Thread: IR illuminators

Originally Posted by Kiwi-Hunter

The English fellows have a few options.
https://www.ludicrous-lumens.co.uk/8..._20931352.aspx.
I have this model at a better price.
If interested I have some of these units coming for mates樂
Plus a few 940nm pills coming as they change out easy if you want less glow.
They will be a sharp price if all goes well easily better than the UK. Of course it won't have the UK branding.
It will be first in first served with these.
KH

Put me down for one

Originally Posted by Kiwi-Hunter

The English fellows have a few options.
https://www.ludicrous-lumens.co.uk/8..._20931352.aspx.
I have this model at a better price.
If interested I have some of these units coming for mates樂
Plus a few 940nm pills coming as they change out easy if you want less glow.
They will be a sharp price if all goes well easily better than the UK. Of course it won't have the UK branding.
It will be first in first served with these.
KH

Id like one too please, im thinking 850, but would there be the ability to retrofit the 940 later?

Originally Posted by GWH

Id like one too please, im thinking 850, but would there be the ability to retrofit the 940 later?

GWH the 940nm pill switchs out very easy, not sure where these are at present, would of been here under normal conditions.
Weather has had its moments and when out shooting, I don't have the head space for doing a picture shoot on the IR, but what I've seen there shouldn't much to complain about.
I l'll take some switch out photos, but really the screw in and out.
Remove battery
Screw focus in and unscrew head housing this let's you get to the IR! These are Threaded and screw out. It's that easy.
Pictures to come.
KH

For you GWH.
I suggest an adjustable mount which will help to give you central focus.
The IR torch returns to the last setting. It has three modes.
KH

Originally Posted by Kiwi-Hunter

For you GWH.
I suggest an adjustable mount which will help to give you central focus.
The IR torch returns to the last setting. It has three modes.
KH

Too easy, thanks.

Righto, can you supply the IR illuminator with both 850 and 940 and the adjustable mount? When your stock arrives of course.

Originally Posted by Kiwi-Hunter

For you GWH.
I suggest an adjustable mount which will help to give you central focus.
The IR torch returns to the last setting. It has three modes.
KH

Thar's a very cool looking adjustable mount. Where did you get this, I'd love one. I assume it fits a picatinny rail. It would be great to fine tune the torch alignment.

I can probably get them, but I am not doing this for a living. All this came about by this post and I saw a need for an IR that could do the 300 + at a very reasonable price. That said it is just as easy for yourselfs to buy off AliExpress, there are a few different options. But 30mm is needed of course and depending on scope and turrets if high or low profile, low seems best and side mount is good. I am using a double picatinny.
A friend brought 25mm low profile and gave it to me, I had a 30mm high profile and switched out the top rail. Under the top mount are springs and 6 ball bearings 2 of them very small and very hard to find on the carpet. But it works for me.
I had it all setup on the rifle in the early hours for pictures, it just kept raining off and on, I did manage to get something out in the street but was in a hurry because of the setup on the rifle. I could see 300 no problem but I hadn't adjusted the IR right and the picture was grainy.
Maybe to night I'll try again, as they say a picture worth a thousand words. This I think will very from scope to scope.
KH

Originally Posted by Phil_H

@Kiwi-Hunter, really look forward to some photo's with your new illuminator.
Always on the look out for good kit or better than I have currently.

Cheers
Phil

Honestly Phil
I've seen your pictures and those distances are good enough I would of thought.
I mainly just use the setup on the Pards and Ive shot out to 300yrds with it and to be honest most game is shot with in the 300yrds. Given the exceptions to those setup for long range shooting. But take that mind set into the dark and it will come back and bite you. I shudder on some reports of the thermal shootings I've heard and there will be a few here that could tell a story if would be honest.
Another mate has a pard with 940nm and he uses the 840nm torch for the longer stuff and identification. His comment to me yesterday! was he went all night on one battery in the Pard using the external IR and I said you use it more than me. He runs a 6-24x50 so plenty of zoom.
Most night shooting is under 300yrds where I am and I am very comfortable with 250yard shots when needed, the extra light at that distance is a plus on a rabbit.
The switch out to 940nm well its all been done and pros and cons of that. I have a real trial for that at some point, in I have one that's been getting away from me with the cherry glow it means go. I am hoping that the 940nm will not glow as much and warning it for its time to race off, its working on the pard with 940nm I've been told.
I think nights and moon all make the difference to what we look at and any given night it can be a different sight picture. For me a nicely illuminated rabbit is always a pleasure.
KH

