# Pls, no Q beams



## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

I didn't see many responses to a recent thread, but please keep in mind if you use a Q Beam, anyone in you path will be night blinded.


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## 4 Ever-Fish N (Jun 10, 2006)

I'm not exactly sure what you're saying. I think it may be better to night blind someone than run over someone.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Ive never been blinded by anyone with a qbeam. Nor do i just shine it at someone constantly. They work great when used properly just as with anything. If we all ran with radar it might be different but where i go alot at night, stumps are more to get ya than a another boater runing with no lights.


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

*Q beams*

I'm not trying to start an argument here. As a sailor, I treasure my night vision. If I'm running with nav lights and you are too, we don't need high beam lights to see each other. Several times on the ICW, I have been blinded by barges looking for the canal edges. Each time that Q beam left me blinded for several minutes. When sailing I keep a flash light to illuminate my sails if someone doesn't appear to see me.
If you have ever driven along a highway at night, and been subjected to someone's high beams, you will know what I'm talking about. You may feel different, I accept that. In my book strong lights into the eyes of another is selfish, rude, and right up there with not controlling your wake.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

markbrumbaugh said:


> I'm not trying to start an argument here. As a sailor, I treasure my night vision. If I'm running with nav lights and you are too, we don't need high beam lights to see each other. Several times on the ICW, I have been blinded by barges looking for the canal edges. Each time that Q beam left me blinded for several minutes. When sailing I keep a flash light to illuminate my sails if someone doesn't appear to see me.
> If you have ever driven along a highway at night, and been subjected to someone's high beams, you will know what I'm talking about. You may feel different, I accept that. In my book strong lights into the eyes of another is selfish, rude, and right up there with not controlling your wake.


X-2 on that


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## 4 Ever-Fish N (Jun 10, 2006)

Now I understand what you're talking about. It partially depends on the waterway you're trying to navigate, ICW vs. a lake with stumps, a spotlight can be very beneficial. Using the spotlight with consideration for others should be a given but we know some folks don't think that way.


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## pipeliner345 (Mar 15, 2010)

shine the light on the bank while passing or shut down till said vessel passes, but don't chunk the Q-beam. it aint the light its the idiot using it. and yes, i've passed some idiots. as a matted of fact i seen him on the boat ramp today LOL!!!


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## kickingback (Dec 20, 2013)

I hope I am never on the water with any of you that don't like lights at night. 

We just had a few people die on Conroe because someone did not have their lights on!

Some people cannot see as well as others at night and need light. If you see the light shining, DON'T LOOK AT IT! You know he's there so move and avoid him and don't look at his light. If he shines on you, he is being cautious and wants to make sure he doesn't hit you!!!

Common sense here people. Use your lights and whatever you need to see at night to be safe!!!

Oh and YES I have a Q beam!!! Helps me see idiots at night!


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Mark, I think you are an experienced boater and know your stuff. But I have never had a light bright enough to make me feel safe at high speed around stumps. Boating at night reminds me of driving roads in extremely heavy fog.


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

(This article has been adapted from the excellent USAF Special Report, AL-SR-1992-0002, "Night Vision Manual for the Flight Surgeon", written by Robert E. Miller II, Col, USAF, (RET) and Thomas J. Tredici, Col, USAF, (RET))

......Flash Blindness

While dark adaptation of the rods develops rather slowly over a period of 20 to 30 minutes, it can be lost in a few seconds of exposure to bright light. Accordingly, during night operations aircrew members should be taught to avoid bright lights, or, at least, protect one eye. Dark adaptation is an independent process in each eye. Even though bright light may shine into one eye, the other eye will retain its dark adaptation if it is protected from the light. ......

This is why vessels have navigation lights and not headlights, but if you insist, I'm sure the rest of us would appreciate you moving that Q beam off us asap. By the way, I do have a high beam floodlight in my boat...I just don't use it to look for boats.


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## tbone2374 (Feb 27, 2010)

Caution, and conservative speed, are everyone's friend, especially at nighttime. Your reaction time, is very much compromised at night, and in the dusk and dawn, hour. Let's all slow down, and live to see, another, Holiday!:rybka:


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## txtrotliner88 (Mar 3, 2013)

Wear an eye patch like the pirates used to do. The if you get blinded, just switch eyes!


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

txtrotliner88 said:


> Wear an eye patch like the pirates used to do. The if you get blinded, just switch eyes!


I'll bet few people know that is why they did!


