Best IR Illuminator?

Jim A.

New member
Just as the title states, what is everyone’s preferred IR illuminator? And in your experience, do illuminators spook coyotes? We have noticed some hogs spook from them.
 
I use the UNV 20IR LED infrared illuminator. The 20IR features an 850nm beam of intense infrared light through a focusable aspheric head and a dimmable 1050mw power level. This thing is like putting a spotlight on my gun
I have had no issues from anyting seeing it or spooking from it.

I also have a couple of different lower level IR lights for my PVS 14
 
Unlike thegoodlife, I have had several coyotes spook from the IR light when I turn it on. I know for a fact they can see it. Not all coyotes are bothered by it but some definitely are. I now turn the IR on low power when I start calling so that I don't have to introduce the IR to an inbound coyote. Talking with some of my buds, they pretty much say the same. If you have a coyote coming in, and turn the IR on, there is a good chance of spooking him. I scan with thermal but right now shoot with NV because I can't afford a thermal scope yet. I have 2 T20 IR's and they are close to the same as far as power. I have not tried to get a more powerful one because I don't have big wide open spaces to hunt any way. I have more trouble with too much IR bouncing back off the brush vs not enough. I can shoot 200 yds with mine and that is plenty enough for me at night where I hunt at.
 
Originally Posted By: thegoodlifeI use the UNV 20IR LED infrared illuminator. The 20IR features an 850nm beam of intense infrared light through a focusable aspheric head and a dimmable 1050mw power level. This thing is like putting a spotlight on my gun
I have had no issues from anyting seeing it or spooking from it.

I also have a couple of different lower level IR lights for my PVS 14

What does 1050mw of power get you?

I have a pretty good understanding of how to measure visible light, I'm quite sure how to do it for IR light. Can you explain the differences from your high power IR lights to your low level IR lights?

Originally Posted By: weekenderUnlike thegoodlife, I have had several coyotes spook from the IR light when I turn it on. I know for a fact they can see it. Not all coyotes are bothered by it but some definitely are. I now turn the IR on low power when I start calling so that I don't have to introduce the IR to an inbound coyote. Talking with some of my buds, they pretty much say the same. If you have a coyote coming in, and turn the IR on, there is a good chance of spooking him. I scan with thermal but right now shoot with NV because I can't afford a thermal scope yet. I have 2 T20 IR's and they are close to the same as far as power. I have not tried to get a more powerful one because I don't have big wide open spaces to hunt any way. I have more trouble with too much IR bouncing back off the brush vs not enough. I can shoot 200 yds with mine and that is plenty enough for me at night where I hunt at.

Weekender I know this has been discussed over and over and I agree with you.
 
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Originally Posted By: Jim A.Just as the title states, what is everyone’s preferred IR illuminator? And in your experience, do illuminators spook coyotes? We have noticed some hogs spook from them.

Our Torch Pro IR Illuminator is Made in the USA and glass from Germany, NOTHING is made in China nor re-branded with just a company name on it.

The Torch Pro utilizes a silky smooth variable focus bezel and also drop in pills you can use to mitigate any IR glow from the emitter. Effective range out to 700 yards+ with the 850nm diode. It also is compatible with any Surefire Tail Cap on the body housing for those who want or need a pressure switch or clicky type switch.

We have them on sale now with our IRS sale.

https://tnvc.com/shop/tnvc-torch-pro-infrared-illuminator/

TorchPRO_5-1-473844.jpg


TorchPRO_8-1-473845.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Jim A. And in your experience, do illuminators spook coyotes? We have noticed some hogs spook from them.

Yes. I just looked out my sliding door with my thermal and had a white hot spot in my field 120 yards behind the house. I had to check it wasn't my dog. Ran to the window and dam coyote is standing at my bait without the alarm. Before I can settle the cross hairs he turns and trotts away. Noise from the slider no reaction, noise at the window no reaction. My neighbors garage lights on 75 yards away no reaction. I turn on my IR he trotts away.
 
Some of them just don't like IR. Seems like it is just plain offensive to them. I can't explain it cause it is such a soft glow but who knows what it looks like to them. I get loads of them looking right into my trail cams and I know they are seeing the IR then.
 

Some coyotes at my bait site are very scared of the trail camera glow while others don't seem to mind. They generally see the IR from my scope when I am ready to shoot. I have had several coyotes stare at it but most don't seem alarmed. Certain ones have been scared of it though. It must be an individual thing from one coyote to another.
 
Originally Posted By: Victor_TNVC Effective range out to 700 yards+ with the 850nm diode.


Victor I asked thegoodlife to quantify his IR lights and got no response.

I pose the question to you, how do you quantify or put a metric on IR lights?

Visible light has several metrics, Lumens, Lux, Candela and there is an actual calculation for "Throw". Probably the most meaning full metric to a hunter trying to identify and shoot as far as he can.

http://flashlightwiki.com/Light_Output_Measurements

With a $10 light meter, a few google searches, and a calculator anyone can find the "Throw" of their flashlight. What and how far each individual sees is specific to what their eyes and optics allow them to see with that light. Throw is defined as the distance illuminated by .25 lux. For my needs I need a little more, I would say around .5 lux to be safe, my son on the other hand with eyes half my age can probably get by with .25.

