Night Vision driving with nv goggles, interior/exterior light ideas

[rockwind1]

for whatever reason, i have been driving on some backroads using my anvis goggles.

2 questions for folks who have done this also.

1. what are some ideas for getting rid of all interior lights, even with the headlights off, there are all these other indicator lights and little led's all over the place it seems. i have been using gorilla tape to cover but it leaves residue. seems like a big job but would like to be able to easily switch off all these extra lights. tried pulling some fuses on my f350 but didn't work so good.

2. i have found that sometimes it is good to have a IR light when really dark, just to avoid serious rockbushes. i bought this cheapo which works good, but it is almost 2 bright on my atv, i had to gorilla tape all but one LED off. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G6K407Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i wish i could find a much smaller version. i have considered a IR flashlight but i want something more permanent and switchable. i want to put a IR light on my 4runner, has anyone mounted one on a light bar on the roof rack? i am worrieda bout backsplash on the hood. has anyone else done this, what lights did you use if so?

 

[MOUNTIC]

Last time I did that... I put a black towel over the instrument cluster. I draped it over the dash and over the cluster.

Buddy of mine screwed in a pic rail to his roof rack and mounted a Steiner SPIR. He would reach his hand out the window and up to turn on and off as needed.

I'm sure there are better options ideas out there. These are the only ones I have experience with.

 

[_Windrider_]

@TheGerman will tell you how to roll a Jeep while wearing Anvis 9’s

 

[Huskydriver]

@TheGerman will tell you how to roll a Jeep while wearing Anvis 9’s

Tagging for this story

 

[atepointer]

for whatever reason, i have been driving on some backroads using my anvis goggles.

2 questions for folks who have done this also.

1. what are some ideas for getting rid of all interior lights, even with the headlights off, there are all these other indicator lights and little led's all over the place it seems. i have been using gorilla tape to cover but it leaves residue. seems like a big job but would like to be able to easily switch off all these extra lights. tried pulling some fuses on my f350 but didn't work so good.

2. i have found that sometimes it is good to have a IR light when really dark, just to avoid serious rockbushes. i bought this cheapo which works good, but it is almost 2 bright on my atv, i had to gorilla tape all but one LED off. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G6K407Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i wish i could find a much smaller version. i have considered a IR flashlight but i want something more permanent and switchable. i want to put a IR light on my 4runner, has anyone mounted one on a light bar on the roof rack? i am worrieda bout backsplash on the hood. has anyone else done this, what lights did you use if so?

If you join this group and post that you are going to get tons of responses. It's 22k+ guys who do nothing but hunt at night with thermal and NV. As a matter of fact I remember reading a thread on this not long about about optimizing conditions for ripping along with NV at night. I think most of the guys were in side by sides, but trucks and such as well.

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[wigwamitus]

I tape cardboard strips over the offending lights.

 

[rockwind1]

If you join this group and post that you are going to get tons of responses. It's 22k+ guys who do nothing but hunt at night with thermal and NV. As a matter of fact I remember reading a thread on this not long about about optimizing conditions for ripping along with NV at night. I think most of the guys were in side by sides, but trucks and such as well.

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Thanks!

 

[atepointer]

Thanks!

Sure thing enjoy!

 

[rockwind1]

I tape cardboard strips over the offending lights.

Thanks Joe! I tried something like that initially on some of the dash lights but I was getting bleed through or I should say bleed around. One place that’s really irritating is the plastic screen that covers the spectrometer and tack cluster. There’s always little indicator lights like 4 x 4, And such stuff but there are about an inch behind the clear plastic so even if you put tape over them that light goes off to the side. It’s really not that big of a deal I’ve made it work, I’ve started using rigging tape ,Which Doesn’t leave residue much, normally I don’t worry about residue but I just got this fairly nice new forerunner and I don’t want to treat it like my old truck

 

[_Windrider_]

