camera-newbie 0 Posted April 17, 2012 I've found someone that I might be able to get 4 Bosch 940nm EX26 illuminators from someone for $100ea (60 degree beam) and wanted to get your collective opinion on this before I move forward. I gather I can adjust both the photo cell and IR output based on the spec sheet I found. I found a few comments here on the site from Rory about these being great.. My primary goal would be to light up a 50x50' area from a height of about 25' and based on what comments I've found this seems like it'd do that easily.. Should I jump on this to help my CNB domes out for night capture? Also, if you've used any of the EX26's with the 940nm LED's, is there any visible red glow from these? I saw a thread kinda sorta indicating that they might glow a little.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 190 Posted April 17, 2012 940nm EX26 hi. 940nm bosh will only go 20-25ft. (depending on hight) the 850nm will get the range you need ..... always half the range if using 940s Bosch EX26LED9W I.R. W/ 60 LEDS, 940 NM, WIDE BEAM 60O, 12/24 VRB, 0... The EX26LED Infrared Illuminator is a versatile short to midrange illuminator 5 m 16 ft) with 940 nm LEDs, at a 60° beam angle). It is encased in a weather-tight cast and extruded aluminum housing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camera-newbie 0 Posted April 17, 2012 Doh! I guess that's something I was NOT aware of regarding the 940nm vs 850nm wave lengths.. I guess these are out then since they won't give me the coverage I need.. If you don't mind.. With a 850nm light source like these or some of the other non-ebay varieties, is the red glow really that noticeable? I think I read somewhere that it's only visible/obvious if you're standing directly in-line with the light but may not see if if you're off to one side or the other. I guess I'll keep looking and doing more homework! Thanks for the heads-up! You saved me from a costly mistake! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 190 Posted April 17, 2012 If you don't mind.. With a 850nm light source like these or some of the other non-ebay varieties, is the red glow really that noticeable? yes with 850s you will always see the red light. with 940s. it depends on the maker but you should not see any red glow at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camera-newbie 0 Posted April 17, 2012 Ok.. Thanks! I'll file that in the back of my head.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaxIcon 0 Posted April 17, 2012 If you don't mind.. With a 850nm light source like these or some of the other non-ebay varieties, is the red glow really that noticeable? I think I read somewhere that it's only visible/obvious if you're standing directly in-line with the light but may not see if if you're off to one side or the other. I've found my outdoor IR cams aren't really very noticeable. Mine are on a residential house with streetlights, porchlights, etc, and the red glow really doesn't stick out that much from the various white/yellowish ambient. If it were pitch black, they'd probably be more noticeable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camera-newbie 0 Posted April 17, 2012 Thx.. I forgot to check on whether the red glow is seen at all angles or not.. If it's only seen direct head-on then it might be OK for the 850nm's.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mike_va 0 Posted April 17, 2012 Doh! I guess that's something I was NOT aware of regarding the 940nm vs 850nm wave lengths.. I guess these are out then since they won't give me the coverage I need.. If you don't mind.. With a 850nm light source like these or some of the other non-ebay varieties, is the red glow really that noticeable? I think I read somewhere that it's only visible/obvious if you're standing directly in-line with the light but may not see if if you're off to one side or the other. I guess I'll keep looking and doing more homework! Thanks for the heads-up! You saved me from a costly mistake! I have some big Raytecs and 850 is definitely noticeable...to the point where I've had kids in the driveway trying to take them...these are not like the coupla LED's that are in a bullet camera. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LittleScoobyMaster 0 Posted April 18, 2012 I have some big Raytecs and 850 is definitely noticeable...to the point where I've had kids in the driveway trying to take them...these are not like the coupla LED's that are in a bullet camera. I hope you got out there and told them "NO! Do not touch my IR!!!" And then throw in a "You little bastards!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camera-newbie 0 Posted April 18, 2012 Thanks Mike.. I put in a ping with Ledtronics.com which is not too far from my home and will be checking on some of their IR floods which come in 880nm, 940nm and I believe 850nm ratings.. Might be good enough for my needs possibly when combined with a PIR/Doppler sensor setup but would need to be tested and only if those bulbs are reasonably priced. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mike_va 0 Posted April 18, 2012 Those seem like they would not last that long at 8W and what appears to be no heatsinking. Do you really need IR? I run a couple of 30W CFL's out front plenty of light for my P3346 Axis in B&W or testing CNB's you can even run them in color. If you do, less expensive options at 850nm check out CNB MIR1000 (they have a little fan inside that keeps them cool). The only ones that don't glow red are the ones with the cutoff glass (take a lot of power generally, except for the HID versions which I have not tried) or the non surface mount IR 940nm LED's which are still going to be limited output generally. Let me know if you find a good source for the glass, I think it is called borosilicate. I'd love to put some in front of my Raytec. This is what the old halogen units used. