct or reflected light. And with the safelights only a few feet above the chemical trays, I could not use a 60 watt bulb.

[Leigh]

My darkroom is also solid white, except for the tiled floor which is light colored. Even the cabinets are white.

My single Thomas Duplex safelight is at the right-hand end of the 8-foot sink, about four feet from the entrance. It easily illuminates the entire room.

- Leigh

[domaz]

You could find a cheap one watt headlamp and swap out the white LED for a red one watt LED.

[gnuyork]

Many of the head lamps out now come with the red led as an option. Not sure if it would be a safe light though. I've never used anything other than darkroom safelights designed for the task. Is any spectrum of red light considered safe?

[Leigh]

Is any spectrum of red light considered safe?

Photographic papers are only sensitive to green and blue light.

LEDs are monochromatic by definition, so red is red with no spill-over. I expect they would be unconditionally safe.


- Leigh

[MIke Sherck]

Every once in a while someone from the local astronomy club will pop excitedly into a meeting with news that they've found red headlamps at Harbor Freight or elsewhere. The last lot they found had dimmable LEDs and the mad rush of amateur astronomers bought all of them within a couple of days.

So they're out there, you might want to ask local astronomers whether they have a source.

Mike

[bobwysiwyg]

How about this?

http://www.google.com/products/catal...wAg#ps-sellers