anybody installed any decent 940nm IR driving lights?

hrt4me

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I have a pair of surplus Ibis Tek 940nm infrared light bars I was planning to mount, but they are 24V, so I wanted to explore some alternative 12V options...
 
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you planning on driving with NODs? whats the point of IR lights, sounds like a giant waste of money for absolutely no gain other than bragging rights...
 
yes, either AN/AVS-9 or BNVD, although those are heavy...

thats about stupid and dumb! having driven idk how many countless thousands of miles with NODs, i can assure you if you have never driven with them before then you are in for an experience(and not a good one) -i gather by the fact that you want to do this and think that it is a "cool" idea that you have never done this... i could be wrong though. you lose almost all depth perception with NODs, no one can see you unless they have NODs... first take your NODs and walk around out in the woods with them, then try that running... you will soon fall flat on your face. there is a reason the military does not use NODs for driving in anything but the most extreme circumstances and special of missions. (i did this in iraq as a scout truck looking for the iraqis setting IEDs,) i drove some of the missions and gunned most of them in blackout drive with these damn things. i lost count of how many things we hit, and how many times we drove over shit, ect. not to mention all the head aches i got from them. -an no we were not authorized to do so.

if you are even thinking about using these on public roads then you are a dumb-ass and i hope you crash and total your truck, and pay that you dont kill an innocent person doing so. if your gonna use these out on some back roads and private property then yeah expect to total your rig, but do us a favor dont come back here whining about how you dont have a 4runner anymore.

now if im wrong about all this, and you are some team guy who has logged more miles than i have driving with NODs in blackout drive, and trained countless guys on how to do so then sure by all means go for it. or if you have some other idea that im not getting then feel free to let us know, but i cant see this being a good idea in anyway.
 
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Other than all the mean things Isaac had to say :biggrin1:- I completely agree.

Driving with NODs of any sort is no fun...

If your intent is perhaps predator hunting...? Sure, I say go for it.

I drove thousands and thousands of km through Iraq clearing the MSR south from Balad to Talil and east from Talil to Basrah. Over. And over. And over. And over again using both PVS-14's and PVS-7's. Bad news bears.
 
I've driven tracked and wheeled vehicles with and without IR spotlight aid on a set of AN/PVS-7Bs.......and I hated every minute of it.

Neat in theory, PITA in practice.
 
thats about stupid and dumb! having driven idk how many countless thousands of miles with NODs, i can assure you if you have never driven with them before then you are in for an experience(and not a good one) -i gather by the fact that you want to do this and think that it is a "cool" idea that you have never done this... i could be wrong though. you lose almost all depth perception with NODs, no one can see you unless they have NODs... first take your NODs and walk around out in the woods with them, then try that running... you will soon fall flat on your face. there is a reason the military does not use NODs for driving in anything but the most extreme circumstances and special of missions. (i did this in iraq as a scout truck looking for the iraqis setting IEDs,) i drove some of the missions and gunned most of them in blackout drive with these damn things. i lost count of how many things we hit, and how many times we drove over shit, ect. not to mention all the head aches i got from them. -an no we were not authorized to do so.

if you are even thinking about using these on public roads then you are a dumb-ass and i hope you crash and total your truck, and pay that you dont kill an innocent person doing so. if your gonna use these out on some back roads and private property then yeah expect to total your rig, but do us a favor dont come back here whining about how you dont have a 4runner anymore.

now if im wrong about all this, and you are some team guy who has logged more miles than i have driving with NODs in blackout drive, and trained countless guys on how to do so then sure by all means go for it. or if you have some other idea that im not getting then feel free to let us know, but i cant see this being a good idea in anyway.

whoa, calm down, nowhere did I ever state I was planning on driving public roads - we only use these while slowly creeping around the farms and ranches and hunting leases looking for feral hogs to hunt... I've walked and driven and flown with NODs before and am well aware of all the issues you pointed out, in particular with depth perception...

now might you happen to have any useful suggestions in response to my original post about suitable IR illumination to complement the i^2 we use during hog hunts?
 
[MENTION=74598]hrt4me[/MENTION]:
They're 24v, right?

You can probably take and wire up two batteries in the 4Runner just for the light. Run them in series, just like the HMMWVs, MATV, 7-tons, ECT do. Then, figure out a way to make the stock battery charge them. A power inverter hooked up to a charger for the batteries for the lights would probably be the best bet.

Or, if they make some kind of power amplifier for 12v systems that would be easiest.

IIRC, you should be able to just run these lights on a 12v circuit. Granted, they might not be as bright as they can be, but you'll still be able to see.