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camera-newbie 0 Posted April 18, 2012 Those seem like they would not last that long at 8W and what appears to be no heatsinking. Do you really need IR? I run a couple of 30W CFL's out front plenty of light for my P3346 Axis in B&W or testing CNB's you can even run them in color. If you do, less expensive options at 850nm check out CNB MIR1000 (they have a little fan inside that keeps them cool). The only ones that don't glow red are the ones with the cutoff glass (take a lot of power generally, except for the HID versions which I have not tried) or the non surface mount IR 940nm LED's which are still going to be limited output generally. Let me know if you find a good source for the glass, I think it is called borosilicate. I'd love to put some in front of my Raytec. This is what the old halogen units used. I could just put up some motion detector lights that trigger on movement at night and turn on conventional (non-ir) lighting -- certainly would be cheaper. I just don't want to run any lights constantly at night to annoy the neighbors since I'll be likely putting cameras on all sides of the house. I'll do the followup with the above mentioned company since it's local for me and I can find out a bit more without spending any $$.. Does the Borosilicate glass (like this one?) keep the red from showing on a traditional 850nm IR light? Also -- I stumbled across this and thought you might find it interesting to read.. P.S. Thanks for the heads-up on the CNB MIR1000.. I didn't realize they made any illuminators.. I'll check them out -- I wonder if Sean can get these.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mike_va 0 Posted April 18, 2012 You're looking at the right stuff, let me know if you find someone that will sell a piece of that. You'll need something that has a real sharp longpass cut. Most houses have light(s) outside where I live, in fact it is required by the HOA. I can't see that being an annoyance? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camera-newbie 0 Posted April 18, 2012 You're looking at the right stuff, let me know if you find someone that will sell a piece of that. You'll need something that has a real sharp longpass cut.I'll assume the site you're referring to is the grayglass.net site. I don't mind pinging them and can certainly ask about shipping. As for the longpass cut, I've got no clue on what that means.. .. However, I did enlist the help of Google and found the description below at this site: A longpass filter has low transmission in the shortwave region (stopband) and high transmission in the longwave region (passband). If you've got a particular feature you can put on here, I'll gladly include it in my query to greyglass.. Should I just ask if they are able to do a longpass cut on it? Not sure if that's the write terminology/usage -- my hunch tells me it's not the right phrase.. Also, any particular thickness? I'm assuming you do NOT want their Infrared Reflecting Borosilicate (IRR Borosilicate) which can reflect a part of the IR -- spectrum correct? I'll also assume that we're talking about their Grayglass Float Borosilicate 33 product unless I hear otherwise.. Also, just to ensure I've got this straight in my head, this filter ought to keep any visible light from being emitted from an 850nm IR light source.. correct? Effectively removing any red glow.. Most houses have light(s) outside where I live, in fact it is required by the HOA. I can't see that being an annoyance?I live in the LA area and most houses here are 10 feet or less from each other and usually have bedrooms on the sides (much of the time) meaning that if I were to leave a visible light on the side yard turned on all night that it may cause my neighbor to get annoyed as their bedroom may be lit up -- but a motion detector based light may be OK if it's not triggered too often. P.S. Has anyone tried a pet UV heat lamp to see how far the IR projects on those? I've heard of people using those lamps to generate IR for some cheapie projects and they claim it works but nobody posted specs on roughly how far the IR gets -- my hunch is not particularly far (perhaps 10') Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaxIcon 0 Posted April 18, 2012 P.S. Has anyone tried a pet UV heat lamp to see how far the IR projects on those? I've heard of people using those lamps to generate IR for some cheapie projects and they claim it works but nobody posted specs on roughly how far the IR gets -- my hunch is not particularly far (perhaps 10') I don't know about the pet lamps, but I have a 250W IR incandescent heat lamp that I've used for the last 15 years to dry rustable metal parts before I reassemble stuff, and when I tested it with the cams, it lit up the backyard like a bonfire! Not very energy efficient, I'm afraid, and still pretty noticeable, but not nearly as obvious as a 250W white light, or even the 100W motion detect light in my yard. Still, you could get a lower wattage and/or put it on a dimmer. They're not very expensive, and easy to test. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camera-newbie 0 Posted April 18, 2012 Thanks for the suggestion.. By the way, I did get a note back from Ledtronics regarding their R30-123-881-120AN bulbs.. They're rather spendy at almost $100/ea and I'm told the usable light extends somewhere between 20-25 feet and they also claim no visible light.. I'm not sure about heat on them though and whether that's an issue or not, but since they're not super high power perhaps that's OK.. I think for the same price I'd rather play around with the CNB MIR1000's which are ready to go instead of needing a housing to screw into as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites