Quote:

Originally posted by Bladerunner Slightly off topic but Mac' filled his Phanny and set it in his front yard with a light behind for halloween a few years ago. Looked cool. I'll ask him to repost the picture.

Here's the post.. http://www.powerkiteforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=7617&pa...

That's a brilliant idea. Too bad the Guerilla would just look like a giant 'U'. Is there a holiday that either starts with a U or involves a giant half-eye?

I could make a flameing eyeball in my front yard. HELL YEAH!!!!

I've had an idea of using some of my reflective vinyl that I use with my CNC cutter...and a high-intensity LED flashlight mounted low on my lines (about where you'd mount a go-pro) only shining up at the kite...instead of looking at the rider...

I think it would make for an interesting site with a big old 18M inflatable....may induce some REAL UFO calls... beam shooting up to glowing kite...eerrriee looking...

Whaddya think??

Something like this:

what size of lines do you use on the car kite? Bet it looks great in the daylight also.

Can't believe I missed this thread...How about Fiber optic thread! (Kieron? Glow ripstop is available in 40 colors, about $1000 to get the yardage needed for a 10 Manta. Oh well, I love the dog necklace blinkers. Seems like neon doesn't travel that far at night. Everyone should have valve stem blinkers to avoid the (phantom riders) at night. Had some close calls.

Quote:

Originally posted by kite killer Can't believe I missed this thread...How about Fiber optic thread! (Kieron? Glow ripstop is available in 40 colors, about $1000 to get the yardage needed for a 10 Manta. Oh well, I love the dog necklace blinkers. Seems like neon doesn't travel that far at night. Everyone should have valve stem blinkers to avoid the (phantom riders) at night. Had some close calls.

Link to the glow in the dark ripstop? You could just do a handful of panels.

I got a set of the Born-Kite NPWs and looking at the way the bridles are attached would make using the EL wire quite nice. May give it a try before this weekend.

A bit surprised no one has mentioned GlowWire (I first heard of it at IntoTheWind, an awesome Boulder kite shop), Amazon amongst other places sell it these days. 5' of it it, battery and the little adapter between the two is 3.7 ounces, and you have essentially a string you can put anywhere on the kite. We've done it along the tubes / struts of an LEI (a few sections) and it came out awesome looking... Able to do an outline on your kite running it in the velcro on the back edge for letting sand out (on foils) and a little braiding into your bridle.

http://www.intothewind.com/shop/Line_and_Accessories/Kite_Li... has some other stuff but ymmv ie not tried it myself

I have clip on lights that illuminate the face of my 2M CrossfireII. I've only used them once though. I've been thinking about adding motion LEDs to spice things up. I intend to put them on clips so that can attach to the cell opening and run down the seam on the outside of the kite.

I'll try to get some video next time I fly it.

This sounds like fun, might have to try getting some UFO calls on me =P

also found this and use them on my dog at night in the dogpark.


Spotlit LED carabiner Clip-on

Quote: Originally posted by spikes2020

This sounds like fun, might have to try getting some UFO calls on me =P also found this and use them on my dog at night in the dogpark. Spotlit LED carabiner Clip-on

They come in colors and been using these for the kites and Levi for some time. Still like the 6', 12' neon stings with the battery packs the best.

Jockey's Ridge in NC Nov 30. Kites with Lights celebration..

Seeing the kite is not as important as seeing where YOU are going in buggy!

But it can be pretty to see a well lit kite.

Quote: Originally posted by skimtwashington

Seeing the kite is not as important as seeing where YOU are going in buggy! But it can be pretty to see a well lit kite.

I agree...man those were some awesome pics of kites lit up.. this year we went out at night till about 1am...kites looked cool, but it was a little nerve racking not being able to see the person on the buggy...It was like driving in fog...you couldn't see till the buggy was right in front of you...I would run some lights under your seat in the buggy so it glows....head lamps were OK if you were the one wearing it, but played tricks on the eyes to other buggy pilots...safest is to light the buggy 1st and do the kite for fun....

A pre-warning to local officials too will help your case when they get a flood of calls...they will know what is going on...that's all they want..

A couple of glow sticks on the ground too so you can do laps..then everyone kind of knows what direction you're going.

Again....those were some awesome kite pics...

The Night flying with onshore strong winds at WWBB was fantastic. I was happy just under the moon w/ no lights(headlamp). I only turned it on when the other riders got close so they would see me and not hit me.

I found it easier to see around without headlamp on- just using moonlight. Headlamp screws up the scotopic(night) vision.

Better if you use a red light headlamp.(rods do not perceive the color red: a room with red light does not impede our night vision, which is why many dashboard lights use red lenses so that we can see the darkness outside our vehicle as well as the lights inside.)

I'm still static but really like lighting up the kites..

