Silviron
Flashlight Enthusiast
After a lot of searching and a lot of wasted money, I have finally found some Infrared LEDs for Night Vision illuminators that I'm pretty happy with, after spending a 'fortune' on a bunch of disappointments, including ones from Germany that were SUPPOSED to be amongst the most powerful available,
There are three of them that outperform most of the comparably priced German IR LEDS, and equal or even beat the really expensive ones: They are "nominally" 1 Watt, 3 Watt and 5 Watt LEDS in a "luxeon star type" physical format.
The "1Watt" is a single die emitter spec'd at 1.6V - 350ma for about .6 watt actual input. I'd estimate that the IR output on them is probably 100mw.
The 3 Watt is a triple die emitter spec'd at 1.6V - 750ma for about 1.2 watt input, and I'd estimate about 300-500 mw IR output.
The 5 Watt is a four die emitter spec'd at 1.6 - 1500ma for about 2.4 watt input on the first batch that I purchased. I'd guess these put out 700- 800 actual IR output on these. Shine these things on your face for more than a few seconds, and you can definitely feel and see a 'sunburn' (at least if you are as pale as I am) And they will definitely cause eye damage if you look at them close up and directly.
The seller now spec's them at 2500ma , but the first one I had I accidentally hit with 2.16A and it 'instaflashed' even though I had it on a massive heatsink. The seller recommends a pulsed power source... (So far, I'm just direct driving them off of various batteries with the appropriate resistor..... So, maybe the 5Watters will safely work with a pulsed supply at something closer to a true 5 watt .)
These LEDs are ~850 Nanometers... So, they are somewhat visible looking at them 'head on', and therefore not really suitable for truly covert work. For casual use, and even for serious wildlife observation , they will be fine... But if a sniper or guard has you in his sights, he will see that you have him in yours.
So Far, I've put together 5 prototype lights in modded commercial flashlight bodies with custom heatsink slugs and various optics and reflectors.
-----------------------------
The first one is a '1 Watt' LED in a Dorcy Metal Gear LED light body that originally held a 1 watt white LED. It works, but the output is not impressive to me, so I'll probably re-do it with a three watt or a five watt unit.... IN fact, I doubt that I'll order any more 1 Watters; They may be useful for some configurations, but the more powerful ones are a better buy in terms of output watts per dollar.
Anyway, here is what the Dorcy looks like:
I don't have a usable photo of this one out of my Gen 1 Night Owl night vision monocular, but you can get some idea of the output from the IR security cam video I have linked down at the bottom of the page.
This one runs off the usual 3AAA battery holder, which I re-wired to parallel rather than the normal 4.5V serial configuration and am running it off of Energizer L92 Lithium AAA primaries. The output is much better than with the regular alkaline AAAs I tried.
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The next one is a '3 Watt' in an Ultrafire brand single 123 Lithium battery and is currently using an IMS 17mm reflector. It is OK this way, but I believe that it will 'throw' much better using a slightly modified Carclo 26.5mm - 4 degree optic, once I figure out how to space it better.
I don't have a usable photo of this through the NVD either, but again you can get an idea of the output in the linked IR security cam video below.
---------------------------------------
Here is a '5 Watt" IR LED in modded Garrity 3AAA LED flashlight (originally a 5mm white LED). After a lot of experimentation with optics and reflectors, I ended up using a 20mm Carclo 6° X 25° linear optic. The regular 6° optic gives a significantly better 'throw', but with the IR security cameras and the higher resolution low light / IR camcorder I'm building, the output with the linear is more useful, I think.
This one runs off of some 1300mah 1/2 SubC NiMH cells.... Turns out they fit perfectly in the space of the 3AAA holder, and provide enough power to run the '5 Watt" LED, which would be somewhat a challenge for AAAs, even paralleled, like I did for the 1 watt prototype Dorcy above.
There is a photo through the NVD of this light when using the 6° round, regular optic, and the video linked at the bottom shows it using the linear.
--------------------------------------
This one is a 2D M@glight using 3X '3Watt' IR LEDS running off of 2D NiMH batteries, pulling about 2.0 amps, and using 3X 6° Carclo 20mm optics in the Carclo triple holder. I tried the whole range of 20 MM optics and it doesn't make a lot of difference in this configuration. You still get pretty decent 'flood' with the 6° and better throw.
There is a photo a little below through the NVD using this illuminator, as well as in the video linked at the bottom.
-------------------------------------
And saving the most impressive for last, here is a single '5 Watt' IR LED in a 2D M@glight on 2 NiMH D cells at 1500ma, shining through a 2° Carclo 50mm mirrored optic. This has tremendous 'throw'... I don't yet know how far it will light up for the NVD; The farthest I've even tried it at so far is about 125-150 yards, and I'm pretty impressed. I wouldn't be surprised if it would be useful to 200+, yards with a Gen 1 device, and even further for Gen 2 or higher devices.
