You're welcome! Note that this video assumes you've already viewed this previous video, and for most folks, the previous video is all they need. The previous video is here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/asd-nK1oy73GaZs.htmlsi=7ZDKZgx2HppbIeDI

yes i have seen that video,@@rafowell

> Ever do Catalina to/from mainland That's been done many times, though I failed in my personal attempt to signal from a point on the Santa Ana Mountains a bit north of Modjeska to Silver Peak, Catalina. The Silver Peak team did successfully flash Cucamonga Peak (but not vice versa) at 77 miles that day - see here: flic.kr/p/28hCkZX The first time it was done that I'm aware of was August 23, 1896, from Corp. Washburn, CA Natl Guard on Black Jack Peak, Catalina, to Sergt. Kinshy, CA Natl Guard, on Mt. Wilson, using US Signal Service heliographs. There were several articles about it at the time, with photos of the teams at each location.

Thanks! If you want farther ... this one is at 53 miles instead of 10 miles: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qbaYlbWcm5-onKM.html

@@rafowell I’ve seen it, it’s incredible! I’ve seen all your videos 🤩 Thanks!

Your mirror is probably a General Electric ESM-1 "cross-in-glass" aimer double-sided signal mirror. The August 1943 US military training film for the ESM-1 mirror is on my channel, here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rNOehdV0u6jFgGQ.html

@rafowell Yes, that's the one I have, and it was made by general electric, it matches the one you described. I need to watch the video you mentioned, thank you. 🙂

@@bobthescienceguy2144 You're welcome! I have an insane amount of information about the development and use of the ESM/I, so if you want more after viewing the video, just ask. There's a photo album with the usual box for the ESM/I at: www.flickr.com/photos/signalmirror/albums/72157715413710233 with this top-level summary: "The General Electric ESM/1 Emergency Signaling Mirror was the most numerous US military emergency signaling mirror in World War 2, with over 1 million made. It was a 4"x5" tempered glass mirror with a cross-shaped sighting aperture, aimed by the "rearsight" double-sided mirror aiming principle with the the aid of a circular rear mirror disk. The concept was worked out by L.L. Young of the National Bureau of Standards in response to a request by the Joint Chiefs of Staff for a better signal mirror, and improved and implemented by W.M. Potter at General Electric." It was first issued in late 1943.

@@rafowell Thank you, I would be interested in more info. 🙂

@@bobthescienceguy2144 Here are some of the more easily accessible references for the ESM/1. After you get through these, if you want more, let me know. (1) "Signaling Device", Michigan Technic, pages 40 & 44 books.google.com/books?id=NBUkAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA40&dq=Electric (2) The ESM/1 page at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_895936 If you scroll down to the "Comments" section, I added a lot of history, and the sun of the G.E. lead, Wentworth M. Potter, chimed in as well. (3) Richard S. Hunter, "Heliographic Signaling Mirrors", Air Sea Rescue Bulletin, pp. 24-29, 48 books.google.com/books?id=ZLJIAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA14-PT18&dq=heliographic (4) W.M. Potter, Eng. Div., General Electric Co., "Solar Searchlight" Technical Data Digest, U.S. Army Air Forces, June 1944, Vol. 10, No. 6, books.google.com/books?id=FEZQAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA5-PA27&dq=%22Solar+Searchlight%22 (5) General Electric "Solar Searchlight" advertisement: The Technograph, March 1944, page 24 books.google.com/books?id=Io9OAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA24&dq=%22Solar+Searchlight%22 (6) General Electric "Solar Searchlight" advertisement: LIFE Aug 13, 1945, page 50 books.google.com/books?id=1UkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60&dq="Solar searchlight" (7) The U.S. patent by Larry L. Young for the ESM/1 patents.google.com/patent/US2395605A These references cover the gamut of WW2 signal mirrors, including the predecessors and successors to the ESM/1 as well as the ESM/1 (1) www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/2412-wwii-emergency-signal-mirror/ (2) Go to this page: www.bsaontarget.org/mirrors scroll to the bottom, and use the download links for: 1946_03_ASR_Hunter_Signal_Mirrors_p24-29_48 bw.pdf (2376k) 1944_07_ASR_Hunter_Signal_MIrrors_p6_11.pdf

I don't know, actually.

