Conference vicki::boats

    I have a handheld spot (I think it is a 200000 candle power Q-Beam)
    which I use occasionally. It is good for picking out pots and bouys
    in black sea at night. It does not work like a head light and really
    help you see where you are going. There are alos problems
    of light reflecting back at you and ruining your night vision.
    
    Now I have radar and will need the spot less :-)!
    
    Bruce

    I have a Q-Beam 500k candle power & am (was) a bit disappointed in it
    on two counts:
    
    	1) Draws an incredible ammount of current --
    	   Stupid me didn't realize that if you turned on the light
           while the radar was on the MAIN breaker couldn't handle the
    	   load.   What a suprise I got one night.
    
    	2) The line cord (Cig. lighter) is reasonably short --
           I wanted to use it from the cockpit one night & it wouldn't
           reach from the bridge.
    
    Generally you do not want a light at all -- it destroys your night
    vision instantly & it take quite a while to regain.  However - being
    a river rat there are times that you want to turn one on for a moment
    just to see if that ripple on the surface is current eddy or a log,
    etc...    I found a normal 6v spot to be un-acceptable.
    
    My solution this year was to pick up a Night Tracker -- this is also 
    500k candle power; but, has a rechargeable battery.  It's spec'ed to
    run 20 min on a charge (I feel this is more than I ever need given 
    a click on then right off) it has a trigger/pistol grip & it recharges
    in about 10 hours with the supplied 100v AC charger or 2 hours from the
    cigarette lighter socket.
    
    The jury is out as to long term performance; but, based upon very
    little use I am very pleased -- portable, bright, point & shoot.
    
    Again - in general you shouldn't need a light; this one for me seemed a
    good comprise.
    
                                    Take care,
                                               Lou
    

    I purchased a Q-Beamer a couple years ago in order to pick out the
    bouys in the Parker River (Mass.) at night.  What I found was that
    people who use these lights are annoying to the rest of the boaters
    trying to navigate at night.  (I must have annoyed a few people myself)
    Once you get hit in the face with 400,000 candle power ..even from a
    distance ..it takes awhile for your eyes to again become accustom to
    the dark.  Even the lights in the cockpit tend to affect MY night
    vision.  Now I even cover up my lighted gauges with a towel and motor
    at a snails pace.  It takes awhile but my eyes eventually become tuned
    to even the lobster bouys which are so abundant around Beverly/Salem.
    
    /MArk

We have had a Q-beam for 10 years and have used it once. The reflected
light is enough to destroy your night vision. We find that night adapted
eyes and 7x50 binoculars work much better. It is amazing what you can
see with good (expensive, alas) 7x50s. 

    I have a Coleman lite I bought at BJ's for about $12.  I don't know how
    many candle power, but it will lite up the bouys.  I used It once.
    The glare from it and off the cabin roof destroyed my night vision.
    So I found the side effect to out weight the benifits.
    As a nth opinion, skip the light and buy good binoculars.  
    
    I spliced a longer cord on it and use it for a trouble lite to work on
    the engine.  Best use so far.  Helps find all those things I drop into
    the bilge and some that just appear there by magic.
    
    
    
    KC

    Don't know how big your unit is but you might consider a good remote
    bow light..I have had and used them on many rigs..They are powerfull
    enough usaully with both sopt and flood settings and far enough away
    not to ruin your night sight or your ability to see your instruments
    (radar, depth, etc.).They are not all that difficult to install..

Thanks for all of the replies. It sounds like I should just stick with
an inexpensive hand light.

Thanks,

Bob...