Review- New Design Tendelux 10 Watt IR illuminator.

[tigerwillow1]

Out of the 4 I have up 2 are dead. Not to mention I replaced 2 previously. All the units I purchased in 2020 are dead

I realize comparing different models is iffy. Both of my Tendelux 4 watt illuminators allowed water intrusion. They were both repairable. The only 100% trouble free illuminators I've had are the 4 watt CMvision IR-40 and a Univivi 6-watter. On the other hand, the same-manufacturer CMvision IR3 had a 100% failure rate with me. The biggest thing Tendelux has going for it is the dark face. I wish they all had that.

 

[Parley]

Update on my newly installed Speco IR illuminator. Two nights ago, the unit would not turn on when it got dark. I put my finger over the light sensor, and it turned on. So, I put a small piece of tape over most of the sensor and it turned on. It was off when the sun came up the next day. With that problem solved, this thing really "pops" the plates and makes them real easy to read. I had good results with the first one and decided to try one in this location. I am glad I did. Out of maybe 40 cars that went by, I only had one plate I could not read. I think it was a specialty plate that does not reflect IR. There was no front plate.

The LP camera I am using is a Dahua 5442E-Z4E. With this illuminator I can read plates out to around 100 feet. However, I would not recommend this camera for that distance. Maybe 70 feet. At 100 feet the plates are getting pretty small, but the detail is so good that I am still able to read them. I also use a 4K monitor.

 

[Swampledge]

@Parley, the biggest challenge I’m dealing with is rear plates with bulbs that causes extreme bright and dark areas on the plate, like the example shown. Are you finding that the IR illuminator can help overcome this?

 

[Parley]

@Parley, the biggest challenge I’m dealing with is rear plates with bulbs that causes extreme bright and dark areas on the plate, like the example shown. Are you finding that the IR illuminator can help overcome this?View attachment 170731

Quite Possible. I also have the HLC turned up to 80-85 to cut down on the glare from headlights and brake lights. The reason I went with this Speco unit is because it has a 60 degree angle, which IMHO is better for license plates.

 

[Parley]

I decided to go ahead and post the picture of the car about 100 feet away with this 8mm-32mm varifocal camera. The car on the right is about 100 feet away at the next corner from my house. You can see how the supplemental IR light really makes these license plates stand out. I have the HLC night setting at 80 in this picture. I have since moved it up to 85 after viewing around 40 cars going by. I would estimate the parked car is around another 50 feet away.

 

[Parley]

Couple of things after reviewing my LP2 camera video from last night. I am going to up the nighttime HLC on this camera to 100. I think that might help on the California specialty plates as well as other plates. The ones with a black background and orange lettering have been one of the hardest to read. One car from last night came out pretty good and I will post that picture first. Maybe they added more IR reflective material in the latest versions? The 2nd car came out interesting. The front plate of this car came out with black lettering and an orange background for some reason in the video. He came back by a little later and I got the back plate and it is black with orange lettering. The plate number is LOGOFYL. By the way I know where the 2nd car parks, and I walked down there to confirm that the front plate is indeed black with orange lettering.

 

[Parley]

These photos are from last night after upping the HCL to 100 at night. With the addition of the Speco IR illuminator and upping the HCL to 100 at night it has made a difference in the number of plates I can now read. With the California specialty plates I can read the rear plates and most of the front plates going frame by frame. A month or so ago there was no way in hell I could read those to any degree. I also read an out of state plate just fine. I have now upped all my LPR cameras to a 100 on the HCL. Here are some plates from last night with comments.

I could not read this plate a couple of days ago until I upped the HCL to 100 at night. Now I can read it. The glare was too much.



I believe this is a temporary California paper plate.



This California specialty plate came out good. I could not have read this a month ago.



This is the front and back of a California Specialty plate. Number is KERICAD. I can just make out the front now. No way in hell I could have done that before.

 

[Swampledge]

Just an advisory : the forum software seems to be inserting a link to an IR Illuminator that is not the Speco IR60 that @Parley is getting good results from.

 

[Parley]

Another update. This Speco 60 degree IR illuminator has work out so well for me that I ordered another one. However, this LPR camera is mounted in a tree. So, no way to mount it next to the camera without a lot of work. Therefore, I have mounted it next to the security lamp like I did the last one. As it turns out the security lamp does drown out the light from the IR and you cannot see the IR light with the naked eye at night.

