Infra Red Lights

For reasons that will remain my own (see later on) i want to fit four infra red lights to the front of my Landy, two above and two below the front bumper, quite central (like above and below where your winch would go(or maybe your number plate))

But this got me thinking as ANPR and time distance cameras use infra red lights and infra red cameras to read number plates at night would this then be illegal as they could cause the iris on the camera to close down due to the amount of light comming in, and prevent the camera reading the plate - heavens above that would not be right

Any thoughts - obviously I would not be fitting the lights to cause the above, but I guess it would still count as preventing the camera working???

jamescronin said:

For reasons that will remain my own (see later on) i want to fit four infra red lights to the front of my Landy, two above and two below the front bumper, quite central (like above and below where your winch would go(or maybe your number plate))

But this got me thinking as ANPR and time distance cameras use infra red lights and infra red cameras to read number plates at night would this then be illegal as they could cause the iris on the camera to close down due to the amount of light comming in, and prevent the camera reading the plate - heavens above that would not be right

Any thoughts - obviously I would not be fitting the lights to cause the above, but I guess it would still count as preventing the camera working???

Click to expand...

I would have thought that cameras are designed to cope with the effect of on-coming headlights, so whether that light is white or IR shouldn't make too much difference. Those that fit slave flash guns to fool cameras get the desired effect because it's such a brief pulse that the camera doesn't have time to react.

I presume your not talking about driving solely on IR on the road, otherwise you would be breaking the lighting regs, but want them to supplement your main lights for some reason

in addition to the Kw of lights you already have ? - which when you get a moment i'd be interested to know how you have powered them ?

you'd not be thinking of becoming a private dick or wanting to turn every traffic light green for 500m in front of you ?

No, but the Kw of light is powered simpley by a set of two large batteries, two very thick cabled (22mm square each) running to two sepearte bus bars behind the passenger seat, which then splits off from there to 5 relays, each one switching two lights at 100W each.

Obviously having them on for a long time will run the battery flat as the alt is only outputting 65amps = 780W, but then i only switch some of them on then needed.

Apparently the way they get around the headlight issue (after i have done some more research into this is scan the picture for a white rectangle, and then use some clever computer trickery to alter the contrast and brightness etc of the picture to correct for lights shining in. This is why they have problems with black plates and hence the problem with pre 73 cars.

As for night time, it seems that the iris and pick-up only react to IR light at night. I need to do some more research into this is needed

I'm seriously intriged what your doing with that much IR lighting U lighting covert runways for drug runners??

and square cable?


seriously thou you will end up setting off weapons systems on passing fighter jets (some anti air weapons use and IR laser to designate targets) the only reason i can see for fitting IR lighting to a vehicle is if you want to drive using night vision equipment........


the answer to speed cameras is artillery

I reckon he could be trying to flare out average or van speed cameras as the IR light would be the equivalent of shining a really bright light at it and it wouldn't be able to see feck all.

Or maybe something more legitimate like hunting, he could use night vision goggles or even a video camera to drive about in the dark with no lights on as not to disturb things, but I think the noise from the engine would do that anyway !

Maybe he likes a spot of fly fishing and is trying to avoid the attention of the bailiffs...I would vote for number one though.

or ....................................................................................

biggeeeee said:

I reckon he could be trying to flare out average or van speed cameras as the IR light would be the equivalent of shining a really bright light at it and it wouldn't be able to see feck all.

Click to expand...

you could well be right, he's clearly considered how they'd react to IR

jamescronin said:

Apparently the way they get around the headlight issue (after i have done some more research into this is scan the picture for a white rectangle, and then use some clever computer trickery to alter the contrast and brightness etc of the picture to correct for lights shining in. This is why they have problems with black plates and hence the problem with pre 73 cars.

As for night time, it seems that the iris and pick-up only react to IR light at night. I need to do some more research into this is needed

Click to expand...

IR lights turn traffic lights green? How does that work then?

If the traffic lights are timer operated I can't see how that works.
But this is interesting.
A mate of mine is doing some research into 'blinding' cctv cameras (for purely anonimity issues) using a similar method.

Some of the best NV googles work independently of extra IR lighting BUT they cost a fortune £1000 or so, you only get 30 metres 'range' off them AND getting them imported from the states (the uk ones are sht) is very difficult as the patriot act forbids them being directly exported overseas

I always thought that all lights put out infra red, thats the heat part isnt it ? The bigger the wattage the more infra red , although we use the visual spectrum part for seeing where we are going .