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Are there any IR lightbulbs?
6/1/2012 1:59:33 AM
I got this cheap NV camera, but it's little IR LEDs only shine on stuff like 3' in front of the camera. I want to be able to see the back porch w/o having to have the light on out there.
Are there any IR light bulbs that screw in like normal and are more like flood lamps than spot lamps, basically that would work like a normal light bulb but in IR, and that would be somewhat cheap?
Perhaps just some sort of IR filter for regular incandessant bulbs?
Hard to google b/c of the heat lamp bulbs that come up.
Are there any IR light bulbs that screw in like normal and are more like flood lamps than spot lamps, basically that would work like a normal light bulb but in IR, and that would be somewhat cheap?
Perhaps just some sort of IR filter for regular incandessant bulbs?
Hard to google b/c of the heat lamp bulbs that come up.
6/1/2012 5:40:23 AM
I don't think you will find many incandescent bulbs that produce near IR light without also producing visible light. Maybe if you had a regular bulb on a dimmer and turned it up until you could just see some red in the filament it would get most of the output spectrum in the NIR.
The IR filter thing would probably work, but keep in mind that that additional cooling may be needed if the filter completely blocks off the airflow in the light fixture.
The IR filter thing would probably work, but keep in mind that that additional cooling may be needed if the filter completely blocks off the airflow in the light fixture.
6/1/2012 6:47:28 AM
They exist, I've seen them.
Search IR illuminator flood lights or something to that effect.
When I get to a computer ill look for links.
They are used to expand the visual IR range of shitty cctv systems. I.e. your camera has a range of 25', so you'd mount one of these at 25' to widen/increase your camera's coverage.
ETA - Something like this?
Found others but they are all in China... those tend to look like a camera, minus the lense, but the above actually resembles a floodlight. Just saw that the above item is also Unavailable... ill keep looking
ETA2 - DIY homemade IR Illuminator
ETA3 - Found em...
Search IR illuminator flood lights or something to that effect.
When I get to a computer ill look for links.
They are used to expand the visual IR range of shitty cctv systems. I.e. your camera has a range of 25', so you'd mount one of these at 25' to widen/increase your camera's coverage.
ETA - Something like this?
Found others but they are all in China... those tend to look like a camera, minus the lense, but the above actually resembles a floodlight. Just saw that the above item is also Unavailable... ill keep looking
ETA2 - DIY homemade IR Illuminator
ETA3 - Found em...
6/1/2012 9:55:56 PM
I have added IR illuminators for security cameras before. They will make things brighter but not as much as you would expect.
You want to pair the FOV angle of the camera to the FOV illumination of the IR illuminator if you want to highlight everything the camera sees. With the near IR spectrum it will take A LOT of illumination to make that happen because the security cameras are generally zero lux rated and dual duty. They process the IR wavelength but do not multiply the incoming light the way a NOD does.
I was really bummed about the illuminators I purchased until I went outside with my Gen 2 mono ... it was REALLY bright.
My wife says there is probably a Chinese intelligence analyst trying to figure out why there is house on acreage in the Midwest lit up bright enough to stand out on every nighttime satellite pass.
ETA: As a rule of thumb for other people reading this - take any distance a given security camera has for its built in IR illuminator and divide by 4 to get the distance you will kinda sorta be able to see in the dark.
ETA2: If I ever win the lottery, TNVC is going to get a RFP with some kick ass specifications for an upgrade to my security system.
6/2/2012 12:31:26 AM
Thanks So much StayFrosty!
I think I like this one:
http://www.supercircuits.com/Infrared-Illuminators/IR23
It says it is 75' range, so that sould be overkill for shining from one to the other of the back portch. I don't know abotu the FOV on that light but the camera is pretty narrow so it shoud be good. Just sux that I gotta buy the base and the power supply seperate.
Also, I like the way it comes on at night. I don't want something that is motion activated, I want to be able to tune in to the back port view on the TV any time and see it is clear.
I think I like this one:
http://www.supercircuits.com/Infrared-Illuminators/IR23
It says it is 75' range, so that sould be overkill for shining from one to the other of the back portch. I don't know abotu the FOV on that light but the camera is pretty narrow so it shoud be good. Just sux that I gotta buy the base and the power supply seperate.
Also, I like the way it comes on at night. I don't want something that is motion activated, I want to be able to tune in to the back port view on the TV any time and see it is clear.
6/2/2012 12:55:40 AM
Does your camera have a video cable paired with a power feed cable into what is effectively one wire? (These are also called siamese wires by some suppliers)
If it does, check the power output of your power supply adapter. It is very likely your current camera runs on 12 VDC and uses somewhere around 1 amp. Depending on what you have, you might be able to by a Y splitter for the power feed at the camera end and power the IR illuminator off the same feed.
6/2/2012 8:38:56 AM
Tag
6/4/2012 2:45:33 AM
Originally Posted By Barliman:
Does your camera have a video cable paired with a power feed cable into what is effectively one wire? (These are also called siamese wires by some suppliers)
If it does, check the power output of your power supply adapter. It is very likely your current camera runs on 12 VDC and uses somewhere around 1 amp. Depending on what you have, you might be able to by a Y splitter for the power feed at the camera end and power the IR illuminator off the same feed.
Does your camera have a video cable paired with a power feed cable into what is effectively one wire? (These are also called siamese wires by some suppliers)
If it does, check the power output of your power supply adapter. It is very likely your current camera runs on 12 VDC and uses somewhere around 1 amp. Depending on what you have, you might be able to by a Y splitter for the power feed at the camera end and power the IR illuminator off the same feed.
Yep, it is a cheap camera from Harbor freight, a little black and white one. The vid is pretty shitty, but I woudl be able to distinguish b/t a racoon and a woud be home invader on the back porch. The wire b/t the camera and the TV is a male phone cable on the end that goes into the camera and the other end has three tails: two RCA cables and one power cable on the other end.
Problem w/ using the same PS is that the PS for the camera plugs in the room by the TV whereas the PS for the light would be outside by the light.
6/5/2012 10:18:35 PM