I ordered it from the US National Archives.

@@rafowell thx

No, but the Blue Angels used to use the ACR Hot Shot™ mirrors a lot, so they may have cannibalized one of them.

You're welcome. One caution - this is great for the "double-sided" mirror type, but these days, those are mostly the metal survival mirrors packed in lifeboat kits (These days, the 4"x5" steel mirrors made by Datrex). "Retroreflective aimer" aka "reflex sight" aimers are far more effective than the double-sided mirror aimers, and the US military replaced the "double-sided" aimer type with the "retroreflective aimer" type in the late 1940s, went to the "retroreflective mesh" aimer type ca. 1949, and have stuck with that since. You can buy the MIL-Spec MIL-M-18371E mirrors of that type in glass (2"x3" and 3"x5") or commercial (not rated for water submersion, unlike the Mil-Spec ones) 2"x3" glass ones as the Coghlan's "Survival Signal Mirror" Model 9902. Or, you can make your own DIY version of the late 1940s type ("red-dot aimer"), as per this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/orqpYNJmqM-YXZ8.html Detailed photo-illustrated instructions for using the mesh retroreflective type are here: flic.kr/p/nsrjRG NOTE: There are many knockoff "mesh aimer" mirrors out there with nonfunctional mesh. Buy Coghlans, or MIL-M-18371E mirrors (manufacturer, S.I. Howard Glass). They are the ONLY current manufacturers making functional retroreflective mesh. For more details, read: WARNING: Phony Glass Signal Mirrors - Equipped To Survive www.equipped.com/phony_signal_mirrors.htm

Per [1], the ESM/2s were only issued as part of the kit for the USAAF C-1 Emergency Sustance Vest, and packaged in a manila envelope. (ESM/1s were often packaged in a box) . The 4"x5" ESM/1 pictured here and the 3"x5" ESM/2 were both called out by the USAAF Spec 94-40653, the first as Size-20 (presumably, 20 sq inches), the second as Size-15. The USAAF issued ESM/1 had the spec number (40653) printed on them - those ordered by the US Navy did not. The ESM/1 designation came from the manufacturer (General Electric) and predates the USAAF specification. A brief history of the evolution of US military signal mirrors from the 1930s through the end of WW2 may be found online here: www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/2412-wwii-emergency-signal-mirror/ [1] Clingenpeel, Justin, "Survival & Rescue Equipment of Word War II: Army Air Forces and U.S. Navy, Volume 2", page 93, top, (c) 2019, Elm Grove Publishing, ISBN 978-1-943492-61-9.

@@rafowell Scored the /2 as its the same version left behind by the crew of the lady be good. thanks for the informative reply. saved.

@@LBG-cf8gu ?! I thought the Lady Be Good was lost on April 4, 1943 [1][2]. I've seen no evidence that any of the services had even placed orders for the GE tempered glass mirrors before June 1943, let alone issued them. What evidence have you seen that the crew of the Lady Be Good had any ESM/2 mirrors? Here are some dates in the rollout of the ESM/1, ESM/2 mirrors: The sea trials of "the new tempered glass mirror developed by the National Bureau of Standards and manufactured by the General Electric Company" were conducted off Miami March 22-26 1943, and the report on the results was dated March 31, 1943, stating that while the test team had been dubious of the efficacy of the mirror, it had performed well, and recommended that a training film be commissioned. The minutes of the May 22, 1943 meeting of the multi-service "Liaison Committee on Emergency Rescue Equipment" recommended that "an information form for informing interested agencies that certain equipment be adopted" should be issued in the "very near future" for the "Rescue Signal mirror'. The announcement by the committee dated June 2, 1943 states "It has been established through laboratory and field test that tempered glass signaling mirrors are much superior to metal mirrors for rescue purposes. Two companies are now prepared to manufacture tempered glass signaling mirrors ... It is recommended that immediate steps be taken to procure such tempered glass signaling mirrors for the use of all airborne and Marine Services." The June 5, committee meeting minutes "authorized the Technical Aide to make definite arrangements through various procurement offices of the services for the purchase of the signalling mirrors through one service for distribution to all ..." The minutes of the August 2, 1943 meeting said that "a requisition from the AAF for 275,000 mirrors has already been received." [1]en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Be_Good_(aircraft) [2]books.google.com/books?id=cVUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21

