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Old 07-16-19, 10:04 AM   #5
Pisces
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Join Date: Dec 2004
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If the wiki isn't proof enough

Accustoming to dark light conditions does indeed take time, like 15 to 30 minutes in the absence of (bright) light sources. I have no RL experience in naval/maritime operations, let alone subs, but it is a well known effect made use of in visual astronomy. After a while the faint stars and the milky way are easier to distinguish. Until a car drives by with it's headlights on the country road in the middle of nowhere where we set up our telescopes. Then it's ruined again.

With normal light from the hydrophone shack being more ambient rather than intense point sources it probably doesn't need to be in red-light conditions there. Looking into a bright (white) point source focusses that light onto your retina and kills the sensitivity. So whoever is up for bridge duty or has chances to look through the scopes would want to have red light. Which does not reduce the sensitivity that much. Since you can't really predict when that is the case I guess it is reasonable to make that a rule to have it red all the time from sunset to sunrise. But who am I, I'm just a landlubber in real life.

p.s. I've watched a bunch of youtube/twitch streams where they suggest rigging for red reduces battery consumption. I would guess that is an urban myth. I see no reason why that would reduce the battery drain by the electric motors.
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