Hood Light

[amphi]

This documents what George said about the lights being distance guides to the vehicle ahead.

In a close column movement, vehicles are spread approximately 25 meters apart during daylight conditions. At night, vehicles are spaced so that the driver can see two lights in the blackout marker of the vehicle ahead. Close column is normally used for movements during darkness, under blackout driving conditions. This method of movement takes maximum advantage of the traffic capacity of the route used, but provides very little dispersion of vehicles.

http://www.tpub.com/content/armychem...m3300b0043.htm

[amphi]

The blackout headlight on the hood is used when the trucks were in convoys under blackout conditions during war. They soldiers wore infrared goggles that allowed them to see this dim light much brighter than the naked eye sees it...same thing with the cat eyes in the turn signal housings...

This text supports what brute4c is saying about inferred goggles.

In an open column movement, the distance between vehicles is increased to provide greater dispersion and varies from 50 to 100 meters, or greater if the situation requires. Open column movement is normally used during daylight conditions. This method may also be used at night using infrared lights or blackout lights, or when passive night vision equipment is available.

This is also used when a moderate volume of traffic must enter the column.

Last paragraph:
http://www.tpub.com/content/armychem...m3300b0043.htm

Continued here:
http://www.tpub.com/content/armychem...m3300b0044.htm

I need to get off of this subject and get a life.

[george walker]

I think that to use infra-red goggles you need an infra-red light source, If u see 'white' light w/ infra-red its overpowering, appears as a really bright area w/o definition?

[george walker]

Thats so funny, the information I quoted isnt in the -10 tm, but I know I have read this in some tm (perhaps a military drivers manual?) Oh well try it yourself at night, start at the truck an work your way back, you will see how your perception of the lights change w distance.

[randyscycle]

I think that to use infra-red goggles you need an infra-red light source, If u see 'white' light w/ infra-red its overpowering, appears as a really bright area w/o definition?

That is correct. I have a night vision scope and it has an infrared illuminator on it. When you activate it, it gives off no visible light, but when viewed through the scope it is as if you switched on a flashlight, illuminating a wide swath in front of you. If you are looking through the scope at night and happen to train on a visible light source, it will overwhelm the scope and just turn the screen white.

I have seen infrared lights for MV's in the past on e-bay. They look very much like a compsite light with a purple colored lens. They are intended for use with infrared night vision goggles and the like. They too give no visible light when switched on, but will light up a path in front of the truck when viewed with NVG's.

Another interesting thing with an infrared scope is that its possible to see the infrared light emitted from a television remote control in a dark room. You can't see that with the naked eye.

[Bushytails]

The blackout headlamp is for the driver of the vehicle to see in front of him/her, not for other vehicles to see. The four corner markers are the ones used by other vehicles.

--Bushytails