Ok, so I did something completely out of character…I purchased an IR LED light from Amazon. I would have preferred to build one but it seemed a little more difficult than your average build. I received the light that I purchased today and I’m not very impressed at all. It’s a T20 host, same one RMM sells, with an Olson 850nm IR LED. This is the one I purchased. I’m at work…I turned off all of the lights, turned the light on the max setting and used my phone camera to see what the beam looked like. It is DISAPPOINTINGLY dim. It looks a little brighter through a security camera that’s in the same room though. I’m going to try it tonight when I get home, with a real camera and see how it performs. If it’s still dim…I’m sending her back. I know a few of you dabble in building/modding IR lights. Any suggestions or build methods that you wouldn’t mind sharing, lol??
A digicam will typically have an IR filter installed. If you have access to any of those cheap household security cameras that has the array of IR emitters, it may show up better. Or possibly any night vision equipment… :cowboy_hat_face:
Yea, it seems like all color cameras include an IR filter. Without it colors get altered. How strong the IR filter is in a particular camera seems to vary though. Black & white security cameras won’t have a filter. Also some “day / night” cameras have an IR filter that is moved out of the way in night mode. You can buy them to add to your security camera on ebay. Ebay search. Sony “night shot” video cameras used one.
I build two IR flashlights. I had trouble determining if they were turned on - until I saw them through my IR cam (with IR filter removed). Then they were extremely bright!
Yeah…I didn’t read up on the whole IR filter thing when I bought the IR light. I removed the IR filter from the cmos sensor on an old digital camera that I have and it still didn’t work out well, the light still isn’t as bright as it’s made out to be…back to Amazon she goes.
