Low bloom, no red glow ir laser/illuminator

[smcfarland]

Night vision folks, need some input.

Have hunted with NVGs for 10 years now and have tried a lot of setups. Have used military stuff as well. Most recent setup has worked great but the pig insurgency is evolving. Have been busted three times now on recent trips by the glow on my D2 when using the illuminator/dot combo (typically within 50 yards).
I prefer using combo and have used without issues for last year plus because the laser doesn’t bloom on the pig hair and can maintain a precise aiming point. Every laser I’ve used is simply too powerful for my purposes and causes bloom. TOR mini is almost there on lowest setting, but not quite. Plus it’s so much easier to confirm zero quickly with a slaved visible laser. I’ve heard of filters to put over and have tried to redneck manufacture shit without success.
Have tried the Torch and Luna for separate illuminators but all that extra shit on the front end adds up.
Is there an easy solution out there that I’m missing? I’m not dropping MAWL or RAID money if I don’t have to. Would prefer the good illumination capability if possible for those situations where it’s nice to penetrate into cover.
Any/all help appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[JWG]

What tubes are you running? Im using Supergain tubes with high specs and yeah, dark multi canopy on moonless nights, it wont work a miracle, but if you're using photonis echo, have you considered upgrading and going fully passive?

Night vision folks, need some input.

Have hunted with NVGs for 10 years now and have tried a lot of setups. Have used military stuff as well. Most recent setup has worked great but the pig insurgency is evolving. Have been busted three times now on recent trips by the glow on my D2 when using the illuminator/dot combo (typically within 50 yards).
I prefer using combo and have used without issues for last year plus because the laser doesn’t bloom on the pig hair and can maintain a precise aiming point. Every laser I’ve used is simply too powerful for my purposes and causes bloom. TOR mini is almost there on lowest setting, but not quite. Plus it’s so much easier to confirm zero quickly with a slaved visible laser. I’ve heard of filters to put over and have tried to redneck manufacture shit without success.
Have tried the Torch and Luna for separate illuminators but all that extra shit on the front end adds up.
Is there an easy solution out there that I’m missing? I’m not dropping MAWL or RAID money if I don’t have to. Would prefer the good illumination capability if possible for those situations where it’s nice to penetrate into cover.
Any/all help appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[smcfarland]

Tubes aren’t the issue, running high spec L3 tubed Katanas. Need the active IR for designating pigs when hunting with multiple people.

 

[JWG]

Tubes aren’t the issue, running high spec L3 tubed Katanas. Need the active IR for designating pigs when hunting with multiple people.

Maybe run SWIR if you can get your hands on a MAWL CLAD.

 

[rlsmith1]

Maybe run SWIR if you can get your hands on a MAWL CLAD.

Does that take digital to see or what is the best way to see the CLAD?

 

[rlsmith1]

Night vision folks, need some input.

Have hunted with NVGs for 10 years now and have tried a lot of setups. Have used military stuff as well. Most recent setup has worked great but the pig insurgency is evolving. Have been busted three times now on recent trips by the glow on my D2 when using the illuminator/dot combo (typically within 50 yards).
I prefer using combo and have used without issues for last year plus because the laser doesn’t bloom on the pig hair and can maintain a precise aiming point. Every laser I’ve used is simply too powerful for my purposes and causes bloom. TOR mini is almost there on lowest setting, but not quite. Plus it’s so much easier to confirm zero quickly with a slaved visible laser. I’ve heard of filters to put over and have tried to redneck manufacture shit without success.
Have tried the Torch and Luna for separate illuminators but all that extra shit on the front end adds up.
Is there an easy solution out there that I’m missing? I’m not dropping MAWL or RAID money if I don’t have to. Would prefer the good illumination capability if possible for those situations where it’s nice to penetrate into cover.
Any/all help appreciated, thanks in advance.

I would suggest an OTAL C / KIJI and a Modlite Axon for switching. Otal is light (5 oz) and not crazy powerful but good enough and the Kiji should solve animals being spooked (especially if you throw the flood filter on the 10 degree model). My OTAL C has a solid cap that I can use to cover the objective, so if that laser is still too bright maybe you could drill a pin hole in the cover to reduce the light coming out?

Curious why you don't want to go thermal?

 

[JWG]

Does that take digital to see or what is the best way to see the CLAD?

Digital.

 

[JWG]

I would suggest an OTAL C / KIJI and a Modlite Axon for switching. Otal is light (5 oz) and not crazy powerful but good enough and the Kiji should solve animals being spooked (especially if you throw the flood filter on the 10 degree model). My OTAL C has a solid cap that I can use to cover the objective, so if that laser is still too bright maybe you could drill a pin hole in the cover to reduce the light coming out?

Curious why you don't want to go thermal?

The IR is for designation when hunting in groups.

 

[smcfarland]

Ordered a neutral density filter from Steiner that will hopefully help the laser bloom. Just won’t use the illuminator unless really needed or they’ve already spooked. Hoping it gets here by next Thursday when I head out again.
If doesn’t work I’ll go back to the drawing board.

 

[Killswitch Engage]

Yep it’s called thermal

 

[smcfarland]

Quick follow up. The Steiner filter from B&H photo worked perfectly. Minimal bloom on the only pig encountered that night allowing for a much more precise aiming point. Best $10 I’ve spent in a long while. Wish I’d figured this out a decade ago!

 

[B y r o n]

What is the frequency of the IR illuminator? It's my understanding that 850 will reach out further but is more noticeable where 940 doesn't reach out as far but is not noticeable by critters.