300 yard target light

I am looking to build a spot light that will work at 6V and plug into 12v as well. I would like to have the light have RED as well as white light. The red will need to be able to light a reflector at 300 yards, the white will need to light up the 300 yard area. I would like it to be light weight and small. The purpose of the light is for depredation contracts. The user goes into areas to remove varmints, it's all leagal as they are contracted by the city/county.

Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Paul

300 yards?! :thinking:
Its going to be a pencil beam, I'm not even confident my laser can light up a target at 300 yards, if it will my eyes certainly can't tell the difference. Surely you mean 300ft?

A military power level laser would work ... but civilians cannot own them. Probably some type of large diameter aspheric would do the job if there was 100-200 watts of power driving the light.

Lightweight, small, powerful? Pick which ever two you need as you will not find all three in the same package

Maybe something like this but its not going to be cheap or give you much run time. 8 sst-90's alone would cost $300 with shipping.
I found a cool flashlight link several years ago that show you the beam patterns of off the shelf flashlights. You can change from high to low beam and change the back drop scene. Maybe something here might be acceptable. Try looking at the polarion's.

moderator007 said:

Maybe something like this but its not going to be cheap or give you much run time. 8 sst-90's alone would cost $300 with shipping.
I found a cool flashlight link several years ago that show you the beam patterns of off the shelf flashlights. You can change from high to low beam and change the back drop scene. Maybe something here might be acceptable. Try looking at the polarion's.

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That's an impressive light! A little large for what I am looking for. I have a light that is good for 300 yards, but I need one that has red as well and be able to switch to the white light instantly.

Any reason a night vision scope isn't being considered?

With the scope you see everything, not what's in the cone of light, and you don't spook the animals.

Tim Carleton said:

Any reason a night vision scope isn't being considered?

With the scope you see everything, not what's in the cone of light, and you don't spook the animals.

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California law says you can't mount a night vision scope on a rifle for hunting purposes. It would be nice and even though this is legal hunting, they won't allow it even under the special circumstances.

Still looking for ideas...

Thanks,
Paul

this is the best stock thrower I've gotten to date, I'm sure there are mods available for it but the beam is exactly what you need for long range: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/unique...0-lumen-led-flashlight-1-18650-2-cr123a-16538

I've got one mounted on an ar 15 with a larue offset mount. The trees in the pic are 150 yards, time exposure so brightness is exaggerated, but you can see through the scope at that distance, i doubt if would do what you need at 300 in stock form.

Sorry.......no way your going to get a red and white switchable light that will illuminate a target at 300 yards yet be weapon mountable.

You say you have a light that is good for 300 yards. Please share.....

Mac

cmacclel said:

Sorry.......no way your going to get a red and white switchable light that will illuminate a target at 300 yards yet be weapon mountable.

You say you have a light that is good for 300 yards. Please share.....

Mac

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I never said it had to be mountable.

I received an Extreme Beam M4 for Christmas, it's good for 300+ yards and affordable too!

Maybe you could use that light and a 200 mw red laser attached to it. You can take the laser and adjust the beam until its out of focus. By adjusting the focus you can make the beam much bigger. Instead of projecting a pencil beam its more like a tight hotspot of a aspherical lens where it just projects the die of the led. Just a thought.

I received an Extreme Beam M4 ... it's good for 300+ yards

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Since your happy with the white light of the M4 it sounds like all you need is a red light of the same brightness - is that correct?

Extreme Beam M4 info

I think this thread will fit better in H&M, rather than MMM, so I'm moving it now.

precisionworks said:

Since your happy with the white light of the M4 it sounds like all you need is a red light of the same brightness - is that correct?

Extreme Beam M4 info

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So have you actually used this M4 in real use or are you going by what there website states.......which is the typical hyped up crap in my opinion. I just love the last line of there Lumen vs Lux statement how your hiding if you rate your flashlight in lumens Also over 7 hour runtime on high with 2 cr123's seems impossible unless the light is driven at very low levels like under 350ma.

If that M4 really works for you then have someone upgrade you to a red LED version.

Mac

even using a red laser unfocused will not be bright enough, even thru a scope, unless it's upwards of the 200mW range, which is going to be hard to find. switching between red/white instantly in 1 fixture that can reach those distances is also going to be very difficult unless its a totally custom build, i'm sure guys on here can come up with something to that effect, as far as powering it for long duration, your probably going to need an external power pack. have you considered a HID with a red flip-up filter attachment?

FRITZHID said:

even using a red laser unfocused will not be bright enough, even thru a scope, unless it's upwards of the 200mW range, which is going to be hard to find.

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It depends on how much you unfocus it but it can reach 300 yds quite easily. To light up a animal at that distance I think it would be very possible at night. I do have a green 200mw that will do it quite easily.

I have always wondered what the beam pattern would look like when you add one of those red filters in front of the light. I don't have one to try. Does anybody have a red filter on their light. Does it change the beam pattern to flood or does it remain the same. I am with you FRITZHID, A hid would be my choice to try and reach that distance. So much more lumen output than a single led.

moderator007 said:

It depends on how much you unfocus it but it can reach 300 yds quite easily. To light up a animal at that distance I think it would be very possible at night. I do have a green 200mw that will do it quite easily.

I have always wondered what the beam pattern would look like when you add one of those red filters in front of the light. I don't have one to try. Does anybody have a red filter on their light. Does it change the beam pattern to flood or does it remain the same. I am with you FRITZHID, A hid would be my choice to try and reach that distance. So much more lumen output than a single led.

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i have a 200mW green that can be seen for a disgusting distance, even unfocused. but the red 5mW typicly can't illuminate well enough over about 6-10" dia.

I have a red filter on one of my Rockey 4w edcs' and it works wonders at night, i love it. doesn't change the beam enough to notice, just lose quite a few of the lms. i have placed a red filter on my Stanley 35w hid and it's still bright enough to shine across my whole back yard (150' or so). both are too bright to look @ with the filters on, but MUST make sure they are clear red filters, unscratched, and able to take the temps provided by the lights being used. i tried using cheap plastic film on the HID and it started turning brown and giving a funky odor. i recommend using theater gels as they are designed to take pretty high temps.

precisionworks said:

Since your happy with the white light of the M4 it sounds like all you need is a red light of the same brightness - is that correct?

Extreme Beam M4 info

Click to expand...

Yes and no, I would like the light to be able to run on a 6v battery as well as plug into a car.

cmacclel said:

So have you actually used this M4 in real use or are you going by what there website states.......which is the typical hyped up crap in my opinion. I just love the last line of there Lumen vs Lux statement how your hiding if you rate your flashlight in lumens Also over 7 hour runtime on high with 2 cr123's seems impossible unless the light is driven at very low levels like under 350ma.

If that M4 really works for you then have someone upgrade you to a red LED version.

Mac

Click to expand...

I have taken the light out into the field (gun range) and it lights up the 250 yard targets very nicely, I can also see further without issue. It's a great light for the price.

I have a possible solution, Luminus Phatlight PT120/PT121 red @ 2000+ lumen. These are the largest single die emitters made. Pic link is a PT54 700 lumen at 110yds on the right next to a 6 XRE red feeder light on left.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg829/scaled.php?server=829&filename=feedpt54.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=480

I have spotted coyote eyes at 500+ yds with my PT54 red aspheric. My PT120 green aspheric really rocks!