As you say, signaling a moving plane in the sky is tough - you can't just "walk" the beam onto it. Retroreflective aimers create a virtual image of the sun in the direction of the reflected beam, even when pointing at the sky. All current US military and US Coast Guard issue mirrors have retroreflective aimers. For solo practice, a good way to see if you are pointing accurately is to target the the retroreflective licence plate of a (parked, unattended) car - it lights up when you hit it.
Thanks JennyKay2, I guess "retroreflective Grid" sounds considerably better than "aiming hole". What you are describing is exactly what the Adventure Medical Kits signal mirror had, and we found it to be essential in the process of aiming the reflection.
The "aiming hole" in a military style survival signal mirror contains a "retro-reflective grid"
This wire mesh looking grid generates a "fuzzy sun" image which indicates precisely where the reflection is aimed without having to see the actual reflected light.
The flatter a surface is, the better it will be at reflecting the sun and greater distance it can be seen. This is why the CDs and the back of the ipod were less effective.
Thanks so much for this well-organized video; I'm an avid hiker and will be adding a signal mirror to my pack, thanks to your great input.
sc00ters1 11 months ago
guy on the right looks like beavis
morbidangelofdeath1 1 year ago
I wonder, did you guys use the two finger approach to aiming a signal mirror?
flamedrag18 1 year ago
Great idea, Rafowell, finding something reflective like a license plate gives good feedback on your aiming. Thanks!
MyDisasterBlog 2 years ago
As you say, signaling a moving plane in the sky is tough - you can't just "walk" the beam onto it. Retroreflective aimers create a virtual image of the sun in the direction of the reflected beam, even when pointing at the sky. All current US military and US Coast Guard issue mirrors have retroreflective aimers. For solo practice, a good way to see if you are pointing accurately is to target the the retroreflective licence plate of a (parked, unattended) car - it lights up when you hit it.
rafowell 2 years ago 2
Thanks JennyKay2, I guess "retroreflective Grid" sounds considerably better than "aiming hole". What you are describing is exactly what the Adventure Medical Kits signal mirror had, and we found it to be essential in the process of aiming the reflection.
Thanks for the input!
MyDisasterBlog 2 years ago
I enjoyed your videos about signal mirrors.
The "aiming hole" in a military style survival signal mirror contains a "retro-reflective grid"
This wire mesh looking grid generates a "fuzzy sun" image which indicates precisely where the reflection is aimed without having to see the actual reflected light.
The flatter a surface is, the better it will be at reflecting the sun and greater distance it can be seen. This is why the CDs and the back of the ipod were less effective.
JennyKay2 2 years ago