Thanks Joe! I tried something like that initially on some of the dash lights but I was getting bleed through or I should say bleed around. One place that’s really irritating is the plastic screen that covers the spectrometer and tack cluster. There’s always little indicator lights like 4 x 4, And such stuff but there are about an inch behind the clear plastic so even if you put tape over them that light goes off to the side. It’s really not that big of a deal I’ve made it work, I’ve started using rigging tape ,Which Doesn’t leave residue much, normally I don’t worry about residue but I just got this fairly nice new forerunner and I don’t want to treat it like my old truck

Pull the fuse that controls the lighting

 

[Sogan]

Tagging

 

[rockwind1]

Pull the fuse that controls the lighting

thanks, i've played around with that without much success, maybe i am doing it wrong. there are a lot of little lites that don't seem to be connected, plus the fuses also power other things that i don't want disconnected. anyway, i will figure it out, just looking for ideas here.

 

[TheGerman]

@TheGerman will tell you how to roll a Jeep while wearing Anvis 9’s

For the record, I've only almost rolled it once (well, twice) and almost flipped the end over the front once. But its never been on its side or any less than....2 tires?

In recent history, I did however fuck with a group of high schoolers to the point that they terminated their middle of the desert "no one was watching" makeout party where they managed to set one of the tents on fire in their frantic haste of trying to figure out WTF was going on while throwing their shit in their cars and I've also managed to eject the guy in the passangers seat out the side of the vehicle on a mountain where I ended up with a gash on my nose/forehead area that because of the terrain, we had to just keep going and continue driving lights out down a fucking steep nonexistant trail off the side of a fucking mountain ridge while I had blood just running down my face, back and chest.

My night time adventure Jeep is set up like this as far as lights:

- LED bar above front window that is 1/3 flood lights and 2/3 straight high beam light; this is tied to a smaller fairlead mounted LED high beam light via a switch on the dash.

- 2x LED fog light 'squares' on the ends of the front bumper turned on/off via switch on the dash. I'm contemplating removing these and replacing them with IR squares as I never use the fog lights for anything but have never really needed IR driving lights either.

- All reflectors Jeep puts on the body of the vehicle were removed

- Vehicle repainted with a super matte color with matte clear coat

- Switch on dash that is wired to not send anything to the brake lights when activated; this allows me to drive completely dark at night and when switched on, the brake lights wont activate when I get on the brake. Switch it off, and brakes work as normal. This was the #1 thing that was giving me a signature at night. My Jeep doesn't have a dome light that goes off when you open a door, but thats something I'd also make sure could be turned off/disconnected.

The only light in the vehicle is the odometer light which doesn't illuminate anything but can 'shine' a bit in the vehicle and get annoying if you're wearing NV. I just put electrical tape over it; other than that, the vehicle is 100% dark with no visable light at all.

I can easily drive this thing with either a single PVS14 or my ANVIS 9. Unless you're in an area thats covered heavily by trees and its a totally moonless night, IR lights for driving are never really needed. The only learning curve is that you will need to 'learn' how to process terrain, distance and shadow a bit differently at night and what is where as you're driving as the information is obviously a bit different than during the day; you can teach yourself how to be able to really drive offroad at night over time, but it never gets to that 100% daytime level.

 

[RyanScott]

I badly want an air cooled Safari Porsche with IR lighting.

EDIT: Ideal would be a hard wired blackout switch that as a safety feature prevents the IR lighting from being on when the regular lighting is available.

 

[TheGerman]

Tagging for this story

LOL which one do you want to hear?

I've done a ton of vehicle/convoy/HVT night time interdiction and the best stories are from the shit that happens at night while out with people, stateside lol

 

[rockwind1]

For the record, I've only almost rolled it once (well, twice) and almost flipped the end over the front once. But its never been on its side or any less than....2 tires?

In recent history, I did however fuck with a group of high schoolers to the point that they terminated their middle of the desert "no one was watching" makeout party where they managed to set one of the tents on fire in their frantic haste of trying to figure out WTF was going on while throwing their shit in their cars and I've also managed to eject the guy in the passangers seat out the side of the vehicle on a mountain where I ended up with a gash on my nose/forehead area that because of the terrain, we had to just keep going and continue driving lights out down a fucking steep nonexistant trail off the side of a fucking mountain ridge while I had blood just running down my face, back and chest.

