Reduce your Need for Headlights: Achieving Savings with Night Vision
 

Humans do some strange things. Most of us find it terribly difficult to break bad habits and I can only imagine how much fuel could be collectively saved if the driving populations of each nation made small, simple changes to their transportation routine.

As we know, conventional headlights can reduce mileage by anywhere between 1-5%. In 2017, however, they're not really necessary. When dark, I have therefore started using this trick and a quality pair of Armasight night vision goggles and expect that with the fuel savings they will have paid for themselves in... well, 10-20 years.

I encourage everyone to follow suit so that it hopefully catches on with the masses. While I am often on the receiving end of a lot of honking and yelling when using this technique, that's just because the poor souls don't know any better. I haven't even crashed yet. Small savings achieved by millions of motorists would add up to commendable reductions in aggregate oil consumption by consumers.

Edit: Obviously, even though this 'technique' would provide marginally improved fuel economy, it is clearly grossly illegal and very unsafe. As the last paragraph (and the price of that particular night-vision unit) should suggest, this was a joke post. Clearly I would not make a very good comedian.

If I'm using night vision while running dark the last thing I'm concerned about is fuel economy.

Great idea! Save money while risking your life!

The larger reason I have my lights on is so that others - those without night vision goggles - can see ME. I live in a city, so I can see fine without...but not a chance I'd go out there without them working.

If you want to save power/alternator drag, switch everything over to LEDs. I'm quite pleased with my ~$20 ebay LED headlights; they're about the same brightness as the power-hungry halogens but only use 1/4 the power. All bulbs converted over only pulls about 5 amps. You can go alternatorless if it's important enough.

I cannot afford night vision goggles but, instead of night time lights, I use a white stick. I lean out the driver's window and stretch as far forward as I can. Must admit, it works better at city speeds than at highway speeds. I also make use of the extra light provided by other drivers flashing at me. A win win situation.

Back in the day I blew out all four headlamps upon start-up in my '59 Bel Air- they went just like old-school flashbulbs- no doubt the mechanical voltage regulator was stuck. Anyway, it was the middle of the night. Luckily I had a hand-held spotlight so I did pretty much what Jocko said except it worked just fine at highway speed. :thumbup:

"Mechanical" voltage regulator? I never paid any attention to old cars...that just sounds nutty to me! :D

My grandfather mentioned that they had these on trains. So to control the Speed the driver would move a control-rod to the appropriate resistor needed to go at a particular speed.

If you have an alternator that spins, it's voltage will increase as rpm increases and if you went too fast obviously you would blow your globes.

I've never seen one but I'd be guessing some type of centrifugal switch to push to a higher resistor to limit current and voltage.

Yes, it's all solid state vregs now.

Three solenoids and point sets.

I'd think controlling the field to control output wouldn't be too terribly difficult, even mechanically.

Old voltage regulator. It controlled the field current.
https://autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/i...cl6a_large.jpg

How 'bout installing extra long curb feelers, adding a set front and back? You could call them car feelers. You'ld need to drive slower, as the added drag at highway speeds would negate any improvements in fuel efficiency from deleting the headlights.

Just think how great it will be when the entire fleet is autonomous- no exterior lighting needed at all! :eek:

Shiny, do you actually have night vision? I really do not believe it, because if you did, you would rip them off whenever you encountered a street light and you would be blinded whenever you passed an oncoming car. This is a picture I took inside using night vision. Not bad, eh?

http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1505142821

I was looking through a pinhole.

A pinhole.

A hole perhaps 1/16th of an inch across.

Just think how much more light would have come through without the lens covers on.

I like it. Looks nice and reasonable to build!

As I was hoping the last paragraph of my original post would suggest, this thread was indeed created in jest. :) Peripheral vision is obviously extremely important when driving, and I always suspected current night vision tech was inadequate in this regard. Your post seems to confirm this - thanks!

Yes, it is more like night tunnel vision.

YOu know it's ILLEGAL to alter headlamps?
the issue has nothing to do with 'brightness'.

tak a picture of the light from the correct bulb shining on a wall, the replace 1 of the bulbs and take a camparision pic.

It wont be the same.... it cant be. physics says so.

THe hot spot on the old bulb and the led are different.
THe headlamp assembly was DESIGNED to use the original bulb. period.

the are numerous post on this that used to have pictures...... (oh well)
put the article should be clear.
FACT: the led DOES NOT have the same hot spot, nor is it in the same place.

Your 'new' brightness is increased glare being incorrectly bounced off the reflective surface.:eek:

I know this, I had to play with my LED conversions on and off for almost a week testing them indoors to get the beam pattern so it wasn't irritating other drivers.

oilpan,
was it projector lens?

Yes. There is a post on here some where about it.

With night vision devices you may well lose depth perception.

I had to use BLACKOUT w/ PVS 14's (2 eye cups 1 lens) horable experience. 0 depth perception, flash blinded by direct wight light. Maby 2 sets of PVS 7's would give depth perception? Glad this was in jest. As pedestrians, bike's, couldn't be expected to use NVG's . There are many other techniques used my many that are deadly when used inappropriately. I value my/others lives too much to willingly endanger them . 29.3mpg @65mph out of a26 year old 3 ton pickup truck is acceptable with out begin a nuisance. More aero for more MPG.

This is why the DOT approved conversations are 3x the price of the nock off non-DOT. I did the 4x6" sealed beam to H4 reflector type . Same watage(no savings but can now convert to hid ,led, or othe emitter )but more light were you need it . Only complaint I have so far (9 months ) is the cutoff is extremely sharp. 1-3° between high enough to see above a dears knee at 1/4 mi and blinding oncoming. I have to adjust my head lights (and tires )for the current load conditions. Thinking of adding an electric motor to the vertical adjustment screw so I can adjust on the fly like a mirror

When I was on the 3:00a-noon shift, I would motor along in my truck at idle in fifth gear on my way to work, just tootling along on the back roads by the river near the small town where I live, and under a full moon sometimes I would turn my lights off.

At 15 miles per hour and a full moon, there's plenty of light. Lots. And you see so many deer, skunks, foxes, raccoons, and beavers it isn't even funny. The raccoons were funny, falling all over each other trying to get out of the way of the truck. Made me laugh right out loud.

I know it was intended to be a humorous post, but it evoked a memory I cherish.

Personally what I do is have a military style convoy during night driving. The lead car has headlights and each following car follows (closely). The aerodynamic benefits are staggering to say the least, individual MPG goes up by around 20%. It's a pity I need at least two cars & drivers to get where I'm going though

We were always told to stay hundreds of feet from other vehicles so that if one of us hit an IED, the rest would be safe.

I believe that is the opposite of drafting.

So how do you stealth drive in the dark without alerting aircraft to the length of your convoy?

Mind you this was in the day before night vision and automated ground vehicle detection, people actually had to spot you

Have you read much about hostile aircraft in Iraq and Afghanistan? It never came up in my approximately two hundred convoy briefings. I do remember hearing they were poor marksmen because they could not afford to practice much.