Power Kite Forum

Is it wrong ...

Kamikuza - 5-3-2010 at 06:46 AM

... to seriously consider buying night-vision goggles so I can kite at night?

cheezycheese - 5-3-2010 at 07:09 AM

No worse than me considering a small truck to lug all my stuff around...:embarrased::embarrased::crazy:
night vision flying sounds like fun though... :bigok:

indigo_wolf - 5-3-2010 at 07:11 AM

Please post the police report that will eventually ensue from the local constables trying to figure out this activity. ;) :smilegrin:

ATB,
Sam

Drewculous - 5-3-2010 at 07:17 AM

do it lol!!
but you also gotta find a nightvision filter for the gopro :puzzled:

rocfighter - 5-3-2010 at 09:17 AM

Not wrong, a bit bizzare to the police perhaps!!

DenisLaMenace - 5-3-2010 at 09:42 AM

you can tie LUMISTICK to your kite and yourself, so you can be viewed and you know where your kite is.
http://www.glowuniverse.com/storefrontprofiles/deluxeSFshop....

bobalooie57 - 5-3-2010 at 10:04 AM

@ cheezy, see my newest Tug Hill post. The kites go in back of the front seat(king cab), buggy and equip. locked under the cap in back!!!

acampbell - 5-3-2010 at 10:06 AM

Lets see what Phreerider has to say. He kites at night a lot.

lad - 5-3-2010 at 10:25 AM

Sounds pretty fanatic :shocked2:

I think those night goggles will still impair your peripheral vision, which you're going to need to watch the kite/steering/ground obstacles at the same time (esp AT NIGHT!)

Drewculous - 5-3-2010 at 10:32 AM

if you insist on glo-sticks... make your own!





this guy has awesome videos!

lunchbox - 5-3-2010 at 10:43 AM

Hey Kami...I've thougtht about the same thing...the only thing holding me back was the price and of course the lack of wind...hardly ever seems to blow here at night :thumbdown:

lad - 5-3-2010 at 11:46 AM

Back in the early 80's, I was hypodermically transferring activated Cynalume lightstick juice into sealed, clear tubing for uh, "helium balloon performance art pieces" (aka homebrewed UFOs) :evil:

Never got into the evening news, though. :cool:

flyboy15 - 5-3-2010 at 02:10 PM

Flying at night is freakin awesome. In my opinion it can easily beat flying at day, but in a totally diffent category of fun. Can't get enough night flights in, I wish I could sleep more in the day ha!

We just had a convo in class today about night vision pilot ops. Pretty crazy stuff, our prof talked to a guy who flew in brazil for "their government".... in black painted........ machine-gun armed cropdusters......... spraying herbicide onto drug fields......on the side of mountains......through small arms fire......at night. :crazy:

Anyway, that would be fun to try some NOG (HAHA excuse my nerdy accro) while throwin a kite around.

Wonder what happens when a car's headlights passes the field lol :puzzled:

rocfighter - 5-3-2010 at 02:32 PM

Many years ago when the Hamonasset kite fest. ( then soundwinds) started the first day had no wind. But in the evening the wind picked up great. So out came all the kites and lights. There where reports from across Long Island sound (in Long Island) about strange lights in the sky over the sound. The police and park officials where not all that amused :dunno:

Hardrock - 5-3-2010 at 04:16 PM

Kami. I wouldn't recommend night vision for flying a kite.

I have a pair of Generation 3 ITT Night Mariner 250.

The view is all green. They work on ambient light. You wouldn't have much luck on an overcast night. At least some stars would need to be out.

They are great for boating and saved my butt many times. But keeping a kite in the field of view, would be a lot of head and neck work.

If you buy anything for night time use, get FLIR.

Thermal Imaging is the way to go no matter what your doing.
Still gona set you back 3 to 4 grand for a personal unit but man you would have some fun with it.

http://www.flir.com/cvs/americas/en/maritime/

I have a finger size scar on the front of my boat where I was cruising about 50mph at 3am using NV. The bow light was messing up the view so I was holding high. I thought now this is a clean line for the next half mile. Set down the NV and wham! ran right into a buoy. Scared the chitt outa me.

NV isn't meant to be used around any artificial light. It will just be a big blur.

But with the Thermal stuff, you will see everything.

Maven454 - 5-3-2010 at 04:22 PM

I've used some of the FLIR thermal stuff. It's sweet. I wish I could manage to justify buying a unit for myself. I've got some fun ideas :D.

Kamikuza - 5-3-2010 at 05:16 PM

I bought my present car cos I couldn't fit enough kite gear in the previous car. This one cost me another $300 a year in tax alone :ticking: but it's worth it!

Mmm ... FLIR ...

The park is out in the boonies and there's not really such a concept as street lights in Japan - well you'd need footpaths for those wouldn't you! but there is a road nearby.
Oh wait what am I thinking? My Sony F707 has night view mode! I might pull that apart and mount the LCD screen to a pair of glass and ... :lol:

shehatesmyhobbies - 5-3-2010 at 05:24 PM

I can't remember where, it may have even been on this forum under buggying, some guys outfitted their buggies and kites with tons of glow rope and buggied on a closed beach. Looked awesome! I bet you really need to know your beach well to pull that off!

Hardrock - 5-3-2010 at 06:04 PM

Yep, your really wanting to do this thing.

I like the glow stick idea. Just drop a few cheep sticks in the kite.

At the end of this vid the kites appears to be lit , but maybe not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abW-auoREB0&feature=relat...

PNW Flyer - 11-3-2010 at 02:29 PM

I'd almost PAY to see the video of Kami running around with night goggles on,kite flying and being chased by the cops!!! Buhahaha! DO IT!!! Whooohooooo:singing::P:smilegrin::roll:

PHREERIDER - 11-3-2010 at 07:09 PM

no lights, no NV goggles, nothing. a small marker for yourself a tiny finger light or two. a tiny light on the kite to start if you like. clear cold night you can go by star light but moon light makes it super nice. it seems very natural if you're outside alot and follow tides/moon phases. the best time? summer! long hot days with night breeze about 15 degrees cooler and the best part , got the whole place to yourself and the crazy mad meteors.

definitely no goggles

lives2fly - 12-3-2010 at 03:48 AM

I kite at night sometimes.

I have lights though. bike lights clipped on each end of my board and a head torch + little LED lights on each bridle attachment point.

Its pretty good fun. mostly you can see quite well without the lights but they make it feel like you are going way faster so i keep them on.

Like the stealth kiting idea though :)