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## pipeliner345 (Mar 15, 2010)

tbone2374 said:


> Caution, and conservative speed, are everyone's friend, especially at nighttime. Your reaction time, is very much compromised at night, and in the dusk and dawn, hour. Let's all slow down, and live to see, another, Holiday!:rybka:


yep, right here. i run just over plane at night.....WITH my Q-beam. when i see an oncoming vessel. i train my QB on the bank...on my side so as not to FLASH BURN the guy coming at me. i take a quick look in my lane, but back to the bank with the QB. i see others doing this to. it don't blind me at all. 
QB education......perhaps it should be incorporated into the boaters course.


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## Going catchn15 (Mar 13, 2014)

If the bass boat driver on Lake Conroe had been shining his qbeam in his boats path, 3 people would be alive today! Both boats aledgedly had their lights on, but lights around lake conroe are shore to shore! Use your beams to show your boats and demonstrate flotation hazards- "flotsam"! Shine the incoming vessel to alert them and hope that the nighttime boat traffic is driving at a moderate speed on busy lakes like Conroe! To repeat an intelligent reply above, "don't look into the loan coming light from a qbeam!"
Safety is the most important aspect of considering others in your daily Actions called life!
Safety first! Count your blessings that other vessels are using qbeams to identify flotsam at night! Slow down at night! Even in bass boats!


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## SwineAssassiN (Jul 24, 2011)

I was running lines on somerville last night and if I hadn't been using my q beam there might have been a serious accident. There was a boat directly in my path, looked like a 20'cc with about 6 people on it. No lights, none. Couldn't see them at all until I shined them. The guy said he was having some kind of electrical problem but **** I would have made everyone shine their phone or something.


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## str0sfan01 (Apr 11, 2011)

State Law only allows for the red/green navigational lights and the white all-round to be on while the boat is moving. Docking lights and other white lights do nothing else but blind other boaters and not allow for them to tell which direction you are travelling. Lake Conroe was horrible this weekend with all the pontoon boats running with docking lights. I had one come straight at me within 100 yards before I could tell which way he was going.


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

Spot lights are great for night running. Just don't be an *** & shine them into someones eyes. I frog from time to time, spots are essential.

If you are using them to warn someone of your location, oscillate the beam similar to a light house.

There are those who can't follow simple common sense guidelines, but then again, the gene pool always needs a little chlorine...


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## Marshman (Jul 24, 2008)

If your night vision is so poor that you need a Q-beam to operate, you need to be in after dark. Flame on, sorry but qbeams on small boats are a poor choice for night navigation. If you need it that bad, slow down, period. 

I run the marsh in SWLA a lot during duck season. Early, no light. One guy had a Q beam a couple years ago, just "oscillating it around" as was suggested, burned up everyone's night vision for a mile. It's rude, and the mark of an inexperienced operator.

Buy a PVS14 if you need a gadget to see at night, or slow down until you can see. And don't operate or tolerate others who operate without lights at night.


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## muney pit (Mar 24, 2014)

Marshman said:


> Buy a PVS14 if you need a gadget to see at night, or slow down until you can see.


:/


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## CmackR56 (May 30, 2009)

Ok, I've been night fishing for over 40 years on Toledo Bend, Rayburn and several stump/tree filled lakes in Mexico and am a firm believer in a big assed Q-beam. No one has good enough night vision to navigate stump filled waters blindly. I prefer to stay in my boat at night. Common sense would dictate not to shine other folks with a spotlight. But then common sense ain't all that common anymore.


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## fishin_envy (Aug 13, 2010)

CmackR56 said:


> Ok, I've been night fishing for over 40 years on Toledo Bend, Rayburn and several stump/tree filled lakes in Mexico and am a firm believer in a big assed Q-beam. No one has good enough night vision to navigate stump filled waters blindly. I prefer to stay in my boat at night. Common sense would dictate not to shine other folks with a spotlight. But then common sense ain't all that common anymore.


 x2 , plus avoiding the numerous trotline jugs in the lakes and boats who think navigation lights are optional.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

pYr8 said:


> I frog from time to time, spots are essential.


You grab the blinded frogs by hand? I knew a guy once that was good at it! But it was a 2 man operation, one for the electric motor and one to shine and grab.


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

Naw, cheat with a gig  Now that the TM is off the front of that boat, grabbin might be possible though. They are sure like deer in the headlights, lol.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

pYr8 said:


> Naw, cheat with a gig  Now that the TM is off the front of that boat, grabbin might be possible though. They are sure like deer in the headlights, lol.


These 2 old codgers were usually fueled by beer, there were in some old Dolen gravel pits north of Cleaveland. One drove trolling motor from the back while the shiner grabber was leaning over the front. Just simple john boats with a clamp on the stearn electric motor. With proper amount of beer for brains, they caught a lot.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Now ya'll are bringing back memories. Frog hunting was a yearly event in my teen age years.I could still lean over and catch em, not so sure about straightening back up LOL.


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

Yeah, I hear ya on the "straitening back up" thing


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