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Modified LED lamping torches.


Dave-G
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agree with gary about the green ones going further and not seem to bother the bunnies to much,tonight was my first night out with both torches due to unforseen circumstances and am impressed with them both.I have the a.horton ones and would say they are good for rimfire ranges no problem, but carry a spare battery as they do tend to dim pretty quickly unless it was just me playing with them to much.One other thing i would like to thank dave-g and ash for the whole idea and all the help and info,also keep us posted on the nightvision your working on dave

atb and thanks dave

Edited by telf
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Well standby to be astounded Telf: Well - pleasantly surprised perhaps. :)

 

I had acquired an IR drop-in for these Ultrafire type torches some time ago - way before I became aware of what aspheric lenses could do for us shooters. It was just a cheapo that I came across on the 'bay and sort of dumped it into the back of a drawer because it seemed so useless to me - at that early time in my NV dabblings. Then more recently 3W and even 5W IR drop-ins came to the market. Sounding wonderfull I bought them as did many other I guess but the issues were still there. I was using a scope mount for the torch and that seems to be the undoing for many a shooter. How many times have we read a thread about light reflections off sound mods etc?

 

Now we all get to see visible light reflections and do something about them. We don't see the IR reflections - but it's worse than just reflections off sound mods with sensitive NV camera's. I first noticed how much indirect light pollution affects our NV rigs when I could see a glow in front of my car through the NV from my brake lights - even when there was wide open land behind the car. So the brake pedal switch is now unplugged when I go shooting on private land - and the number plate usually comes off too.

 

But what was to be done about our IR drop in LED modules? They have quite a wide spill which slightly illuminates local foliage and even atmosphere which trips camera lens iris's etc.

It was about that time when I started hearing about 'thrower' torches - and aspheric lenses seemed to be what I was looking for. However that was in the height of summer while I was lamping. I duly ordered a couple of lenses and found they were perfect for our lamping needs - which was the nucleus for this thread.

 

Several pages ago when I steered the thread towards IR LED's, Ash wrote about the difference between a single small LED emitter Vs a nest of three or four emitters in an led package - when used through an aspheric lens. Someone even put up a recording of a 3W three emitter LED. It took a few weeks before I remembered that old one in the drawer. The best way to describe the result is... "******* amazing" for a 1W LED drop-in.

 

Forget the wonderfully powerfull sounding 3w and 5w ones - you need this one for in the region of 100 yard ranges depending on how sensitive your Nv rig is:

http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1438.l2649

My Watec based rigs see it well beyond 100 yards. I have a really **** image quality DVR and almost didn't bother recording the following but I felt the thread deserved it:

 

Sorry about the recording quality of the following. What i see is much clearer on the /dvr screen, and if I use a plain LCD monitor it is even better. This first video shows that there was a full moon in a cloudless sky There was no other light pollution. I show the location so that anyone local can go there and check the measurement claims - or Google them. The nearest end of the clubhouse is 100 yards from where I parked outside of the gates. The tallest trees seen behind the clubhouse range from about 130 ish yards to about 200 yards, and the trees to the right are lit up at 230 yards. Remember this was a full moon - to be able to see the IR light under moonlight is no mean feat for such a cheap module.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfUyjWxMvI4&feature=plcp

 

The second clip is using an IR drop-in loaned to me, and made by a chap called nailbender on the CandlePowerforum. It too has a very tiny single Ir emitter that works even better than the one off ebay - but it costs something like £30 delivered from USA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcRv9EHKtGM&feature=channel&list=UL

 

Anyone who has one of the Ultrafire type torches might well take a punt at this budget IR module if they use NV. Get the 1Watt one I linked to - not the 3w or 5w ones that sound better but are not - if used with an aspheric lens.

Edited by Dave-G
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Preliminary tests at dusk with the red torches:

I was hoping for a greater throw which to my number 1 eye didn't seem to make much difference (this could just be my expectations getting in the way).

