well its either my eyes or the coyotes are smarting up but i can't afford to up grade from gen two to three on my nightvision so wanted to add a good torch to aid my shooting.whats out there that wont break the bank. seems leds are good up close but want something to go a hundred yrds+ infer red of course.
ideas on ir flash light
- Thread starter ducmarc
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Double Naught Spy
Well-Known Member
If you know your electronics and flow soldering, the best bet is to do a T20 pattern IR flashlight running on an 18650 rechargeable battery. I think you can do the build for about $50 if you know where to find the parts and a set of inexpensive rechargeable 18650s and a charger will set you back $15-20. That will get you functional. Plus you need a 1" scope ring for mounting.
You can buy a completed light for about $200 from places like Ultimate Night Vision - The Ultimate source for Night Vision and Thermal Imaging and they will get you out further than just about anything else on the market and easily mount with a 1" scope ring. The IR is 850nm and works well with Gen 1 and digital NV. So you need a scope ring. You may have a spare laying around or you can get a cheapo set at Walmart for $15 or so and that will do the job for you. The UNV light or T20 will allow some focus that can be helpful. The UNV version comes with varied power settings to run the light so that you aren't blinding yourself or wasting power at close range if you don't need it.
The next best option, especially for open field world, is as Streamlight Super-Tac IR light. These have a larger bell and run on 2 CR123 batteries. The light is very bright and has a lot of splash (hence better for open field work where splash won't be reflected back at you) (so more like a flood light with a bright center). These can be had for about $90 IIRC and need a special mount because the tube is not a standard size. So that brings the price up to about $120. The downside to the light, other than a lot of splash, one power setting, and that it can eat CR123 batteries. You get 1-2 hours run time. If you hunt once a month, this little expense is probably meaningless. If you hunt a lot, then the costs add up really quick.
You can buy a completed light for about $200 from places like Ultimate Night Vision - The Ultimate source for Night Vision and Thermal Imaging and they will get you out further than just about anything else on the market and easily mount with a 1" scope ring. The IR is 850nm and works well with Gen 1 and digital NV. So you need a scope ring. You may have a spare laying around or you can get a cheapo set at Walmart for $15 or so and that will do the job for you. The UNV light or T20 will allow some focus that can be helpful. The UNV version comes with varied power settings to run the light so that you aren't blinding yourself or wasting power at close range if you don't need it.
The next best option, especially for open field world, is as Streamlight Super-Tac IR light. These have a larger bell and run on 2 CR123 batteries. The light is very bright and has a lot of splash (hence better for open field work where splash won't be reflected back at you) (so more like a flood light with a bright center). These can be had for about $90 IIRC and need a special mount because the tube is not a standard size. So that brings the price up to about $120. The downside to the light, other than a lot of splash, one power setting, and that it can eat CR123 batteries. You get 1-2 hours run time. If you hunt once a month, this little expense is probably meaningless. If you hunt a lot, then the costs add up really quick.
