Just curious if anybody has noticed the illumination from the Luna elir3 spooking coyotes off? Specs show it at 785nm and if I’m reading correctly 700nm and below can be noticeable.
Night Vision Luna elir3 visible to coyotes?
- Thread starter Bravo6niner
- Start date
More specifically I guess is the light source (the Luna) noticeable to predators more so than ir lights available ?
I have one 2013 ish Luna ELIR-3 in the Thermoplastic Housing that is a 90 mW 785 to 810 nm ish and the particular Diode used in that unit does not throw out hardly any glow at all (I'm talking 10% of what all the other ones do.)
Later 90 mW 785 to 810 ish units (say 2015 to 2017 ish) must have a different Diode because they throw out a pretty good glow that can be seen with a human eye.
Now the current Luna ELIR-3 is a 70 mW at 850nm and it throws out about the same red glow visible to a human eye as the 2015 to 2017 ish 90 mW units.
Out of all of this, it is obvious that the factory in Belarus has changed Diodes over time during the production of these units.
However, all of them are great performers that illuminate better and cleaner than most full power US made LAM's.
I am not a yote hunter but my suggestion would be to put the outside fringe of the beam on a critter till its time to pull the trigger, then center on up with the full beam.
Later 90 mW 785 to 810 ish units (say 2015 to 2017 ish) must have a different Diode because they throw out a pretty good glow that can be seen with a human eye.
Now the current Luna ELIR-3 is a 70 mW at 850nm and it throws out about the same red glow visible to a human eye as the 2015 to 2017 ish 90 mW units.
Out of all of this, it is obvious that the factory in Belarus has changed Diodes over time during the production of these units.
However, all of them are great performers that illuminate better and cleaner than most full power US made LAM's.
I am not a yote hunter but my suggestion would be to put the outside fringe of the beam on a critter till its time to pull the trigger, then center on up with the full beam.
if you think a laser illuminator is gonna run off or spook a coyote youre doing it all wrong
I would tend to say no. All Diodes whether Laser or LED will throw out some visible red if looking directly at the emitter. Laser based Diodes tend to throw out much less that the LED Diodes.
The nice thing about the Luna is that you can turn down the power of the beam via the Rheostat and that will tame a lot of excess red glow from the Diode and then at the last moment turn it wide open if you need to. There is hardly any other IR Illuminators out there that will let you vary the power of the unit like the Luna will.
I also take low cost Evolva T20 and take a PVS14 slip on magnifier adapter which will slip right into the front of the Evlova then take a piece of bicycle intertube and put over the outside to add further retention. Now you can screw a Zomei 30mm Optical Glass Infrared Infra-Red Filter 950nm IR in to the treads of the slip on magnifier adapter.
This setup of the Evolva will give you a very strong unit that produces ZERO RED GLOW. On dark nights with the 950 pass filter in it will get you a good beam out to about 200 yards that a Gen 3 device can see very well. You can light up any animal you want and it will not spook them even as close as 15 yards. The Evolva has 3 power settings you control via pushing the tailcap button. Low, Medium & High. This light also serves to give an excellent navigation light in very dark environments that emits no visible signature.
Amazon.com: EVOLVA FUTURE TECHNOLOGY T20 IR 850nm IR Light Illuminator Infrared Led Flashlight 38mm Lens IR Torch for Long Rang Night Vision Scope Hunting (Mount and Tail Switch Package): Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com: EVOLVA FUTURE TECHNOLOGY T20 IR 850nm IR Light Illuminator Infrared Led Flashlight 38mm Lens IR Torch for Long Rang Night Vision Scope Hunting (Mount and Tail Switch Package): Sports & Outdoors
www.amazon.com
Could you explain this a little more? I was using a reap ir 35mm only but just recently picked up a pvs27 so that will be mounted in front of my ZCO now and the reap will be used for scanning. Guess my thought was to add a Luna elir3 so that after the coyote is located with the reap I can use the extra illumination ( if needed) to find and shoot the yote with the pvs27
@Bravo6niner Here is you a picture of the Luna with the Thumbscrews in it that will make adjusting it to center with you PVS 27 very fast. I also cut a couple of small ranger bands from bicycle intertube and twist around them to add extra retaining tension.
Here is a link to the Thumbscrews.
303 Stainless Steel Thumb Screw, Plain Finish, Knurled Head, 8mm Length, Fully Threaded, M3-0.5 Metric Coarse Threads, Made in US (Pack of 5)
I also put 2 tiny O rings on each shaft of the Thumbscrews to add watertight protection and tension to the screws.
O Rings
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GRGL2IE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here is a link to the Thumbscrews.
