IR Illuminators in 2019

bigredfish

Known around here
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
17,009
Reaction score
47,454
Location
Floriduh
Ihavent though would love too. Its pretty wide but at 1/2 the rated distance, works pretty good
 

mech

Getting comfortable
Joined
May 18, 2019
Messages
326
Reaction score
427
Location
United States
@bigredfish - what version is your 200ft tendelux? Any recent suggestions on IR illuminators for an LPR camera trying to capture plates at 110' - ish?
CMVision IR-200 is one commonly-available model with a very strong and very focused beam.

Also check out this thread: Automotive IR emitter You'll need to scrounge up your own sufficiently-potent 12V power brick. For my test, I hooked it up to a 6-amp brick I had laying around. With all spot optics, it's easily more powerful than a pair of IR-200s.
 

iseeker

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Nov 16, 2018
Messages
229
Reaction score
90
Location
TEXAS
CMVision IR-200 is one commonly-available model with a very strong and very focused beam.

Also check out this thread: Automotive IR emitter You'll need to scrounge up your own sufficiently-potent 12V power brick. For my test, I hooked it up to a 6-amp brick I had laying around. With all spot optics, it's easily more powerful than a pair of IR-200s.
Looks like 40-60 degrees for the model
 

mech

Getting comfortable
Joined
May 18, 2019
Messages
326
Reaction score
427
Location
United States
The three IR-200s I have are pretty focused. One sec, I'll do a quick demo with the idle one...


This video starts with a Hikvision camera at minimum IR output (can't be turned completely off in B/W mode), then at 50%, then at 100%. Then I throw on the CMvision IR-200, and last I switch to the Black Oak IR pod (4 x 15-degree spot optics). My own LPR is looking about 150-180 feet out and is using two IR-200s right now. Note that the IR-200 is only IP65-rated, they're not fully weatherproof as-is. Also they have a two-axis mount, not three-axis, so they're best bolted to a horizontal surface.

My other remark about the IR-200 is that they tend to switch on very late unless their photocell is obstructed with, say, a piece of masking tape or something to fool them into thinking it's darker than it really is.
 

iseeker

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Nov 16, 2018
Messages
229
Reaction score
90
Location
TEXAS
The three IR-200s I have are pretty focused. One sec, I'll do a quick demo with the idle one...


This video starts with a Hikvision camera at minimum IR output (can't be turned completely off in B/W mode), then at 50%, then at 100%. Then I throw on the CMvision IR-200, and last I switch to the Black Oak IR pod (4 x 15-degree spot optics). My own LPR is looking about 150-180 feet out and is using two IR-200s right now. Note that the IR-200 is only IP65-rated, they're not fully weatherproof as-is. Also they have a two-axis mount, not three-axis, so they're best bolted to a horizontal surface.

My other remark about the IR-200 is that they tend to switch on very late unless their photocell is obstructed with, say, a piece of masking tape or something to fool them into thinking it's darker than it really is.
Super helpful. Thank you. The ir-200 is less floody than i thought. And 15degree pod is much more focused than i thought too.

edit: i think I’ll get the ir-200 to use with my lpr camera that is in the mail from Andy. At 100’-120’ it should be the ticket.
 
Last edited:

tibimakai

Known around here
Joined
May 8, 2017
Messages
1,005
Reaction score
513
Location
Los Angeles
I would like to improve my IR light for my LPR camera as well. I have one of those 15 LED ones from Ali and it does not light up the area that I want.
I have the 10 degree one.
I'm looking to replace it, with something more focused. I'm thinking about a flashlight, that has a lens in front of it. I have just purchased a 5W IR LED and a resistor for it. I will fabricate something. Most likely I will replace the original LED, with the IR 5W one, I will solder some wires to it and install a 25W resistor/8.2Ohm, that will be inside the flashlight. I may make some holes at the bottom, for ventilation. Install a 12V female plug. I have installed an exterior outlet for Christmas lights, so I can use that outlet to power this flashlight.
I was thinking about replacing those LEDs, with some that are 3W, or even 5W ones, but those lenses are glued to the pcb, dealing with desoldering all those LEDs, soldering new ones, re-glueing the lenses. Then finding an LED driver that can handle the high current, than dealing with extra heat. Things are getting to complicated.
 

Purduephotog

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Oct 30, 2016
Messages
204
Reaction score
77
I would like to improve my IR light for my LPR camera as well. I have one of those 15 LED ones from Ali and it does not light up the area that I want.
I have the 10 degree one.
I'm looking to replace it, with something more focused. I'm thinking about a flashlight, that has a lens in front of it. I have just purchased a 5W IR LED and a resistor for it. I will fabricate something. Most likely I will replace the original LED, with the IR 5W one, I will solder some wires to it and install a 25W resistor/8.2Ohm, that will be inside the flashlight. I may make some holes at the bottom, for ventilation. Install a 12V female plug. I have installed an exterior outlet for Christmas lights, so I can use that outlet to power this flashlight.
I was thinking about replacing those LEDs, with some that are 3W, or even 5W ones, but those lenses are glued to the pcb, dealing with desoldering all those LEDs, soldering new ones, re-glueing the lenses. Then finding an LED driver that can handle the high current, than dealing with extra heat. Things are getting to complicated.
Actually you can find all sorts of IR LEDs on Aliexpress, and how to swap them around. I'm taking delivery of some IR lasers, set down to a small mw power, and put on beam expanders. I'll take them into work to measure the power to make sure before doing anything with them.

Soldering the IR on there is fairly easy, but I'd just get another PCB board with them already on- there's tons of manufacturers on aliexpress. You can also swap out the optics (I'll let you know how that goes).
 
Top