Adding IR LEDs?

[thestip]

Has anyone tried adding IR LEDs to improve their camera's night vision? I don't mean opening up the cam and adding them, I'm talking about using them like accent lights to lighten up the darker, more distant areas while not adding any visible light.

Am I nuts? Would doing something like this have any benefit? Drawbacks? It sounds good in theory but I'm a noob and have no practical experience yet... and I tend to over-complicate all my projects before I start them. lol

Building the lights isn't hard; I've built several LED light panels for aquariums and indoor gardens so something like this would be rather simple.

 

[fenderman]

You can buy ir illuminators..many here use them. Though you are way better off adding actual visible light..its easy and cheap if you already have exterior lighting...if you have a switch controlling the lights, this is a great timer that adjusts throughout the year.
http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-Econoswitch-RPLS740B-Programmable-Switch/dp/B004AP92N2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442530735&sr=8-1&keywords=honeywell+timer

 

[thestip]

See what I mean about over-complicating?

Thanks!

 

[nzipcamera]

The question you need to ask yourself is do you want your house lit up like a Christmas tree for everyone to see.
If not then add as many IR lights as you can, much more discrete and will make a huge improvement to the camera's night time performance.

 

[AlpineWatch]

.if you have a switch controlling the lights, this is a great timer that adjusts throughout the year.
http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-Econoswitch-RPLS740B-Programmable-Switch/dp/B004AP92N2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442530735&sr=8-1&keywords=honeywell+timer

I have one of these switches and LOVE it!

 

[fmflex]

I'm personally not a fan of having my house lit up like Christmas. I've got decent floodlighting in the front and back with the front lights controlled by a PIR. The rear floodlights are just controlled from switches. When I wired for my extension/renovation I made allowances to be able to add IR illuminators controlled off another PIR which I'm more happy to leave on. All the wiring is installed and configured, just need to utilize it.

Something like that network camera critic reviewed would be what I'd be chasing.

 

[thestip]

The question you need to ask yourself is do you want your house lit up like a Christmas tree for everyone to see.
If not then add as many IR lights as you can, much more discrete and will make a huge improvement to the camera's night time performance.

I'm in the hills surrounded by 200' redwoods. Even with a full moon, it's pretty dark out here so I'm expecting that I'll want more IR. Being a tinkerer, I'm sure I'll end up making some of my own IR illuminators rather than buying them. That's just how I roll.

 

[stonewatch]

Using separate IR-illuminators reduces backscatter from fog, rain, snowfall or cobwebs.
I built IR-illuminators myself using 3W SMD Oslon IR-Leds mounted to Bergquist plates. Drivers are MeanWell LDD1000h. It took me many hours to build them.

 

[nzipcamera]

Using separate IR-illuminators reduces backscatter from fog, rain, snowfall or cobwebs.
I built IR-illuminators myself using 3W SMD Oslon IR-Leds mounted to Bergquist plates. Drivers are MeanWell LDD1000h. It took me many hours to build them.

Do you have a link to where you got the parts? What was the performance like out of them? Any more information would be great.

 

[stonewatch]

The LEDs I use are Oslon SFH4715S and my source is RS-components. Performance is very good up to 8 meters. Of my homemade IR-illuminators none has failed since installation a year ago. Nor could I detect any degradation.
You have to reflow-solder them and put them into a watertight and heat dissipating case. I built two with 2 SFH4715S (6W) and one with 3 SFH4715S (9W).
IMO excellent solution if You have the tools, knowledge and time to build something like this for Yourself. Otherwise buy a cheap separate illuminator or an analog CCTV-camera with built in IR and replace it once a year.

 

[AlpineWatch]

The LEDs I use are Oslon SFH4715S and my source is RS-components.

Excellent, thanks for the pn's! I see that Mouser carries this part.
Did you use a switching regulator in a constant current configuration to drive them? What did you use for a lens/diffuser?
edit: looks like there's a newer version with better efficiency.
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/OSRAM-Opto-Semiconductors/SFH-4715AS