Tactical advantage to colored flashlight filters ?

[hexidismal]

I've seen the colored flip up filters for weapon mounted flashlights like the TLR-2, M6X , etc . Now, the IR filters , that one makes obvious sense if one intends to use alongside night vision technology. For the life of me though, I cannot figure out what the Red, Blue, and Green filters are for, though they are sold as tactical accessories.. What haven't I thought of that would make colored filters useful on a weaponlight ?

 

[rcmodel]

Red is used to preserve your night vision.

Blue is used for blood tracking as it makes blood spots very visable.

Green I haven't seen, and I couldn't tell you.

rcmodel

 

[hexidismal]

Interesting. After some google-ing I read up on the preservation of night vision through the use of red light and found some mixed ideas and data.

This is an interesting rebuttal to the theory
http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/

As far as the blue light for blood tracking, also interesting, I wasn't aware of that either. Most likely I would have already known that if I was a hunter, but I don't hunt.

And with the green , some research did turn up this on pentagonlight.com. "Since by adaptation, eye sights of most wild animals are least sensitive to the color of green, therefore, green lights are ideal for signaling your hunting buddies or to provide illumination during trap rigging without spooking the game."

I do kind of doubt there are many hunters out there using something like a TLR-2 weaponlight on a hunting gun , but heck .. maybe there is, what do I know .

 

[Funderb]

both red and blue preserve night vision, red is a bit better, blue is good for a night with a full moon because it blends well with the natural moonlight. Green, eh?


edit: well, darn, I guess blue is better for night vision, Edward Abbey was right.
thanks hex.

 

[rcmodel]

They need to tell the military about that blue business.

I think they are still using red cockpit lighting, and providing red filtered map reading lights.

rc

 

[Funderb]

we still use red instrument lights in our plane!

but as the article said, color is less important than intensity.

 

[nalioth]

Blue light alone does nothing for blood tracking.

Patent

The 3 colors all date back quite a ways in the military and are for signaling and reduced light signatures.

 

[Slinky]

An advantage to green lights is that they show up well on NVDs wothout "blooming-out" , Our Helicopter's Intruments were all illuminated in green for this reason. This is also why EOTech/Aimpoint offer "Green-Dot" sights.

Blue is the standard color for signaling (atleast among Airdales, don't know about ground-pounders) as it won't be mistaken for flames or muzzle flash.

Red's purpose has already been covered.

 

[Funderb]

The 3 colors all date back quite a ways in the military and are for signaling and reduced light signatures.

bingo!

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Years ago I was told we used blue lights because the blue wavelength didn't travel as far. I have no idea if that is reason for blue lights or was an explanation they told nosey privates.

 

[Funderb]

Jorg is getting at red shift, but ... well, yeah.

 

[Jon_Snow]

The blue light also doesn't 'bounce' as much, in that it doesn't relect off of surfaces as far. That's why stagehands use blue backlighting while working behind a closed curtain. The blue is harder to see under the curtain than red or green.

 

[rcmodel]

Blue light alone does nothing for blood tracking.

Someone should probably tell Surefire that then.

http://www.surefire.com/FM26-Blue-Filter

http://www.surefire.com/FM25-Red-Filter

rc

 

[black bear]

Red is lousy for reading maps, it wash out other colors and make hard to spot roads and lakes.

Blue is lousy for blood tracking as it make it appears black, will be okay in snow, but was bad for tracking bear blood in Northen Maine in September, due to the green vegetation.

The best for blood tracking is a strong WHITE light.

White



Red



Blue



Cheers
Black Bear