I already have a 12VDC power supply located there. So, I ordered a splitter cable so that the power supply can power both IR units. It will arrive this Monday. I also ordered another power connector so that I can hook the IR illuminator to the splitter cable and the new Illuminator. I only ordered one pair. This is what Amazon sent me. I double checked to make sure that I did order the right one.

 

[looktall]

Now you have to buy 9 more illuminators.

 

[Parley]

As I stated above, I ordered a 3rd Speco IR illuminator. The problem was mounting it as close as I could to my LPR 3 camera because it is mounted in a tree. Mounting the IR in the tree would require a lot of work. So, the next best place was the eave if the house next to my nighttime security light. I already had another IR illuminator with a 12VDC power supply to feed the power at that location. Anyways here is a picture showing my LPR 3 camera in the tree and the IR illuminator by the light fixture. Hopefully my power splitter cable will show up today and I can have the unit up and running for tonight.

Edit: That is my LPR2 camera in front of the light fixture.

 

[Parley]

I thought I would post one of the best license plates captures with this new IR Illuminator. In the past I have only posted the harder to read ones. By the way, I had to lightly trim the pine tree so as the illuminator can cover all that is in the camera view.

 

[Parley]

I finally had a hard to read vanity specialty plate pass by my LP3 LPR camera last night. Also, the night before I got a two for one photo of a pickup truck pulling a trailer.

Here is the vanity plate with the number BZ30T94.



Here is the two for one photo.

 

[Parley]

A little update. I have been thinking about how to install an IR illuminator next to my LP4 camera located in the pine tree and done without new cable. I finally found a solution. What I did was move LP3 from the pine tree and relocated it to the eave of the house next to its IR illuminator. The new location puts the LPR camera within 7-8" center line of its IR illuminator. The previous LP3 set up picture is in post 231.

Now that left me with the CAT 6 cable from the previous location of LP3 in the tree. So, I used that cable to run the 12VDC power to the IR illuminator for MY LP4 camera. I used the orange/orange white pair for the +12VDC and the brown/brown white pair for the -12VDC. This cable has 23 gauge solid copper wire. I will find out tonight how this works. Here are a couple of pictures.

LP4 with its new IR Illuminator.



Here is LP3 in its new location close by its IR illuminator.

 

[Alaska Country]

Have done similar for 12 VDC applications.

If you have a long Cat-5/6 run use the additional pairs to reduce the I squared R losses. i.e. voltage drop due to wire resistance.

Usually tie the orange/brown together for the plus side (4 wires) and the green/blue for the negative side (4 wires). With four wires for each side the combination is in the range of a #18 copper wire.

Also like to twist the wires together and solder. That helps with corrosion and makes it easier to add a wire nut. Or just solder everything together which is the overall better practice, but makes it difficult to remove the connection.

If you have a DMM check the voltage at the IR lamp and at the power source to determine the overall line voltage drop.

 

[Parley]

With my DVM I checked the voltage at the source and the first connection, and it is 12.3 VDC. The run is less than 40'. I already have the connection at the pine tree weather proofed. If it was a long run, I would have done what you suggested.

 

[Ri22o]

I used one of these to power a Tendelux illuminator, just plugged it in and let the POE do its thing.

https://a.co/d/6hXwsLQ

 

[Parley]

I thought adding an IR Illuminator to my LP4 camera would work out just fine. It was a home run. This is my closest camera to the street and is located 7' from the edge of the curb. Anyways I will post a picture of a "dirty" plate by someone spraying a non-reflective substance on part of it. I have no problem reading it. My LP3 camera is now 15' from the curb after its relocation from the pine tree. I have an interesting picture from that camera last night. So after my resounding success from this new IR addition, I will add one more IR illuminator to my other two LPR cameras that are at their maximum zoom out. I think with the extra IR I will be able to read those "dirty" plates a lot better. So, LP1 and LP2 will have two IR illuminators. I am trying to get as close to 100% plate reading as I can.

Here is the picture of the "dirty" plate from camera LP4 last night.



Now here is the interesting picture from LP3 last night of a dirty plate and a clean plate. Plate number is 6UOA102. I have the advantage of being able to go frame by frame.

 

[Timokreon]

Looking good. I know you stated somewhere in this thread, but how far away are your illuminators?

 

[Parley]

Looking good. I know you stated somewhere in this thread, but how far away are your illuminators?

All within 12 inches of the LPR camera. The LP3 illuminator was about 10 feet behind and off to the side maybe 4 or 5 feet. Now that I moved camera LP3 up next to its illuminator it is about 8" center line to center line. Picture of LP4 next to its illuminator in post 234, first photo.