The only downside to this configuration I have found so far is that at less than 20-30 yards, it is TOO bright to be useful. It will overpower the device and just give you a greenish white flare .
Photo of this through NVD just below, and also in the security cam video a little further below.
-------------------------------------
The following photos through my Night Owl Gen 1 night vision monocular are pretty accurate representations of what my eye sees looking through the monocular. Sorry focus isn't better and I can't say they are absolutely perfect representations of reality.... The only camera I have that fits the NVD doesn't give me full manual control... But it is pretty close for the ones posted. Obviously newer generation devices will be a LOT brighter.
The first one is ambient light... Mostly from a streetlight up at the top of the hill, Mostly cloudy and moonless night when these photos were taken.
The above is using the built in illuminator, which prior to finding the ones I'm working with now, I was pretty impressed with the 'throw' of the built in one, even if the beam was more narrow than optimum.
The tree trunk and the corner of the house in about the center of the photo is just under 200 feet away.
The above is the 5Watt / Garrity mod while using the 6° 'round' optic.
This one is with the 3X '3 watt' 2D M@gmod through 6° Carclo Optics
This one is the '5 Watt' 2° Carclo 2D M@gmod.
With these illuminators, even the nearly useless $70.00- $80.00 Russian Gen 1 Harbor Freight NV monocular becomes fairly useful. I'm not going to bother with trying to take photos, but if you are stuck with the HF cheapie, any one of the 3 or 5 watt illuminators will make it at least better than a toy.
The following video shows the various illuminators as seen through a cheapie walmart wired security camera (color sensor during daylight, B&W at low lux.) the corner of the house in the video is about 225 feet away. There is a narrative in the video that explains which illuminator is being used, and other little bits of info. I sound like mental defective on it... (Probably because I am one) Sorry about the quality of the video and the narrative. I'll put some better stuff up in the future, hopefully.
LINK TO 10MB .WMV video file
I plan to offer some of these Illuminators for sale. In addition to the basic configurations in the prototypes above, I can offer just about any kind of configurations you might need.... Although until I get my lathe fixed, I won't be cutting any heatsinks. I have some sinks cut for C& D M@gs in stock, and might be able to adapt some to other lights, but it might be a few weeks before I can cut custom ones.
There are three of them that outperform most of the comparably priced German IR LEDS, and equal or even beat the really expensive ones: They are "nominally" 1 Watt, 3 Watt and 5 Watt LEDS in a "luxeon star type" physical format.
The "1Watt" is a single die emitter spec'd at 1.6V - 350ma for about .6 watt actual input. I'd estimate that the IR output on them is probably 100mw.
The 3 Watt is a triple die emitter spec'd at 1.6V - 750ma for about 1.2 watt input, and I'd estimate about 300-500 mw IR output.
The 5 Watt is a four die emitter spec'd at 1.6 - 1500ma for about 2.4 watt input on the first batch that I purchased. I'd guess these put out 700- 800 actual IR output on these. Shine these things on your face for more than a few seconds, and you can definitely feel and see a 'sunburn' (at least if you are as pale as I am) And they will definitely cause eye damage if you look at them close up and directly.
The seller now spec's them at 2500ma , but the first one I had I accidentally hit with 2.16A and it 'instaflashed' even though I had it on a massive heatsink. The seller recommends a pulsed power source... (So far, I'm just direct driving them off of various batteries with the appropriate resistor..... So, maybe the 5Watters will safely work with a pulsed supply at something closer to a true 5 watt .)
These LEDs are ~850 Nanometers... So, they are somewhat visible looking at them 'head on', and therefore not really suitable for truly covert work. For casual use, and even for serious wildlife observation , they will be fine... But if a sniper or guard has you in his sights, he will see that you have him in yours.
So Far, I've put together 5 prototype lights in modded commercial flashlight bodies with custom heatsink slugs and various optics and reflectors.
-----------------------------
The first one is a '1 Watt' LED in a Dorcy Metal Gear LED light body that originally held a 1 watt white LED. It works, but the output is not impressive to me, so I'll probably re-do it with a three watt or a five watt unit.... IN fact, I doubt that I'll order any more 1 Watters; They may be useful for some configurations, but the more powerful ones are a better buy in terms of output watts per dollar.
Anyway, here is what the Dorcy looks like:
I don't have a usable photo of this one out of my Gen 1 Night Owl night vision monocular, but you can get some idea of the output from the IR security cam video I have linked down at the bottom of the page.