My night time adventure Jeep is set up like this as far as lights:

- LED bar above front window that is 1/3 flood lights and 2/3 straight high beam light; this is tied to a smaller fairlead mounted LED high beam light via a switch on the dash.

- 2x LED fog light 'squares' on the ends of the front bumper turned on/off via switch on the dash. I'm contemplating removing these and replacing them with IR squares as I never use the fog lights for anything but have never really needed IR driving lights either.

- All reflectors Jeep puts on the body of the vehicle were removed

- Vehicle repainted with a super matte color with matte clear coat

- Switch on dash that is wired to not send anything to the brake lights when activated; this allows me to drive completely dark at night and when switched on, the brake lights wont activate when I get on the brake. Switch it off, and brakes work as normal. This was the #1 thing that was giving me a signature at night. My Jeep doesn't have a dome light that goes off when you open a door, but thats something I'd also make sure could be turned off/disconnected.

The only light in the vehicle is the odometer light which doesn't illuminate anything but can 'shine' a bit in the vehicle and get annoying if you're wearing NV. I just put electrical tape over it; other than that, the vehicle is 100% dark with no visable light at all.

I can easily drive this thing with either a single PVS14 or my ANVIS 9. Unless you're in an area thats covered heavily by trees and its a totally moonless night, IR lights for driving are never really needed. The only learning curve is that you will need to 'learn' how to process terrain, distance and shadow a bit differently at night and what is where as you're driving as the information is obviously a bit different than during the day; you can teach yourself how to be able to really drive offroad at night over time, but it never gets to that 100% daytime level.

Did you do anything with the reverse lights?

I’ve ridden my ATV quite a bit with goggles, I just remove the brake light bulbs and put tape over the Odometer r. Pretty easy but the truck is another story bit more complex

 

[Weatherby_Eyebrow]

Gaff Tape - black non reflective and leaves no residue.

 

[wigwamitus]

I'm usually on 4-wheeler (a.k.a. "ATV"). I tape cardboard over the instrument dial. I disconnected the tail lights and taped up the connectors, so they wouldn't get muddy. Just in case I ever wanted to reconnect them. I never have.

 

[TheGerman]

Did you do anything with the reverse lights?

I’ve ridden my ATV quite a bit with goggles, I just remove the brake light bulbs and put tape over the Odometer r. Pretty easy but the truck is another story bit more complex

Whatever my Jeep guy did, it completely disconnects power going to the lights both brake and reverse.

 

[Sogan]

Whatever my Jeep guy did, it completely disconnects power going to the lights both brake and reverse.

What kind of shop did you take it to?

 

[TheGerman]

What kind of shop did you take it to?

It's a local-ish guy that primarily builds/fabs/works on Jeeps and crawlers.

Anytime I need anything figured out, hes the guy.

 

[missed]

Gaff Tape - black non reflective and leaves no residue.

I was about to recommend that, we use it on the reflectors, and other need to cover items.

 

[rockwind1]

Gaff Tape - black non reflective and leaves no residue.

Yes. I have been using it. Although I called it rigging tape in my post. I think you used the correct name

 

[SRPowah]

If you pull wiring schematics, its not too hard to wire a switch to kill all internal/external lighting. Maybe 4-8 hours of labor depending on the vehicle and how pretty you want it to look. The issue will almost always be the speedo though... That is wired up with a couple other systems in the vehicles I have played with, but you can pull the backing off on an older vehicle and tape over the LEDs.

Its how some people permanently "disable" the Check Engine Light.

 

[Ranger93]

I have a 2015 4runner that I am setting up for a similar purpose. There is a OBD plug in called Carista that let's you edit things like seatbelts chimes and various interior lights. For the brake lights you can get the proper connector to wire in a killswitch without needing to cut up anything. Also led lighting companies light Baja Designs and Ridged Industries sell IR light pods.