Well pictures, it wasn't what I expected. I wonder if I should redo the picture with another set of hands.
I haven't taken a lot over the last 3years and out that as well as shaking trying to hold by myself isn't the best.
The day the sun was to the west and I was trying to get pictures to the west.
But the good with the bad sight pictures..I see most of these out of focus or the IR splash on the ground way before the Bale.
I didn't remove the red filter so didn't notice it wasn't a sharp image until the the download.
I had chosen four distances, but for the sake of me and this post! I'll put the main thought up.wood stack and barrel 325.5yrds the Bale is 158.5yds.
To be fair I am not as familiar with the IR as my mate and was learning as I went.
Where to set it and how to adjust it and of course came home to find I had blurred most by movement.
Nevertheless it's good enough to see the 325.5yrds and was good through the scope. I didn't think that there was much in the three modes but at distance of 325.5yrds the first setting does not make it.out there. I'll try and post day then night.
On second thoughts as I closes off. I think I will have another go at the 325.5yrds pictures as I know this isn't what can be achieved.
KH

I passed the pictures onto my mate and his comment was you haven't got that right no good stating the obvious.
It's blowing today but will try and take the day pictures again and repeat to night hopefully.
KH

Well I am not having the photo green thumb as they say.
Trying in the wind and decided to use the phone by WiFi it went well enough on mine phone to his 007s, but the iPhone didn't take mine for reason I have no idea. Came home to find one small round Bale video.
By the time I went back I had lost the light for day photos. Hopefully tonight we will try again.
Have taken some with the other 007s and my mate is hoping to be back tonight.
KH

This forum is frustrating. Get notified via email and every time a thread opens from an email I'm logged out, so I log in and it redirects me to the home page, then have to try find the thread I was just on.

Does it do the same to you guys?

Well I tested again and was a bit disappointed in what I could achieve with the IR, true it will light up eyes out at 400+ but I couldn't get a shot with it.
It struggled at 325.5yrds and it will depend on the the unit and scope along with conditions of the night.
I went back to the company and their reference is 200m a lot less than I was told out of the UK.
My pard 007s has a smoother picture at 325.5yrds.
However the 940nm may be useful and I will make one in 850nm available for free to the members on this post who expressed interest in it as a trial unit, and they can post it onto the next in line.If it meets someones expectation, I'll post out a new one.
Best I can do at this point.
Will Put up some more pictures later.
KH

Im definitely keen to try an 850nm, am i right in thinking it will throw a fair bit further/brighter than the 940nm?

Yes it does GWH. If there is heavy humidity the vcsel seems to pick it up and the light wasn't great as it bounced around on air particles.
But you get that with any IR if its a heavy misty night. Ive packed up and gone home quite a few times.
The thought that they are a dud isn't quite right. I can push it to 400 but not through the scope and I was given wrong information on there capabilities.
Having said that, the specs turned out to be 200m, well they do that and running it! the Pard will last all night.
I am asking a few questions, but vcsel (lazer) is a problem with import! if they are high range. At this point we can have a 5w on the pard they also make the Pard with no IR for some parts of Europe. Don't need to fill in the gaps of this thinking. Russ Douglas on the UK night vision forum is about to do some more IR reviews, I will link it to this post when it comes out, just as a way of education on where things are at. Some of the units are for me to big to be useful if you are moving around, but okay for the English foxers
KH