N1 lands in BED:

"Grumman-581" wrote in
:

"sfb" wrote in message news:UQ%If.16418$7C3.4209@trnddc08...
These days law enforcement vehicles are wall to wall flashing lights so
traffic sees them to yield or idiot drivers don't run into them when
they are stopped by the side of the road.

Of course, there's a valid argument to be made that these lights are
distracting and might actually *cause* more accidents than they avoid...

AKA target fixation? "ooOOOoo...what's the pretty flashing light
up ahead?....ooohh...****!" insert sounds of crunching metal here

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?

I've seen ads for these modulated brake and headlights in
American Iron magazine, I'm sure pretty well all street bike
magazines have the ads.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Skywise" wrote in message
...
| "Grumman-581"
wrote in
| :
|
| "Jim Macklin"
wrote in message
| news:BL0Jf.121423$0G.54110@dukeread10...
| They have these on motorcycles too. They even have a
unit
| that will flash the brakelight when they are applied
| steadily.
|
| It might be nice if they had a variable flash rate that
flashes faster
| depending upon the amount of brake pressure that is
being applied...
|
| Some years ago I was perusing the California vehicle code
about
| this stuff. I ride a motorcycle and was looking to see
what legal
| means I could take to increase my visibility. One of the
things I
| ran across was about exactly as you described being
permitted.
| Although, IIRC, for cars, it had to be as a central third
brake
| light.
|
| I have been considering similar mods to my bike's lighting
system.
| Actually, what I want to do may not be 100% legal, but
when it
| comes to me riding a motorcycle in the LA area...obey the
law?
| or reduce my chances of getting killed? Takes half a brain
cell
| to decide on the latter.
|
| But yes, a flashing brake light that flashes at a rate
proportional
| to the amount of braking is at least legal in CA, although
I've
| never seen one.
|
| Brian
| --
| http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy,
Skepticism
| Seismic FAQ:
http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
| Quake "predictions":
http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
| Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?

"Denny" wrote in message
oups.com...
Well, go tell that to the high placed customs official in DC who said
it to me this morning... He volunteered that information on his own -
questioning the President's travels didn't occur to me - while we were
discussing the point that selected members of federal and military
agencies have been through customs school and are customs agent /
border patrol officers along with their other credentials... He
specifically, and adamently in tone, made the point that even"the
President" has to clear customs in and out... I don't have a dog in
this fight...

On this basis, it is perfectly likely that Secret Service Agents are the
trained customs agents and it is all a bit of a formality but it needs to be
done. Cannot having the great unwashed complaining that the first citizen
does not have to go through the same process as them.

Somebody, somewhere stamps the press' folks passports.



"Newps" wrote in message
...
If you are riding on AF1 you do not clear customs.



sfb wrote:
Bull flipping ****. The President travels on a diplomatic pass port.

Something tells me that those in the party without diplomatic pass ports
have a very fast path through immigration and customs.

"Newps" wrote in message
. ..



BTW, there is a customs and border agent on board Air Force One and he
interviews and clears everyone, including the President,

No way there is any customs agents of any kind on AF1 so they can clear
the President back into the country.

On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 21:50:52 -0000, Skywise
wrote:


Some years ago I was perusing the California vehicle code about
this stuff. I ride a motorcycle and was looking to see what legal
means I could take to increase my visibility.

Here's a link to the US Regs:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcyc...lator-regs.htm

I put one of these:

http://www.comagination.com/modulator.htm

on the Virago. It took about 20 minutes after I stopped trying to
take the headlight shell apart by turning the aiming scrrews. This
one is cheaper than the Kisan.

The same company has a brake-light flasher. The Web page says this:

"Police seem to dislike "endless" brake flashing while stopped. Some
authorities dislike brake strobing (fast flashing). The IBF4/9 solve
these issues. Apply your brake and your brake light(s) will
immediately turn ON and then flash for about 3-4 seconds then stay ON
continuously. Release your brake and apply again will cause the cycle
to repeat but the flash period will be shorter depending on how long
the brakes were off. A complete reset takes about 20-30 seconds. This
helps prevent distracting flashing in stop & go traffic. IBF4 conforms
with California DOT regulations."

But I can't find any direct reference to those regs on-line.

Yesterday, I did see a flashing brake light in the rear window of a
bus at SFO. The regular brake lights weren't flashing, though. I
also found, on-line, a Whelan brochure that had brake-light flashers
for construction trucks.