Damn these threads!!! :D I hadn't even thought of this, have just received two El wire 3m length neon blue sets. The battery/control weighs in at 80g with the batteries, just need to find the best place for it, the light line should slip nicely down through the wing edge bridle points, now to light a kite-up

Damn these threads!!! :D I hadn't even thought of this, have just received two El wire 3m length neon blue sets. The battery/control weighs in at 80g with the batteries, just need to find the best place for it, the light line should slip nicely down through the wing edge bridle points, now to light a kite-up

Dollar Tree has lots of book lights. Personally, I like the ones they have that are like these. I buy colors to match my kites. Four will light up a kite very well. Just clip them to the openings at the leading edge of the kite.



http://www.dollartree.com/party-supplies/decorations/Christm...
These are pretty adaptable as well..

Hmm, the little book lights look like the ticket for a single skin as they clip on. And for a buck there is no crying when they inevitably fall off! No clipping to the LE of a NPW (nose flexes too much) but shining up from the TE may do well.
Have to check out the dollar store. I would love to find some small lights that take a AAA as the coin cells don't last and cost more than buying a whole new light usually!
Winter has long dark nights here, so aside from the weekends, I will be trying to do a lot of night flying this year I think... Canada gets the snow and ice, but we also get the dark (not so great)

The dollar tree also sells the cell batteries (at least for the book lights) AG10, AG13, CR2032 etc..

So I got out for some night flying tonight! Brought 2 of the book lights at dollar tree, thought I'd try just 1 at first. Not enough ice to ride so I was just flying my 2.6m NPW, it's small and bright white so it lit up great with just one, parked on the ground. Those things are amazingly bright and cheap.

Launch, make one turn and zoom! Off flies a little comet, destroyed on impact of course. Didn't feel like needlessly killing the other one, so I just flew in the dark...
luckily my favourite kite spot is practically in the middle of a city, and the glow of the streetlights made it easy enough to see the kite. It's actually quite nice, flying in the dark
So the little clips are inadequate on a single skin as the LE shouldn't be clipped and the TE is too slippery! I have a plan though, to sew in a little pocket or tab to clip the lights to.
I like the Christmas lights idea, I want to work them along my bridle points. But they were sold out already? WTF, not even December!?

My one real night issue I found was that I have dark lines on that kite so I couldn't see if they were twisted up after a few loops or a gust attack. Are white lines more visible or do you just have to count your turns (or spin the bar religiously with the kite)

Now that they have the Xmas lights in at Dollar tree, I grabbed 2 sets, ripped the coloured lenses off to get the white LEDs (cheaper than coloured now?) and installed them down the A bridles of my 2.6m NPW. Just need to get out and fly it now and get pics! I think it's going to look pretty neat. Those are a great deal for a prewired small set of LEDs, I can't even buy a battery holder for $1 any more...
The battery packs are a little heavy, I think I may wire both strings to one pack and relocate it to the middle of the kite, or swap for them out for a lithium or something. Turns out AA batteries weigh a lot (almost 1oz each!) which with 4 of them almost doubles the weight of the kite, by feel. Hope it doesn't affect the handling.

Quote: Originally posted by rectifier

The battery packs are a little heavy, I think I may wire both strings to one pack and relocate it to the middle of the kite, or swap for them out for a lithium or something. Turns out AA batteries weigh a lot (almost 1oz each!) which with 4 of them almost doubles the weight of the kite, by feel. Hope it doesn't affect the handling.

CR123 batteries weigh in at 0.6 oz and CR2 batteries weigh in at 0.39 oz. They can be spendy, but if you get rechargeables they will eventually end up saving you money.

Now the important part.

CR123/CR2 batteries are more energy dense than their AA counterparts. They also run at 3 volts vs. 1.5 volts for AAs. Rechargeables will run at an even higher voltage rate. Make sure the LEDs you are using are rated for the higher voltage. Otherwise, you won't need to worry about the LEDs or batteries for long, illumination will be provided by flames.

If you decide to use multiple batteries, make sure they are matched to avoid problems.

ATB,
Sam

Hobbyking.com under night flying accessories high intensity led strips 1 m in leangth for 5 bucks 12v lithium battery to power 12 or less

9 grams, that sounds nice and light. They look durable, too. I might have to get some of those! 5v supply is a bit of an issue but maybe a AA and a switcher might do it.
I crashed my NPW pretty hard last night and now there are 4 AAs and 2 battery covers lying somewhere out on the lake... but at least the LEDs are still attached

Hobbyking.com under night flying accessories high intensity led strips 1 m in leangth for 5 bucks 12v lithium battery to power 12 or less

I got a bunch of these for Glow [Disc] Golf.
http://www.marshallstreetdiscgolf.com/product/ST-4453/Flight...

Haven't had a chance to night fly my kite, but I plan to put them on the tips and maybe 1 or two in the center. They can also strobe Or change colors.
Should be awesome. Going to either use clips on the tips or trailing edge, or super strong magnets (one taped/glued to the light) and one inside the cell. That way I can put them where ever. I'd use various supermagnets I have, some scavenged from broken hard drives.
They're really lightweight, so they don't affect disc flight...probably could just get a bunch and drop on in each cell...that'd be pretty cool.