How does IR light correlate to visible light in terms of throw?

Your claim of "700+ yards effective range", is that with any NV unit, would my Photon be as useful at 700 yards as high end GenIII unit using your Torch Pro?
 
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Originally Posted By: pmackOriginally Posted By: Victor_TNVC Effective range out to 700 yards+ with the 850nm diode.


Victor I asked thegoodlife to quantify his IR lights and got no response.


You got no response because I have no clue... Just stating the light that I use, I have no clue how they work. But if you need a house built, I can do that...lol
 
pmack, infrared radiation is measured in radiant flux. The unit of measurement is watts. This is similar in concept to lumens as the measurement of total light emittance.

I don't know that it can be easily measured at home. I've not done it.

For reference, the osram sfh 4715as puts out 2W of radiant flux when driven at maximum rated current of 1.5A. The previos generation, sfh 4715s, put out 1030mW at its maximum rated current of 1A.

Of course, with zoomable lights you also need to consider the intensity of the source, similar in concept to lux measurement. This is measured in mW per steridian.

I'm not aware of a way to measure "throw" for IR. I suspect this is because different sensors have differing levels of minimum required IR whereas white light has a standard minimum level we all agree to.
 
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I've shot hundreds of coyotes over the past 8 years and the IR glow is a minor problem, but often blamed for....

If the coyote is looking straight at you they will see the red glow, as you turn on at the light, but they do not see the IR light around them.
Do not look at your lights up close but go out 100 yards and look back at it you will see red. Now look around, were I hunt you can see dozens of yard lights in the distance. They are used to seeing dim distant light.


TIPS
1 When a coyote responds, wait to turn the IR on until your ready to shoot.
2 Make your set up so the coyote is not directly facing you during the shot.
3 Use a Halo shield and Honey-Comb filter. (I haven't had a single coyote notice the glow since adding a honey-comb in front of the halo shield.)
 
Originally Posted By: pmackOriginally Posted By: Victor_TNVC Effective range out to 700 yards+ with the 850nm diode.


Victor I asked thegoodlife to quantify his IR lights and got no response.

I pose the question to you, how do you quantify or put a metric on IR lights?

Visible light has several metrics, Lumens, Lux, Candela and there is an actual calculation for "Throw". Probably the most meaning full metric to a hunter trying to identify and shoot as far as he can.

http://flashlightwiki.com/Light_Output_Measurements

With a $10 light meter, a few google searches, and a calculator anyone can find the "Throw" of their flashlight. What and how far each individual sees is specific to what their eyes and optics allow them to see with that light. Throw is defined as the distance illuminated by .25 lux. For my needs I need a little more, I would say around .5 lux to be safe, my son on the other hand with eyes half my age can probably get by with .25.

How does IR light correlate to visible light in terms of throw?

Your claim of "700+ yards effective range", is that with any NV unit, would my Photon be as useful at 700 yards as high end GenIII unit using your Torch Pro?

Of course (I should have mentioned) this that our Torch and ranges is based on a Gen 3 NVD which is the most sensitive light amplification device in the IR. Most know this, BUT I should have reminded everyone about this. With a digital device, the ranges are SEVERELY diminished due to sensitivity or lack there of in the IR spectrum vs. a I^2 NVD.

With that said, you cannot correlate measurements white light to IR in the fashion you are trying to. Even though though our Torch Pro is only rated to approx 300mW, it's not all about power, it also about the design of our glass magnified lens which this design allows the extended ranges I talked about along with the frequency of the IR and the NVD being used. Of course the Chinese lights and others use this mW power as a marketing tool that "we have the biggest Johnson contest", where we do not even bother talking about specific power with our Torch as our Bezel design is the key to our outstanding performance. But there are MANY variables measuring an IR light performance and it's NOT just power of the unit.

I can also say our Torch Pro will also reach out to 1200 yards with a 3x PVS-14 Magnifier attached to it. Which some do with the threaded lens we have machined into our bezel. With a 5x, over 1600 yards.

So it's a bit more than mW power and also visible glow of the emitter based on the design of the bezel and IR emitter depth which our Torch Pro buries the emitter deep into the cavity to mitigate the IR LED glow. We and Surefire probably do this the best to mitigate the glow in the 815nm - 850nm range. Hope this helps a bit.
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Originally Posted By: family guyI've shot hundreds of coyotes over the past 8 years and the IR glow is a minor problem, but often blamed for....

If the coyote is looking straight at you they will see the red glow, as you turn on at the light, but they do not see the IR light around them.
Do not look at your lights up close but go out 100 yards and look back at it you will see red. Now look around, were I hunt you can see dozens of yard lights in the distance. They are used to seeing dim distant light.


