CCTV - Flat panel infra-red illuminators?

[Simon C.]

Thinking of upgrading the CCTV I have in my car port. Looking at the 'Outdoor Auto-Tracking PIR CCTV Camera' from Maplins, and want to provide some Infra-red illumination for night. Problem is all the IR lights look like mini-spotlights, ie they all stick out. I'd like a slim/flat panel that can be screwed onto a flat surface - it will look less obtrusive and also be a bit more vandal proof.

Surely they dont need to stick out 15cm or so, was hoping for just 1 or 2cm thick. Dont get much crime and dont want the place to look like Fort Knox, but peace of mind and all that.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Camera;

[Harry Bloomfield]

It happens that Simon C. formulated :

If you need to illuminate a large area, the spot lights seem to be the cheap effective way to do it. They used to be an ordinary tungsten lamp, with an IR filter to cut off the visible light. For a smaller area, you might try several IR LED's - you can get some quite powerful ones now. Perhaps buy a few as a sample, test them with the camera and see how many more you might need. These could be set up in a very thin panel.

[Matty F]

If you can possibly install an ordinary sensor light, that will give the best picture.

Here are two uninvited people caught by a 300watt sensor light on a building site that I am monitoring:

[JimK]

JimK

[ARWadsworth]

?IMSfp=TL091029184001r3581Many CCTV companies sell similar things but of better quality.

Adam

[fred]

In article , ARWadsworth writes

rectangular array in a housing that would be adaptable to the o/p's needs but I am damned if I can find it. From memory the housing was a bit like a miniature version of a sealed outdoor fitting for a linear halogen but the back could be discarded, price was pretty reasonable, in the low twenties. Can any other CPC users remember it?

[Simon C.]

Thats EXACTLY the thing I was looking for. Many thanks. As you imply, the ebay one looks a bit cheap, and it doesn't mention anything about weatherproofing. If anyone has info on other models I'd be grateful.

Thanks again.

[Matty F]

They are drinking cans of beer.

[ARWadsworth]

email me I know a supplier not far from you.

Adam

[Owain]

Big Clive has a PCB and circuit for fitting LEDs into a halogen floodlight casing.

Owain