Blackout Driving Light Ground

[DocThrock]

Turns out my M998 blackout driving light works and is green. Problem apparently is lack of ground to the vehicle on the hold down attach bracket. Am I missing something there? Is there supposed to be something attached to that bracket? I see where the other lights are grounded inside the housing. In a pinch I'll run a jumper, but curious about ground failure with this particular bracket and how it's factory set up.

 

[Skinner23]

I’m currently running a ground from my head lights back to where my ground harness connects. Hoping this helps. I’m getting really high voltage spikes


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[Skinner23]

Also my black out light isn’t coming on but bulb looks fine


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[dmetalmiki]

Looks?...Test it (the bulb) and you may have no need to go any further. If it is good the check the power cable to it..and see if a hand held bulb lights at the earthing point. (under the bracket). If yes earth the assembly properly. (clean all contact between assemblies).

 

[Skinner23]

Looks?...Test it (the bulb) and you may have no need to go any further. If it is good the check the power cable to it..and see if a hand held bulb lights at the earthing point. (under the bracket). If yes earth the assembly properly. (clean all contact between assemblies).

I’m currently going through the vehicle checking connections since I’m having voltage issues. I’ve had several tail lights blow due to the voltage surges. Going to finish checking everything before I start trying new bulbs on the blackout light.


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[Augi]

My blackout driving light had the same problem. There was no ground path. I ran a ground wire from the mounting stud to the marker light next to it and it works fine now.


Augi

 

[DocThrock]

Ok, I did the easy thing and ran a ground wire to the other ground wires in the headlight box. Maybe there was always supposed to be a ground wire like all the other lights? Wouldn't surprise me considering the numnuts that put the light on back when had the parts stack in the wrong order.

Now I need me some NVGs so I can go out and play!

 

[aleigh]

Now I need me some NVGs so I can go out and play!

Believe it or not the blackout driving light is intended to be used without nods. Which seems amazing when you actually try to do it. With my PVS-7 I don't need the lights at all, but man, does the window have to be clean and zero illumination in the cab.

 

[DocThrock]

I can imagine when my M998 was new and my eyes were 25 years younger, I might have been able to navigate at night at a walk. My green vision is still pretty good. But that ain't much light! They still utilize this technology, or is the military just using optics?

 

[dmetalmiki]

Our troop drivers used (to be ordered) to drive at night in the Lybian desert using Only blackout lights.
That is until one night a senior officer stopped a convoy to camp and to take a leak in a near-to 'ditch/hole'. At dawn camp broke, and the 'sir was invited to look at the 'ditch, hole' ....
160 feet deep and 60 feet across!.
No more stupid blackout driving after that!

 

[aleigh]

Yeah my blackout stuff works fine and there is no way I would want to be a lead vehicle following 3ft of sickly tepid cyan glow. I suppose it might be all-right if you were following - watch the brake lights up front and they didn't fall into a hole so maybe you won't either. Having some IR lights on the front would be fun.