Here's even more of a kicker for my infamous stop sign. A stolen car knocked over the stop sign and the same car knocked a section of my fence down (in daylight). When I came home from work that say, I say an officer there picking up the sign. I walked down to see him and some neighbors at the end of street talking about what happened. The officer even noticed that no cars stop and we said something to him about it. He made a comment which I forgot, but in our favor (nothing has been done yet). Oh yeah, "our favor", like that should be in the case of a stop sign. And this will make you all laugh. In the center of town (in a well lit area) there is a stop sign that is completely lit with lights around the outer edge. This thing sticks out like a sore thumb, and people actually stop. These should go everywhere, with a solar backup.
E2 used to tick off idiot motorist
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Darell
Flashaholic
Ryan- the theme music is PERFECT. But at 2MB a copy I don't want to risk the traffic. So everybody hum your own tune whilst you read on.
First off, let me tell you that my favorite part about being Mr. Science is that I never fear being wrong. And tonight was an excellent example of that because I was REALLY wrong. Don was right, Mr. Science was wrong. The good news is that we all learn. Here you see unretouched shots taken at the same film speed, same shutter speed and same F-stop. What's the difference? One is illuminated by an E2 1" from the camera. The other is illuminated by an E2 10 degrees off-axis from the camera. Can you guess which one is which? When I was performing the illumination, I laughed to myself (as Mr. Science often does, when he isn't laughing *AT* himself) - "these shots will look the same" - the sign seemed THAT bright to me in both situations. But the camera did not lie. After seeing the shots, I went back out, and determined that even a very small angle does make a huge difference.
Don is right, Mr. Science is wrong. Here's the proof:
Tomorrow Dr. Science freezes an Arc AAA.
First off, let me tell you that my favorite part about being Mr. Science is that I never fear being wrong. And tonight was an excellent example of that because I was REALLY wrong. Don was right, Mr. Science was wrong. The good news is that we all learn. Here you see unretouched shots taken at the same film speed, same shutter speed and same F-stop. What's the difference? One is illuminated by an E2 1" from the camera. The other is illuminated by an E2 10 degrees off-axis from the camera. Can you guess which one is which? When I was performing the illumination, I laughed to myself (as Mr. Science often does, when he isn't laughing *AT* himself) - "these shots will look the same" - the sign seemed THAT bright to me in both situations. But the camera did not lie. After seeing the shots, I went back out, and determined that even a very small angle does make a huge difference.
Don is right, Mr. Science is wrong. Here's the proof:
Tomorrow Dr. Science freezes an Arc AAA.
Darell
Flashaholic
So the moral here, is that you'll need to be riding on the roof of the offending car when you light up the sign for them.
So let me get this straight: E2 moved, camera did not?
(Saaby double checks in the preview window since he somehow managed to click the "reply button" and as he does this realizes that the preview window thing scrolls much faster than the window as a whole...)
Yes, it's just not me being illeterate...you never specifically said that the camera does not move. What about 20 feet off but still straight on to the sign?
Remember that basic rule of light that it reflects (Refraction is a whole other game) at the same angle that it was shone at...I mean if you aim at 10 degrees it reflects back at 10 degrees the other way. Say the Stop sign is at 90 degrees...you shine the E2 from 80 degrees, it should blind a motorist at 100 degrees correct? Do we need a scanned Post-it diagram??
(Saaby double checks in the preview window since he somehow managed to click the "reply button" and as he does this realizes that the preview window thing scrolls much faster than the window as a whole...)
Yes, it's just not me being illeterate...you never specifically said that the camera does not move. What about 20 feet off but still straight on to the sign?
Remember that basic rule of light that it reflects (Refraction is a whole other game) at the same angle that it was shone at...I mean if you aim at 10 degrees it reflects back at 10 degrees the other way. Say the Stop sign is at 90 degrees...you shine the E2 from 80 degrees, it should blind a motorist at 100 degrees correct? Do we need a scanned Post-it diagram??
Darell
Flashaholic
Mr. Science was remiss.
First off, reflective material like this cheats. It is NOT a flat mirror, so no, the light doesn't bounce off in a different direction from whence it came - it comes straight on back to the source. The light only bounces back off of the little tiny mirrors (that make up the reflective coating) that are perpendicular to wherever the light source is.
Here's the deal. I set the camera on a tripod in the middle of the street, at the estimated position that the driver of a car would be, 40' back from the sign. Yeah, we don't get a lot of traffic on my street. The camera never moved. For the first shot, I stood on the sidewalk, and calculated the approximate 10 degree angle of light to sign to camera. For that shot, the light was directed at the sign perpendicularly (the sign is in line with the sidewalk). Next I held the light right beside the camera. At this point, both the camera and the light were about 10 degrees off of perpendicular to the sign.
Good enough?