EDIT:
From Magnalight website:

"The Magnalight LEDLB-20-IR LED Light Bar offers high infrared light output in a light weight, durable, low profile housing combined with versatile mounting and power options. This IP67 rated infrared LED light bar is waterproof to one meter and produces 3600 lumens of infrared light while drawing only 60 watts of power @5 amps from a 12 volt electrical system. This light can run on any voltage from 9 to 42 volts and produces an infrared light beam that can only be seen through the use of night vision equipment. 750Nm, 850Nm or 940Nm versions."

http://www.magnalight.com/pc-1829-186-ir-emitter-light-bar--60-watts--20-leds--ibis-tek--ibis--9-42vdc--850nm-or-940nm.aspx
 
whoa, calm down, nowhere did I ever state I was planning on driving public roads - we only use these while slowly creeping around the farms and ranches and hunting leases looking for feral hogs to hunt... I've walked and driven and flown with NODs before and am well aware of all the issues you pointed out, in particular with depth perception...

now might you happen to have any useful suggestions in response to my original post about suitable IR illumination to complement the i^2 we use during hog hunts?

ok, but still i dont see the point, sure the hog cant "see" you but they will smell you and or hear you so using NODs to drive with is a mute issue if you ask me, still dumb if you ask me.

now lets look at the legality side of things, i dont know the laws where you live, but i know the laws around where i live state that you may NOT hunt with a battery powered optic of any kind to include a light, scope or aiming device ect. and there are also laws about hunting after dark. and i know some of these laws are also US fish and wildlife regulations as well so... and while i have never been "hog hunting" so i can not speak to the rules or exemptions that may apply for that, i am unaware of any standing exemptions for the laws.

am i gonna turn you in? no i dont have that kinda time to invest, nor do i really care, besides this is about you driving with NODs. i still think its a bad idea, but do as you wish. -also you can get IR covers for regular lights too... LightForce makes them for their lights, and im sure you can find some IR acrylic some place that you can make covers for you head lights as well...

good luck and be careful
 
ok, but still i dont see the point, sure the hog cant "see" you but they will smell you and or hear you so using NODs to drive with is a mute issue if you ask me, still dumb if you ask me.

now lets look at the legality side of things, i dont know the laws where you live, but i know the laws around where i live state that you may NOT hunt with a battery powered optic of any kind to include a light, scope or aiming device ect. and there are also laws about hunting after dark. and i know some of these laws are also US fish and wildlife regulations as well so... and while i have never been "hog hunting" so i can not speak to the rules or exemptions that may apply for that, i am unaware of any standing exemptions for the laws.

am i gonna turn you in? no i dont have that kinda time to invest, nor do i really care, besides this is about you driving with NODs. i still think its a bad idea, but do as you wish. -also you can get IR covers for regular lights too... LightForce makes them for their lights, and im sure you can find some IR acrylic some place that you can make covers for you head lights as well...

good luck and be careful

I don't really get what your beef is... we all use our 4Runners for different things, and some of us want to crawl (~ 5mph) along fields and ranches at night to hunt... feral hogs are considered a nuisance and are not categorized as game animals here in Texas, so it is definitely legal (and highly encouraged by the state) to hunt feral hogs at all hours of the day and night with night vision (both image intensified and thermal imagers are commonly utilized), with all legal weapons (to include select fire and suppressed), on both land and from the air (e.g. helicopters), with no prescribed season (365 days a year) and no limits and very few actual restrictions (e.g. one cannot use baited Tannerite); I have personally stalked them on foot, ridden through fields in and on vehicles and hunted from helicopters (daylight only), with various weapon systems ranging from handguns to suppressed rifles to belt-fed select fire automatic weapons - a buddy even hunted feral hogs with a 3000rpm M134 in central Texas a few years ago - this is all legal, so I don't know who you think you are going to "turn in"...
 
wow,, maybe you need to re read what i wrote.... i said I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT YOUR LOCAL LAWS.... and i am not going to turn you in(even if it was illegal for you to hunt them as discribed) because i dont care how you hunt ect... i was only trying to look out for you and others. -telling you to check your local laws and regs... apparently you already have and are two steps ahead of me -good for you, your doing your home work. sense you are going to be on private property then i could really care less. my only initial concern was that you were gonna try and use this for some illegal night wheeling or driving ect... i had no knowledge of you or your experience(as stated in my first post). i as well as several others have cautioned you about the risks of driving with NODs ect. not gonna beat on that anymore.

I HAVE NO BEEF WITH YOU. so dont go saying i do. we were only trying to be helpful sorry, i wont help you out anymore i swear


ps maybe you missed the part in my last post where i gave you advice on other manufactures who make IR lights....
 
Hunting hogs with fully auto weapons from a helicopter sounds like a good time. :thumb3: Where I live here in Texas they're all over the place. I've hunted them with rifles at night, and with dogs/knives during the mornings. They are truly ugly bastards that tear up everything.

But how would mounting IR in your 4runner be better than just having an NVG scope for a rifle? ...Assuming you don't live in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia.

Edit: Whoops! Sorry for the thread revival.
 
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Hunting hogs with fully auto weapons from a helicopter sounds like a good time. :thumb3: Where I live here in Texas they're all over the place. I've hunted them with rifles at night, and with dogs/knives during the mornings. They are truly ugly bastards that tear up everything.

I've only hunted once from the UH-1 with an M60E4 and a bunch of M4s, and collectively we ended up only killing a single pig on that outing

But how would mounting IR in your 4runner be better than just having an NVG scope for a rifle?

I've got both the I2 and IR for the rifle covered; the IR on the 4Runner is useful for slowly driving/crawling around the properties at night trying to find the sounders and lone feral hogs in the first place, before dismounting to fix and finish them
 

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