@@LBG-cf8gu One thing that can cause confusion is that the original designation of the General Electric ESM/1 emergency signaling mirror was "emergency signaling mirror No 2", which some might take to be a reference to the ESM/2. The official renaming of "emergency signaling mirror No. 2 as "ESM/1" was in the Sept. 1942 USCG bulletin [2] - so the "emergency signaling mirror No 2 was always a 4"x5" mirror. The designation on the mirror itself of ESM/1 preceded that announcment though - in this film, which I believe to be the one previewed by the ERE Committee on August 3, 1943[3], you can see the ESM/1 designator on the back of the mirror. [1] ======== ORIGINAL DESIGNATION OF 4"x5" mirror as "emergency signaling mirror No. 2" as of April 28, 1942 === babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021117927&view=1up&seq=177&skin=2021&q1=mirror " The following items of equipment for the better security of life at sea have been approved by the Commandant, United States Coast Guard, and published in the Federal Register April 28, 1943 : ... Signaling Mirror. General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y., emergency signaling mirror No. 2 (drawing No. 165-22-E-365 GE, dated March 1, 1943). [2] ========= OFFICIAL DESIGNATION CHANGE OF 4"x5" mirror to ESM/1 by September 1942 === babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021117927&view=1up&seq=213&q1=mirror CHANGES IN DESIGNATION General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y., has changed the designation of "emergency signaling mirror No. 2" to "emergency signaling mirror No. ESM/1." (The approval was published in the June 1943 Coast Guard Bulletin, p. 151.) [3] From the ERE minutes of August 12, 1943: "A preliminary showing of the instruction film on the signaling mirror, in preparation by Field Photographic of the OSS, was run off on Tuesday, 3 August, for the information of some of the people who attended the Special Meeting"

Here's an official US Navy photo released in August 1943 showing an ESM/1 being presented by the head of the ERE to a life raft survivor. www.flickr.com/photos/127906254@N06/32086664612 It's the earliest photo I've found of the General Electric "cross in glass" signal mirror.

It really helps to get a signal mirror with a retroreflective aimer and practice with it. For general use, my go-to signal mirror is the 2"x3" glass Coghlan's Survival Signal mirror with the retroreflective grid aimer unless the mirror needs to tolerate dunking in water, or I'm interested in the mirror being really thin and light at the cost of being scratchable. In that case, my choice is the 2"x3" polycarbonate SOL Rescue Flash™ mirror with the "daisy-style" perforated retroreflective aimer sold in Scout shops throughout the US for $9. A multiply wrapped Rescue Flash™ is my everyday carry signal mirror.