TIPS
1 When a coyote responds, wait to turn the IR on until your ready to shoot.
2 Make your set up so the coyote is not directly facing you during the shot.
3 Use a Halo shield and Honey-Comb filter. (I haven't had a single coyote notice the glow since adding a honey-comb in front of the halo shield.)

Great post Family guy. The only units I have seen a real issue is the IR SuperTac and some of the Chinese T lights we see out there. The SuperTac is probably the best unit out there for GOBS of IR medium range distance (300 yards) but their emitter and LED diodes are all near the bezel surface in which their emitter glows and can be seen out to 100 yards.
 
Originally Posted By: family guy

If the coyote is looking straight at you they will see the red glow, as you turn on at the light, but they do not see the IR light around them.


3 Use a Halo shield and Honey-Comb filter. (I haven't had a single coyote notice the glow since adding a honey-comb in front of the halo shield.)

Agree 100% and I like tip 3, gonna have to try that, got any info on where to get honey comb? Didn't the Nikon Coyote scope come with one?
 
Originally Posted By: Undrcoverrednekpmack, infrared radiation is measured in radiant flux. The unit of measurement is watts. This is similar in concept to lumens as the measurement of total light emittance.

I don't know that it can be easily measured at home. I've not done it.

For reference, the osram sfh 4715as puts out 2W of radiant flux when driven at maximum rated current of 1.5A. The previos generation, sfh 4715s, put out 1030mW at its maximum rated current of 1A.

Of course, with zoomable lights you also need to consider the intensity of the source, similar in concept to lux measurement. This is measured in mW per steridian.

I'm not aware of a way to measure "throw" for IR. I suspect this is because different sensors have differing levels of minimum required IR whereas white light has a standard minimum level we all agree to.

Undercoverredneck I was going to check the specs when I got home, that's the information I was looking for.

An IR emitter driven at 1A will put out a certain MW value (lumens for visiible light). The lux or candela term for IR light will vary depending if the light is reflector based or a 38mm lens and a 67mm lens zoom light. I guess it's the MW/per sguare meter or steridium? (lux/sq meter for visible light) I'm looking for. There has to be someway to quantify this, it may not be easily done at home but their has to be a way.

What is steridian I found steradian?

Regardless if the wave length is visible or not I would think it should act the same in the optics used to project the beam. I can watch the IR beam adjust through my Photon the same as my red light did in a normal scope and naked eye.

What's your thought on pushing the Osram at 2.2A exceeding the mfg specs? I've heard of guys pushing Red XPE-2 that hard.



 
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Originally Posted By: Victor_TNVC
I can also say our Torch Pro will also reach out to 1200 yards with a 3x PVS-14 Magnifier attached to it. Which some do with the threaded lens we have machined into our bezel. With a 5x, over 1600 yards.


I'm not doubting you, just curious how you come up with that number?

If you had a T20 850nm Evola off Amazon how would you rate it?
 
Originally Posted By: pmack

What's your thought on pushing the Osram at 2.2A exceeding the mfg specs? I've heard of guys pushing Red XPE-2 that hard.


I push the red XPE-2 that hard. It's awesome.

I use the Osram on a Bergquist aluminum board that is designed for it (the center pad for the LED does not go to ground). To overdrive an LED, you need a better heat sink like a copper direct thermal path board (like a Noctigon). I'm not aware of any of DTP boards for the Osram. You could maybe try it by using Arctic Ceramica or something to isolate a DTP with Osram from the pill.

Why do you want to do this? You trying to shoot 500 yards at night?

Also, not to answer for TNVC, but Gen 3 night vision gain is 10,000 times the captured photon energy that enters the unit. Digital night vision is an entirely different game because it's just a camera sensor that captures the photons and translates that to an image without the gain. That's why you can run the IR at 350ma and see so far through Gen3. That also has to be a contributor to why the IR source signature is lower. Try your B158 on different power levels and see the difference in how bright the IR LED is.
 
No I'd much rather have them inside 200, 100 preferably at night.

A buddy modded my light for me, not sure how hard it's driven or the board it's on. I didn't like the clicky so I went to the T20 but that rheostat wasn't all it's cracked up to be. I went back to 158 and just run it 100% and back off the zoom.
 
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Originally Posted By: pmackOriginally Posted By: Victor_TNVC
I can also say our Torch Pro will also reach out to 1200 yards with a 3x PVS-14 Magnifier attached to it. Which some do with the threaded lens we have machined into our bezel. With a 5x, over 1600 yards.


I'm not doubting you, just curious how you come up with that number?

If you had a T20 850nm Evola off Amazon how would you rate it?



Never thought you were, great questions.
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As for the range number detection, I used a PVS-27 Clip on with my S&B glass with paper and steel setups from 500 to 1600 yards.

As for the Evola, (right wrong or indifferent) I don't test most of the Cheap Chinese re-branded IR Lum stuff out there. 95% of our customers (including LE, MIL and high end Hunters) come to expect TNVC to manufacturer and offer higher end systems, so that is what we do.

TNVC's sister company NightGoggles offers more of the commercial line of gear, but they offer the Torch Pro as well.
smile.gif

 
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