First off, reflective material like this cheats. It is NOT a flat mirror, so no, the light doesn't bounce off in a different direction from whence it came - it comes straight on back to the source. The light only bounces back off of the little tiny mirrors (that make up the reflective coating) that are perpendicular to wherever the light source is.
Here's the deal. I set the camera on a tripod in the middle of the street, at the estimated position that the driver of a car would be, 40' back from the sign. Yeah, we don't get a lot of traffic on my street. The camera never moved. For the first shot, I stood on the sidewalk, and calculated the approximate 10 degree angle of light to sign to camera. For that shot, the light was directed at the sign perpendicularly (the sign is in line with the sidewalk). Next I held the light right beside the camera. At this point, both the camera and the light were about 10 degrees off of perpendicular to the sign.
Good enough?
He He,
Saaby, the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. I think that is what you were after. That rule isn't broken here but if I'm not mistaken, what we have are some tiny glass spheres that are coated on the back side. A photon enters the sphere and then bounces off the back side where it is coated and comes right back at you.
I was all excited about using reflective material on sails at night until I discovered that you would need to wear a headlamp to see the reflective materials. If you think about it, how could the reflective material be that bright from all angles? There isn't that much light hitting it to start with. This would fall into the perpetual motion machines or other free energy devices that somehow defy physics and somehow create energy from nothing.
Saaby, the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection. I think that is what you were after. That rule isn't broken here but if I'm not mistaken, what we have are some tiny glass spheres that are coated on the back side. A photon enters the sphere and then bounces off the back side where it is coated and comes right back at you.
I was all excited about using reflective material on sails at night until I discovered that you would need to wear a headlamp to see the reflective materials. If you think about it, how could the reflective material be that bright from all angles? There isn't that much light hitting it to start with. This would fall into the perpetual motion machines or other free energy devices that somehow defy physics and somehow create energy from nothing.
Jonathan
Enlightened
As a biker/pedestrian/driver, I have noticed that most drivers are perfectly willing to obey the law, as long as they are reminded of it, and perfectly willing to bend the rules if they feel that they won't hurt anyone doing so.
With this in mind, I'd suggest that if you are in a situation where you know that drivers tend to ignore a stop sign, and you have a good flashlight, you should turn it on early enough to announce your presence. Fun as it may be to surprise a driver who is acting foolishly, and arguably driving to endanger, simply having the light on will probably do a better job of getting people to actually stop.
I have noticed when walking around Boston that simply pointing at crosswalk markings will greatly enhance the likelyhood that people will stop.
-Jon
With this in mind, I'd suggest that if you are in a situation where you know that drivers tend to ignore a stop sign, and you have a good flashlight, you should turn it on early enough to announce your presence. Fun as it may be to surprise a driver who is acting foolishly, and arguably driving to endanger, simply having the light on will probably do a better job of getting people to actually stop.
I have noticed when walking around Boston that simply pointing at crosswalk markings will greatly enhance the likelyhood that people will stop.
-Jon
BuddTX
Flashlight Enthusiast
I once found some blinking AA lights with a red reflective cover for 99 cents each at an electronics store, bought several of them, and clasped them to my Stop Sign.
Lasted a day, then they were gone, but the next day, an automated radar detector with driver visible display of current speed was placed at the stop sign for several days.
I assume police took down the blinkers, and had the radar detector placed there.
Lasted a day, then they were gone, but the next day, an automated radar detector with driver visible display of current speed was placed at the stop sign for several days.
I assume police took down the blinkers, and had the radar detector placed there.
AlphalphaPB
Newly Enlightened
Unexpectedly shining a very bright light into a motorist's face is not the best thing to do.
You think speeding through stop signs is dangerous? Then stop making it even more dangerous by blinding drivers heading through those stop signs. I think you should use your flashlight to let them know of your presence, perhaps by shining the light around in front of you, at your feet, or at the stop sign.
I've noticed that some people that like non-mainstream hobbies (e.g. guns, knives, flashlights) have a "them-versus-us" way of thinking. Sure, people don't understand why you're a flashaholic. Yes, people might be idiots. But your passion for flashlights isn't a free license for you to endanger other peoples' lives, even if they do the same to you.
There are more intelligent ways to get "good laughs" and "big chuckles", while making the roads safer for everyone.
You think speeding through stop signs is dangerous? Then stop making it even more dangerous by blinding drivers heading through those stop signs. I think you should use your flashlight to let them know of your presence, perhaps by shining the light around in front of you, at your feet, or at the stop sign.
I've noticed that some people that like non-mainstream hobbies (e.g. guns, knives, flashlights) have a "them-versus-us" way of thinking. Sure, people don't understand why you're a flashaholic. Yes, people might be idiots. But your passion for flashlights isn't a free license for you to endanger other peoples' lives, even if they do the same to you.
There are more intelligent ways to get "good laughs" and "big chuckles", while making the roads safer for everyone.