You're welcome! You can download the 1922 manual for the Mance Mark V from the "Mance Type Mk V Heliograph" page here: www.prc68.com/I/MkVHeliograph.shtml You can see 71 images of the heliograph at the Australian War Museum online here: www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search?query=heliograph&collection=true&facet_type=Photograph&facet_has_public_image=true and there is a lot of good material in the references cited by the Wikipedia article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliograph

I have no idea how this object works. I have no idea how he transmitted a message. I thought he would use something like Morse code but he didn't, he just said the word and opened the flap

@@legionofregion8825 The audio was carried by the beam of light. Kind of like a string between 2 cans. You see, he opens the flap and produces the beam of light off the mirror, and the mirror is vibrated by his voice via a microphone attached to it. These vibrations in the light beam are detected at the other end and reproduced by a speaker attached to the receiving surface. Elementary. 😁

@@seeharvester kinda think you are wrong here because he is being listened way before he opens the vanes Plus at the end, the guy on the radio is calling back the lenght of flashes he just saw.

@@DoNotPushHere He's being facetious there are no vibrations caused by the operator's voice. Originally Morse code was used to send a message in this demonstration I'm not sure what they are trying to do no message was sent.

Yes - about 25 times brighter. I was trying to come up with something toned-down for short range (100 yards) partner practice. Even this mirror caused me afterimages when I was flashed at 100 yards near noon near summer solstice, despite sunglasses. Covering 2/3 of the front with masking tape got it pretty much where I wanted it.

@@rafowell In a pinch the plexiglass would definitely get the job done.👍👍

KZfaq can sense your thirst for knowledge.

Sure. The one at left is the (sadly recently discontinued) polycarbonate ACR HotShot™ Signal mirror ( www.acrartex.com/products/hot-shot-signal-mirror ). The one at right is a glass MIL-M-18371E Mark 3 Type I (2"x3") mirror. He actually let me photograph the back of it, so I know it was a pretty old one, made by Revere Glass Company to a 1981 contract ( Contract number DLA 400-81-C-0743). Since the mid-1980s, the government contractor for MIL-M-18371E signal mirrors has been S.I. Howard Glass, and if you want a waterproof 2"x3" glass mirror, thats the one to get. It is still current issue in the US military. The ACR HotShot™ was unique in US commercial mirrors in having a red "fireball", like the ones the Scouts make here (www.bsaontarget.org/mirrors ), and user's did like that feature in my experience. Nice instructions on the back, too, with graphics, and also waterproof. I thought it was a decent choice for boaters, and you can still buy one "new in box" on Ebay, if you like. I did think the Scout "red fireball" is nicer than the "HotShot" one, but it gets the job done.

@@rafowell Thanks! Your knowledge base on this topic is DEEP!

@@dannyh9010 You're welcome! I do know a ridiculous amount about signal mirrors. The folder devoted to "signal mirrors" on my hard drive has > 65,000 files in it. I own hundreds of signal mirrors from around the world. I've participated in the "Operation On-Target" signal mirror activity nearly 20 times. I've trained scores of Scouts and Scout parents how to use signal mirrors. I've corresponded with five commercial signal mirror designers (and tested their products for them). And I'm learning more ...

I apologize for having such a question, but what are the mirrors used for?

You're welcome! Putting a reflector on the back is time-honored: the first issued retroreflective aimer mirror, the M-580A issued to US Navy pilots in 1944, had reflector buttons on the back: flic.kr/p/gukhHM . Premier signal mirror manufacturer Malcolm Murray (deceased, alas) used retroreflective green (seen here: flic.kr/p/DtxQ9a - note that "at night, the green surface will be visible in the beam of a searchlight") or red (seen here: flic.kr/p/DrdVeG ) retroreflective material on the backs of his mirrors. Life vests are, I believe, often required to have white reflective tape for that purpose. I often find that reflected light from the back of the signal mirrors can be distracting when aiming, so I usually cover mine with matte black tape. However, one could use black cling film to cover the white tape until the time of need - I see some on Amazon for <$10 (enough for hundreds of mirrors) - I'll order it and see how that works. The StarFlash® military plastic mirrors come with black cling film on the front, to both protect the surface until use, and avoid inadvertent reflections to unfriendly forces when downed in hostile territory.

You're welcome. In a pandemic, it is one activity that can be done with single-household teams and miles of social distancing!

@@rafowell LOL! True!