Extending the Night Vision Covert Illumination range of your Wildlife Camera
Wildlife Cameras and Infra Red Night Vision
Modern wildlife cameras use Infra Red LED illuminators to provide night vision when taking still images or video at night.
This type of infra red works very well, and provides a reliable short range night vision illumination for these wildlife cameras, but with most cameras, there is often a problem.
Infra red night vision of the type found in wildlife cameras and hand held night vision, is invisible to the human eye, and offers short range illumination, and a warm red glow can often be seen from the LED's which can notify wildlife and humans that they are on camera!
This can create three avoidable issues:
1. Theft or vandalism: A passer by can see the camera illuminating as it fires IR, and either steal the camera, or damage it. Not ideal if you wish to use the camera for security purposes as the theif can easily locate and steal the camera.
2. Scare Wildlife: When wildlife is relatively close to a wildlife camera, it is possible for the IR illumination to catch the attention of the animal and either cause distraction or alarm. When filming rare species such as nesting raptors, or when filming near a nest site, it is imperative that you cause minimal disturbance, and it may even be illegal in some circumstances!
3. Short Range IR is only good for short range illumination! : Often the camera will be triggered by an animal or human, but has moved further away from the camera, and the built in IR illuminators are struggling to illuminate the subject.
The answer is to install a Spypoint Covert IR Booster with Black Flash invisible night vision technology.
Spypoint Covert IR Booster: How Does it Work?
The device contains 100 covert infrared LED's which are virtually invisible in the dark to wildlife or humans. The output is selectable from high to low IR output, depending on application.
Using wireless technology the Spypoint Covert IR Booster has a detection unit and a reciever and it is this detection unit which is attached to your existing camera and when the IR is fired when the camera detects movement, it signals to the Covert Booster to activate illumination wirelessly.
A IR detector is attached to your wildlife camera using the supplied mounting kit, and detects IR when your camera is triggered by movement.
The Detector is connected to a wired transmitter which sends the signal to the Covert IR booster.
The Covert IR booster recieved the signal from up to 50ft away and fires the illumination.
Image shows the Covert IR detector, transmitter and reciever as attached to a Bushnell Trophy Cam HD.
Simply place the Covert IR booster up to 50ft away, and it will sense activation and fire out a powerful infrared light source, which is invisible to the naked eye.
Covert IR Booster Applications:
There are two main reasons you would install a Covert IR Booster
1. To provide additional extended illumination range to your current Infrared wildlife camera.
2. To turn your NON Covert Wildlife Camera, into a covert Infrared device.
We will cover how this works separately.
Providing Additional Extended IR Illumination to your wildlife camera.
The image above shows a Wildlife Camera in a wood, with the Covert IR booster attached to a tree approx 30ft away from the camera.
In this instance the Wildlife Camera is set up to fire its own inbuilt IR which is not restricted, apart from the small detector attached to the camera LED unit.
A badger has triggered the camera and the inbuilt IR is providing short range illumination, and the Covert IR is providing extended range IR illumination.
This is ideal if you do not need complete Covert Illumination, as the wildlife camera red glow may be seen.
Providing Stealth IR Illumination for your Wildlife Camera.
The above image shows the Wildlife Camera which has detected a badger, and has fired the inbuilt IR inside the Wildlife Camera.
In this instance we have blanked out the IR illumination of the camera by using black insulating tape, leaving only one IR led to be covered by the detector to allow IR to be detected and signaled to the Covert IR Booster.
The Spypoint Covert IR Booster has detected the activation and has fired the Covert Illumination from the IR Booster, illuminating the subject.
This means that the badger is only being illuminated by the Covert Infrared device, and therefore is completely undetectable to the animal.
Ideal for covert filming, or for nest sites, or wildlife that may be sensitive to human intrusion.
You can find out more about the Spypoint IR Covert Booster by visiting our website.
