Bosch EX12 vs. $6 ebay IR illuminator

[mike_va 0]

Bought 2 of these ~$6 units off Ebay "48 LED illuminator CCTV IR Infrared Night Vision", just curious to see how they would work. Took one apart and not the highest quality soldering job. Shipping was slow, but they arrived when the seller stated they would.

 

The $6 unit states 20m (outside) from 48 LED's pretty ambitious...

 

The Bosch is the wide angle version (42 LED's), stated distance 10ft.

 

Current draw: $6 unit 200mA, EX12 300mA

 

Both units were hooked to a 12V HP lab supply. Camera going into a 241S video server, pics are screen captures off the mac. Otherwise setup is pretty crude and for the ebay example you can see I did not refocus the lens for IR shift. You can also see some of the light reflecting off the top of the power supply, a few feet in front of the computer.

 

Conclusion: the Bosch provides more light that is more uniform. I'm not sure what the Bosch cost when they were new, but I'm sure it was significantly more expensive.

[mike_va 0]

Here are the innards of the 6 dollar unit.

 

R5 looks like it shifted during soldering.

[Soundy 1]

How much does the Bosch list for?

 

It's really not a complicated design - buncha IR LEDs wired series/parallel with appropriate current-limiting resistors is little more than a basic electronics project; adding a photosensor to turn it on and off based on ambient light level adds a fraction to the complexity. Quality of construction and assembly is really (theoretically) the only thing you're paying for with the name-brand versions.

[Birdman Adam 0]

This is a great test!

 

I have that exact cheap-o illuminator, got similar results - good for fairly close views. I diffused the light some so it would spread out.

 

I've noticed that with a few years of use one of the LED groups (on same resistor) got partially burnt out.

[Soundy 1]

They're probably using the cheapest resistors, rated at +/-20% tolerance, so it's possible that set of LEDs is getting up to 20% higher current than the others... combine that with the fact the LEDs probably aren't rated for very much current, and that would certainly shorten their lifespan, especially if the design runs them near their limit already.

[rory 0]

thats their crappiest IR though, used it once just on a small front door area, worked fine, but wouldnt use it anywhere else.

 

The EX26LED on the other hand, now that thing puts out light, so much light that I had to turn the light level down. And its powered along side the camera.

[mike_va 0]

Some of the other differences are the Bosch can run off 12VDC or 24VAC. Bosch in their literature also mentions they mount the LED's to are mounted to an aluminum heatsink, so probably they will run cooler and last longer.

 

If I get a little extra time I want to use a thermal FLIR to see what the LED temperatures are.

 

Putting the EX12 into google yielded prices in excess of $200.

[rory 0]

I tried to run the Infrared from an EX82 separately without the heatsink .. it worked .. but it got too hot to touch the metal peice the LEDs were attached to.

[Sawbones 0]

I've done a bunch of testing on the Ebay IR illuminators... I'll post some of the pictures later, when I get a chance (busy here at work).

 

Some of them are actually pretty decent for the money... others are total garbage.

[Sawbones 0]

OK. I've posted these pictures before, but here they are again... and I have a few more too.

 

I initially tested three Ebay illuminators alongside a RayMax 50, and a supercircuits puck illuminator. I mounted them on a long 2x4, and took screenshots from a Panasonic 484S dome, connected to an Axis 241Q.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the long cylindrical Ebay one:

 

 

Here is the very same 48-LED Ebay mentioned above:

 

 

Here's the big square black Ebay model:

 

 

Here's the super-circuits puck (the smaller of the two puck illuminators):

 

 

And the Raymax:

 

More to come...

[Sawbones 0]

The Ebay Illuminator I've found most useful is this model:

 

 

It throws out a nice, even pool of IR light, at a pretty wide-angle.

 

A single illuminator mounted on this porch ceiling (about halfway between that light fixture and the edge of the roof) nicely illuminates that porch at night:

 

 

 

 

I have a number of those deployed, and have had only one malfunction. Same scene as above... I took video through the DVR, and through some night-vision goggles:

 

 

 

Taking that illuminator apart revealed a very simple circuit board behind the LED array:

 

 

 

 

Here's a close-up:

 

 

The problem ended up being that capacitor (good ole' Capacitor Plague). After changing it out with a soldering iron, the illuminator functioned flawlessly once again.