303 Stainless Steel Thumb Screw, Plain Finish, Knurled Head, 8mm Length, Fully Threaded, M3-0.5 Metric Coarse Threads, Made in US (Pack of 5)
303 Stainless Steel Thumb Screw, Plain Finish, Knurled Head, 8mm Length, Fully Threaded, M3-0.5 Metric Coarse Threads, Made in US (Pack of 5): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
303 Stainless Steel Thumb Screw, Plain Finish, Knurled Head, 8mm Length, Fully Threaded, M3-0.5 Metric Coarse Threads, Made in US (Pack of 5): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com
I also put 2 tiny O rings on each shaft of the Thumbscrews to add watertight protection and tension to the screws.
O Rings
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GRGL2IE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
For others that have questions about setting up the Luna's here is some additional information.
You will need to get the Luna/Surefire Adapter to run Surefire Tailcaps. Get up with Jay (Surgeonshooter) here on the Hide and he can get them for you. He owns Sureshot NV
www.facebook.com
I do stretch out the Surefire Tailcap spring a bit to make heavy contact with the battery.
I like the DS00 and Regular Surefire Tailcaps. I also run RCR 123 Rechargeable Batteries in the Lunas. They work great. Links below.
www.fenix-store.com
www.orbtronic.com
Surefire Scout DS00 Tailcap
Surefire Scout Regular Push Button Tailcap
The Luna/Surefire Adapter is the piece in the middle.
1581365740060.png
You will need to get the Luna/Surefire Adapter to run Surefire Tailcaps. Get up with Jay (Surgeonshooter) here on the Hide and he can get them for you. He owns Sureshot NV
Sure Shot Night Vision
Sure Shot Night Vision, Spring, Texas. 703 likes. Quality night vision and thermal optic sales. No junk sold here! We beat any price out there on our optics and have the same quality as the big guys.
www.facebook.com
I do stretch out the Surefire Tailcap spring a bit to make heavy contact with the battery.
I like the DS00 and Regular Surefire Tailcaps. I also run RCR 123 Rechargeable Batteries in the Lunas. They work great. Links below.
Fenix ARB-L16-700UP USB Rechargeable 16340 Battery
The Fenix ARB-L16-700UP features 700mAH current charging capacity and advanced protection circuit for superior safety performance. This 16340 Battery has a heavy load discharge rate of 3.5C and a reliable output of 2.5A. With over 500 recharge cycles, it eliminates the need for non-rechargeable...
www.fenix-store.com
16340 Battery RCR123 Protected 920 mAh Li-ion Rechargeable 3.7V Button Top Orbtronic - Free Battery Safety Case Included
16340 (RCR123) Battery-World's Highest (real) Capacity 920mAh Protected Rechargeable Li-ion 3.7V Button top Orbtronic
www.orbtronic.com
Surefire Scout DS00 Tailcap
Amazon.com : Mil-Spec Rear Dual Switch Assembly for Scoutlight WeaponLights with Click Switch and Switch-Socket, Black : Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com : Mil-Spec Rear Dual Switch Assembly for Scoutlight WeaponLights with Click Switch and Switch-Socket, Black : Sports & Outdoors
www.amazon.com
Surefire Scout Regular Push Button Tailcap
Amazon.com: Z68 Protective Rear Cap Assy, BK: Home Improvement
Buy Z68 Protective Rear Cap Assy, BK: Automotive - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
The Luna/Surefire Adapter is the piece in the middle.
1581365740060.png
I’ve killed hundreds of coyotes running various ir illuminators to include high power laser diodes and the Luna specifically. I have never ever had a coyote spook from it. Once you paint them with the ilium leave it on and go. Dudes that tell you IR illuminator was busted by a yote more than likely had something else bust them. Sound, scent, the call, etc etc etc.
I have killed many coyotes during the past 10 years of hunting with NV and have owned three different Luna's. I sold them all because they can spoke coyotes. The red glow is visible and brighter than many other Illuminators.
I use a LLTL-001 (T-20 style) with a rubber halo shield and honey comb 40mm scope cover. Never had one stop and look at the glow with this setup.
That High Tech Redneck LLTL-001 (T-20 style) is just a super expensive ($120 bucks more) knock off of the Chinese T20. Without the Honey Comb I suspect it will throw out way more visible red glow than a Luna ELIR-3.
Plus while the T20's are a great Illuminator for certain applications, they do not have the ability to adjust the Windage & Elevation to be able to truly center them up to a PVS 27 and tighten the beam down to avoid splashback of the IR.
All that being said, for the OP stated purpose, I believe IMHO the Luna will serve him much better.
IMHO a man that has NV, even a single PVS 14 that does not have at least 1 Luna ELIR-3 in his tool box is like a man being in a canoe without a paddle. I use a 5x slip on Magnifier on a PVS 14 and light stuff up a long ways out with a hand held Luna when I want to positive ID something a pretty long ways out.