I figure the headlight modulator will be useful for as long as they
are uncommon. (Like daytime headlight use -- now that half the
drivers I see have daytime running lights or have their lilghts on in
the daytime anyway, and that California requires full headlights (not
running lights) whenever your windshield wipers are on, any safety
advantage I ever had from driving car or bike with the headlight on
has evaporated.)

I also figure that I get moret benefit from riding while wearing my
day-glo green construction vest with the retrofeflective stripes than
from the flashing headlight. People who would never say, "Hey, look,
there goes a motorcycle!" will say, "Hey, look, there goes a dork!"

(But not so much of a dork that I leave the headlight flasher on when
I'm behind somebody at a stoplight. I switch to low-beam, which kills
the flasher.)


Don (Who figures this isn't OT because it sorta relates to
anti-collision lighting on A/C.)

Skywise wrote:
"Grumman-581" wrote in
:


"sfb" wrote in message news:UQ%If.16418$7C3.4209@trnddc08...

These days law enforcement vehicles are wall to wall flashing lights so
traffic sees them to yield or idiot drivers don't run into them when
they are stopped by the side of the road.

Of course, there's a valid argument to be made that these lights are
distracting and might actually *cause* more accidents than they avoid...


AKA target fixation? "ooOOOoo...what's the pretty flashing light
up ahead?....ooohh...****!" insert sounds of crunching metal here

Ever been to ORD? Right on the main road, just before Terminal 1, there
is a huge "don't go this way, lane ends" yellow and black sign attached
to a concrete barrier. Everyone I've ever been in the car with heads
right towards it....and it's pretty obvious people have it it it before.
It's just too big to ignore and people end up steering right towards it.

I figure the headlight modulator will be useful for as long as they
are uncommon.

I disagree with this theory.

I believe the advantage has more to do with the eye's ability (and the
brain's connection and information processing ability) to spot moving vs.
non moving targets, in low contrast situations. The added flashing acts as
motion to the eye, giving an edge in recognition ability.

This is why flashing ads on the web are so annoying. They were also
very effective, but are less so now that people have a strong "ignore"
reflex in their eyeballs.

The same thing could happen with aircraft, though in that case pilots
are not looking to avoid seeing the lights, they are looking to avoid
hitting them.

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Don Tuite wrote in
:

On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 21:50:52 -0000, Skywise
wrote:


Some years ago I was perusing the California vehicle code about
this stuff. I ride a motorcycle and was looking to see what legal
means I could take to increase my visibility.

Here's a link to the US Regs:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcyc...Modulator-regs.
htm

I put one of these:

http://www.comagination.com/modulator.htm

Snipola

Thanks for the info, Don. The tail light described is almost
exactly what I was planning. But I couldn't use it as I have
other functions I wish to have as well. Then there's the turn
signals. I have plans there too. Part of it involves having
a better emergency flashing system that would use all available
lighting. As it is now, I have nothing but a lone slow flashing
turn signal if I should happen to pull over on the freeway for
some reason. I'm sure there's some aftermarket systems, but
I doubt there's any that has all the features what I want.

And for on topic-ness, riding a motorcycle sometimes feels like
combat flying at zero AGL with a bunch of kamikazee's, and you're
heavily out numbered.

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?

On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 23:55:33 -0000, Skywise
wrote:

Thanks for the info, Don. The tail light described is almost
exactly what I was planning. But I couldn't use it as I have
other functions I wish to have as well. Then there's the turn
signals. I have plans there too. Part of it involves having
a better emergency flashing system that would use all available
lighting. As it is now, I have nothing but a lone slow flashing
turn signal if I should happen to pull over on the freeway for
some reason. I'm sure there's some aftermarket systems, but
I doubt there's any that has all the features what I want.

I found the relevant section of the California Vehicle Code:

25251.5. . . .

(c) Any stoplamp or supplemental stoplamp required or permitted by
Section 24603 may be equipped so as to flash not more than four times
within the first four seconds after actuation by application of the
brakes.

And for on topic-ness, riding a motorcycle sometimes feels like
combat flying at zero AGL with a bunch of kamikazee's, and you're
heavily out numbered.

A large number of the pilots I've known also ride motorcycles. Even
without the combat aspect, I find that the kinetics of riding a bike
are more like people imagine flying to be that most non-acrobatic
flight.

Don

"Don Tuite" wrote

I figure the headlight modulator will be useful for as long as they
are uncommon.

I disagree with this theory.

I believe the advantage has more to do with the eye's ability (and the
brain's connection and information processing ability) to spot moving vs.
non moving targets, in low contrast situations. The added flashing acts as
motion to the eye, giving an edge in recognition ability.
--
Jim in NC