This one runs off the usual 3AAA battery holder, which I re-wired to parallel rather than the normal 4.5V serial configuration and am running it off of Energizer L92 Lithium AAA primaries. The output is much better than with the regular alkaline AAAs I tried.
------------------------------
The next one is a '3 Watt' in an Ultrafire brand single 123 Lithium battery and is currently using an IMS 17mm reflector. It is OK this way, but I believe that it will 'throw' much better using a slightly modified Carclo 26.5mm - 4 degree optic, once I figure out how to space it better.
I don't have a usable photo of this through the NVD either, but again you can get an idea of the output in the linked IR security cam video below.
---------------------------------------
Here is a '5 Watt" IR LED in modded Garrity 3AAA LED flashlight (originally a 5mm white LED). After a lot of experimentation with optics and reflectors, I ended up using a 20mm Carclo 6° X 25° linear optic. The regular 6° optic gives a significantly better 'throw', but with the IR security cameras and the higher resolution low light / IR camcorder I'm building, the output with the linear is more useful, I think.
This one runs off of some 1300mah 1/2 SubC NiMH cells.... Turns out they fit perfectly in the space of the 3AAA holder, and provide enough power to run the '5 Watt" LED, which would be somewhat a challenge for AAAs, even paralleled, like I did for the 1 watt prototype Dorcy above.
There is a photo through the NVD of this light when using the 6° round, regular optic, and the video linked at the bottom shows it using the linear.
--------------------------------------
This one is a 2D M@glight using 3X '3Watt' IR LEDS running off of 2D NiMH batteries, pulling about 2.0 amps, and using 3X 6° Carclo 20mm optics in the Carclo triple holder. I tried the whole range of 20 MM optics and it doesn't make a lot of difference in this configuration. You still get pretty decent 'flood' with the 6° and better throw.
There is a photo a little below through the NVD using this illuminator, as well as in the video linked at the bottom.
-------------------------------------
And saving the most impressive for last, here is a single '5 Watt' IR LED in a 2D M@glight on 2 NiMH D cells at 1500ma, shining through a 2° Carclo 50mm mirrored optic. This has tremendous 'throw'... I don't yet know how far it will light up for the NVD; The farthest I've even tried it at so far is about 125-150 yards, and I'm pretty impressed. I wouldn't be surprised if it would be useful to 200+, yards with a Gen 1 device, and even further for Gen 2 or higher devices.
The only downside to this configuration I have found so far is that at less than 20-30 yards, it is TOO bright to be useful. It will overpower the device and just give you a greenish white flare .
Photo of this through NVD just below, and also in the security cam video a little further below.
-------------------------------------
The following photos through my Night Owl Gen 1 night vision monocular are pretty accurate representations of what my eye sees looking through the monocular. Sorry focus isn't better and I can't say they are absolutely perfect representations of reality.... The only camera I have that fits the NVD doesn't give me full manual control... But it is pretty close for the ones posted. Obviously newer generation devices will be a LOT brighter.
The first one is ambient light... Mostly from a streetlight up at the top of the hill, Mostly cloudy and moonless night when these photos were taken.
The above is using the built in illuminator, which prior to finding the ones I'm working with now, I was pretty impressed with the 'throw' of the built in one, even if the beam was more narrow than optimum.
The tree trunk and the corner of the house in about the center of the photo is just under 200 feet away.
The above is the 5Watt / Garrity mod while using the 6° 'round' optic.
This one is with the 3X '3 watt' 2D M@gmod through 6° Carclo Optics
This one is the '5 Watt' 2° Carclo 2D M@gmod.
With these illuminators, even the nearly useless $70.00- $80.00 Russian Gen 1 Harbor Freight NV monocular becomes fairly useful. I'm not going to bother with trying to take photos, but if you are stuck with the HF cheapie, any one of the 3 or 5 watt illuminators will make it at least better than a toy.
The following video shows the various illuminators as seen through a cheapie walmart wired security camera (color sensor during daylight, B&W at low lux.) the corner of the house in the video is about 225 feet away. There is a narrative in the video that explains which illuminator is being used, and other little bits of info. I sound like mental defective on it... (Probably because I am one) Sorry about the quality of the video and the narrative. I'll put some better stuff up in the future, hopefully.
LINK TO 10MB .WMV video file
I plan to offer some of these Illuminators for sale. In addition to the basic configurations in the prototypes above, I can offer just about any kind of configurations you might need.... Although until I get my lathe fixed, I won't be cutting any heatsinks. I have some sinks cut for C& D M@gs in stock, and might be able to adapt some to other lights, but it might be a few weeks before I can cut custom ones.
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