Best $300 to $350 a person can spend for a real powerful full featured Laser based Illuminator with a clean beam.
Best $300 to $350 a person can spend for a real powerful full featured Laser based Illuminator with a clean beam.
inside a 100yd and you think it’s the Luna they see eh? lol
You know I never gave it much thought, but now that you mention it, I had multiple gators spooked off at night when I would put the torch on them.
Never been but I heard it’s better cause you can see their eyes and you can’t see gators with thermal
Their eyes glow more under nods in my experience and that's when I chose to go after the 5 footer in my neighboring swampland.
I have observed spawning bass up close to the bank at around 6 feet from me using a 950 pass filter on a Evolva T20. Their eyes glow/reflect, they do not spook and they are cool as sh^t to watch in this setting. You just want to reach out and grab them. 
The LLTL-001's I have came from South Africa. I also have High Tech rednecks light( and several of the cheaper Ebay ones.
Their are many different Leds put into a T-20 style body. All the ones I've seen put off less Glow than the Luna's. The Honey comb is just something I added because I'm after the very best results.
I also mount all my lights in a single Burris signature Ring. Give about 10 degrees of adjustment and stays aligned better than the luna ever will.
@STI 45, I will agree that the T20 style lights LED Diode's are easier to kill all visible signature than a Luna due to the fact that they are over 1 Watt and the bleed over from their published nm band is all over the place so they are very receptive to using Pass filters in front of them to isolate higher nm wavelengths that are less visible.
I did some experimenting with trying Pass filter in front of the Luna and that is an absolute no go. The Laser based Diode is very narrow in its band. Like I have said before. I am not a yote hunter, however I encounter a lot of deer while hog hunting and late in the summer my buds all want to look at the racks (because they deer hunt) (I quit deer hunting years ago, been their done that) but anyway I quite frequently will light up some nice bucks and spread the Luna beam out large enough such that energy is not concentrated to hurt their eyes. I understand the NOHD better than most.
All of the above being stated, I have had bucks notice the Luna glow from about 100 yards or so, they were curious and did not spook but knew something different was out there in soybean fields than they normally visually encounter at night. This is after looking at them for quite a while as my buds were sizing them up to see if any shootable trophies were in those buck groups during late summer, just before bow season begins.
And FYI, I can assure you we were downwind so they did not smell or hear us and I am an extremely seasoned hunter with better than 50 years in the field. I also Turkey hunted for years with a 410 shotgun to put more sport in the hunt if that tells you anything. They can see and hear many multitudes better than any other animal out there so I understand stealth very well. If them Turkeys could smell you never would kill one fair and square. LOL
On the flip side I have crept up to deer bedded down in dark woods at night with a T20 with a 950 pass filter installed to within 15 yards or so and they did not have a clue I was there as there was ZERO red glow coming out of the Illuminator. I have also slipped up on fox's to within about 20 feet. Now that is an experience, but them little buggers don't stay put very long. They always like to scurry around back and forth during the night. Have watched as many as five in a group play and play fight with each other. They are one of the coolest animals to observe at night.
The only thing I hunt these days are hogs, because they are the worst of the worst pests you can just about have around. Never have had a hog spook or notice a Luna because I did not sit there and look at them for 5 to 10 minutes or so. Get on down to bizzness with them critters right lickity split.
Got over a 50 year span of killing them dam things. They are diseased, cause abortions in your does from disease they carry and during fawning season they will comb back and forth threw the woods hunting newborn fawns to kill and eat. Destroy the trees, crops and just about everything else. The only thing I know a hog does that is good, is eat up all the snakes. I hate poisonous snakes.
I did some experimenting with trying Pass filter in front of the Luna and that is an absolute no go. The Laser based Diode is very narrow in its band. Like I have said before. I am not a yote hunter, however I encounter a lot of deer while hog hunting and late in the summer my buds all want to look at the racks (because they deer hunt) (I quit deer hunting years ago, been their done that) but anyway I quite frequently will light up some nice bucks and spread the Luna beam out large enough such that energy is not concentrated to hurt their eyes. I understand the NOHD better than most.
All of the above being stated, I have had bucks notice the Luna glow from about 100 yards or so, they were curious and did not spook but knew something different was out there in soybean fields than they normally visually encounter at night. This is after looking at them for quite a while as my buds were sizing them up to see if any shootable trophies were in those buck groups during late summer, just before bow season begins.