[Sawbones 0]

One illuminator I'd avoid is this long, cylindrical one:

 

 

 

 

 

Because they overdrive that LED array, and they burn out... like the two on the right:

 

 

 

 

 

I'd also avoid that big, black, square, flood-light looking one I linked in my first set of pictures above. It quit working after about an hour... dead PSU.

[mike_va 0]

Very cool, thanks!

[Sawbones 0]

Here is what one of those dome illuminators can do when mounted up on a wall. There's a wall that runs right along the right edge of this frame, and the illuminator is mounted about 7ft up the wall, facing horizontally.

 

Camera is a Mobotix D12, with a night imager (N43 IIRC)

 

[bpzle 0]

Wow... very cool!

 

For any that have already contributed to this thread... PM me and I'll tell you what I've used with marginal success.

[Sawbones 0]

BTW, I found the round 48-LED Ebay unit only pulled about 160mA:

 

 

 

 

The Dome illuminator pulls even less current... 150mA:

 

 

 

 

Compare that to a big panel illuminator... this one is made by American Dynamics:

 

 

It pulls almost 3A... gets pretty warm too.

[SEANHAWG 1]

When it comes to illuminators, I always buy the cheap ones. I find that you can buy 5 or 6 small illuminators and still pay less than a name brand one that has similar performance. The Bosch example just reiterates my point. Sure the one Bosch for $200 was better than the $6 eBay one. But put 6 of those ebay illuminators up @ a cost of $36 and I bet it will look alot better than the Bosch $200.

 

Illuminators are so overpriced when it comes to name brand it aint even funny.

[SEANHAWG 1]

Now if you are needing to illuminate a large outdoor area then it may be advantageous to get one of those hawg raymax lights but indoor scenarios are a different story.

[rory 0]

When it comes to illuminators, I always buy the cheap ones. I find that you can buy 5 or 6 small illuminators and still pay less than a name brand one that has similar performance. The Bosch example just reiterates my point. Sure the one Bosch for $200 was better than the $6 eBay one. But put 6 of those ebay illuminators up @ a cost of $36 and I bet it will look alot better than the Bosch $200.

 

Illuminators are so overpriced when it comes to name brand it aint even funny.

 

I used the Extreme IR for years, yes pricey but in the cases of say the UF500 the cheap ones cant touch it, that turns large pitch dark areas into daylight, blows away the Raymax also going by what I used.

Im also impressed by the EX26LED but it is too expensive and now discontinued.

[SEANHAWG 1]

Yeah I remember that you posted that pic a while back. That is beautiful.

[shropna 0]

When it comes to illuminators, I always buy the cheap ones. I find that you can buy 5 or 6 small illuminators and still pay less than a name brand one that has similar performance. The Bosch example just reiterates my point. Sure the one Bosch for $200 was better than the $6 eBay one. But put 6 of those ebay illuminators up @ a cost of $36 and I bet it will look alot better than the Bosch $200.

 

Illuminators are so overpriced when it comes to name brand it aint even funny.

 

I used the Extreme IR for years, yes pricey but in the cases of say the UF500 the cheap ones cant touch it, that turns large pitch dark areas into daylight, blows away the Raymax also going by what I used.

Im also impressed by the EX26LED but it is too expensive and now discontinued.

Kalatel recorders

[Sawbones 0]

Some of the big panels are great... I have one mounted on the front of the house... throws a pretty long pool of IR:

 

This one is a Senstar panel:

 

 

[mike_va 0]

Here is what one of those dome illuminators can do when mounted up on a wall. There's a wall that runs right along the right edge of this frame, and the illuminator is mounted about 7ft up the wall, facing horizontally.

 

Camera is a Mobotix D12, with a night imager (N43 IIRC)

 

Very nice. Do you happen to know what shutter speed that is at?

[Sawbones 0]

Here is what one of those dome illuminators can do when mounted up on a wall. There's a wall that runs right along the right edge of this frame, and the illuminator is mounted about 7ft up the wall, facing horizontally.

 

Camera is a Mobotix D12, with a night imager (N43 IIRC)

 

Very nice. Do you happen to know what shutter speed that is at?

 

Hang on... let me check the settings.

 

*********** Edit ***********

 

Max exposure is 1/5 second. Want to see it with a faster shutter speed?

[mike_va 0]

Max exposure is 1/5 second. Want to see it with a faster shutter speed?

That would be great!