The amount of spill - or rather lack of it, is profound though. Contrary to what I said in the line above, that previously spilled light must be going somewhere.

 

More to report once the sun is properly gone and before the moon gets up.

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I take it back! At dusk they are a bit better with better throw. But in the full dark - WOOHOO! Much better! I also have suffered with the spill hitting the end of my mod and causing glare (which I've dealt with by fitting the inside of a roll of cling film (suitably camo'd up), but this bad boy does away with that. I lit up some cattle at over 200 yards easily (dark ones) and some chickens at about 170yards, easily enough for ID. Put a fox and a dog in the same field, at that distance and you would easily distinguish between them.

The kit costs a fair bit more than the torches do, but when used together I reckon you get a mighty fine package. All I need now is my licence back to go buy the T3 that is sitting in my RFD shop.

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Did you fine tune the focus? I think that might need to be done on each of the LED's that you use it with in case they are fitted at slightly different depths - perhaps due to the amount of thermal epoxy that is beneath them.

 

TBH I did a rough check on some trees about 40 yards off and was happy with that and just bolted it all together. I reckon a little spill will help locate the quary without spooking them.

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Having bought a lense kit from Dave and the arrival of a new torch from flea bay all I can say is that it is now one hell of a torch, far more powerful than torches costing vast amounts more.

 

Having managed to get out after SWMBO gave permission the other night and used it for the first time, it's almost too good, even on a .22lr. It does take a little getting used to however, I'm happily picking out rabbits at 200m.

 

The only issue I had which Dave mentioned above was the fitting to an older style torch. Mine was a few years old and the pill had a slightly larger diameter which meant that the collar wouldn't screw on, even after a bit of filing (of the pill).

 

A new torch sorted this problem out, and once focused and a spot of loc-tite on the threads it's spot on!

 

It's outperforming my clulite and it's a no brainier really. £44 is all it cost in total, maybe a little extra if you want a longer remote switch but worth every penny IMHO.

Edited by colliwobbles
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colliwobbles - did you by chance buy the ultrafire 502b torch from Helston? there is a company of fleabay that i just bought a torch with 5 modes on.

 

i was wondering if this kit would work with this ultrafire 502b

 

Hi Rosebank I didn't get it from helston I ordered mine from eBay. I think daves original post contained the link. It was £11.88

 

eBay number 330784152403 if it helps. Mines a 501, Dave or one of the experts would probably know if it would fit the 502. I'm not sure why if any the difference is, sorry.

 

Colin

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Hi Rosebank I didn't get it from helston I ordered mine from eBay. I think daves original post contained the link. It was £11.88

 

eBay number 330784152403 if it helps. Mines a 501, Dave or one of the experts would probably know if it would fit the 502. I'm not sure why if any the difference is, sorry.

 

Colin

 

EDIT: Sorry guys, I pressed the quote tab in the wrong post - it's intended for the genulman at Roche. :blush: ( he say's while quickly trying to recall where Roche is and failing miserably)

 

I bought a WHITE LED 501B one with 5 modes off the bay from a vendor at Water-Ma-Trout, Helston. Please don't make the mistake of thinking that is the same as the red led one that this thread is all about. I cannot say about the 502... never had one. White LED's are generally too much for bunny lamping - nip out with a mate one night and walk say 50 yards ahead of him and get him to shine it into your night adjusted eyes.... Nice. :no:

 

Stop being a Cornish tightwad. :innocent: £11 something is cheap as chips especially when it comes with an extended remote pressure switch. I reckon most of us probably buy a pair or more. I have one on each of 3 rifles + one for spotting with.

 

Don't forget the barrel mount - it transforms the whole lamping/NV trip once the torch comes off the scope mount and can't reflect off the sound mod, although this photo shows the torch slung to the side of the barrel I have now swung it beneath to avoid any stray IR light from getting in front of the scope:

 

http://img.photobuck...pg?t=1340051724

Edited by Dave-G
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