And FYI, I can assure you we were downwind so they did not smell or hear us and I am an extremely seasoned hunter with better than 50 years in the field. I also Turkey hunted for years with a 410 shotgun to put more sport in the hunt if that tells you anything. They can see and hear many multitudes better than any other animal out there so I understand stealth very well. If them Turkeys could smell you never would kill one fair and square. LOL
On the flip side I have crept up to deer bedded down in dark woods at night with a T20 with a 950 pass filter installed to within 15 yards or so and they did not have a clue I was there as there was ZERO red glow coming out of the Illuminator. I have also slipped up on fox's to within about 20 feet. Now that is an experience, but them little buggers don't stay put very long. They always like to scurry around back and forth during the night. Have watched as many as five in a group play and play fight with each other. They are one of the coolest animals to observe at night.
The only thing I hunt these days are hogs, because they are the worst of the worst pests you can just about have around. Never have had a hog spook or notice a Luna because I did not sit there and look at them for 5 to 10 minutes or so. Get on down to bizzness with them critters right lickity split.
Got over a 50 year span of killing them dam things. They are diseased, cause abortions in your does from disease they carry and during fawning season they will comb back and forth threw the woods hunting newborn fawns to kill and eat. Destroy the trees, crops and just about everything else. The only thing I know a hog does that is good, is eat up all the snakes. I hate poisonous snakes.
@Vicarious I wonder if you would be kind enough to take a couple of photos of your Luna and post them here. I would much like to see what your 2011 vintage Luna looks like so I can compare to other years I am familiar with. There has been a few subtle changes over the years that you have to really look at to see. A 2013 vintage is the earliest one I own.
Depending on if yours is the newer style, you could likely solve the momentarily shut off by getting a Luna/Surefire Adapter and then take a Surefire pressure switch and stretch the spring out a little where it makes heavy contact with the battery and that should solve the issue.
Depending on if yours is the newer style, you could likely solve the momentarily shut off by getting a Luna/Surefire Adapter and then take a Surefire pressure switch and stretch the spring out a little where it makes heavy contact with the battery and that should solve the issue.
I will dig it out later and see if I am smart enough to post pics here. It has the longer plastic housing. My buddy bought one a couple years later and it's shorter. I should dig up the receipt and make sure my memory is right that I bought it in 2011.
Ok, much appreciated.I will dig it out later and see if I am smart enough to post pics here. It has the longer plastic housing. My buddy bought one a couple years later and it's shorter. I should dig up the receipt and make sure my memory is right that I bought it in 2011.
Here is my luna, gonna try and find the receipt before I go to work, talking with my bud I might be off a year, might be closer to 2013ish when I bought it.
Hard to keep track of all our stuff sometimes.
@Vicarious Yes sir, you have one of the older thermoplastic models which probably had the laser diode that throws out probably !0% of the visible glow that the later versions are putting out. But still the later versions and current versions are great Illuminator's and don't put out anywhere near the glow of the typical LED Diode based Illuminators.
I have one pretty much the same vintage. Thanks for posting that pic. If you ever want to sell it. Hit me up.
I have one pretty much the same vintage. Thanks for posting that pic. If you ever want to sell it. Hit me up.
This^. Critters have no clue.
I use tk25 with 950mm filter on low, no visible signature.
Agreed.... watched a fox last night coming in from 70 yds. Kept the Luna on him as he came to approximately 12 yds with the laser on his head/eyes the whole time. He never hd a clue I was there as he disappeared alongside the house.
He never had a clue cause you probably fried his retina's. Hope you had that Luna dialed back on powah and spread wide open.
FYI, it will damage animals eyes just like humans. So respect the wildlife as much as you respect you and yours.
Now hogs, that's a different story. Giving them bastards a case of itchy eye is fine.
He was fine. He chased a mouse under my shed at 12 yds and didn't run into it. Turned and walked straight away. Probably medium power. Filter is still in. I think it will do for coyotes as a laser at any distance I will find them in NW Pa. Just have to figure how to run it parallel with the barrel..... not an easy task from what I'm reading.
It's not made for that. I doubt it will work out very well because I seriously doubt it will hold zero very well at all. It is a great Illuminator which is what it was designed to be.
You might be better off getting one of those Steiner Mini Pointers that TNVC just started selling. They are designed as an IR pointer and designed to hold POA/POI retention whereas the Luna is not.
I got a lot of time behind a Luna and I know how much the head can move around. It just has 2 springs on 2 axis pushing on it and the two adjustment screws counteract that spring pressure to center it up by pushing on the other two axis.
Yeah, it works perfect for keeping it centered as an Illuminator for my Dbal Pointers. However, I know enough about these that I would not trust them enough to be putting or trying to put bullets in critters. Take that for what it is worth. I got lots of trigger time on live game. YMMV.
You are on the right track now. The Dbal D2 will serve you well. They are good units.
The D2 is a solid device with a killer illuminator. I leave it in a middle width adjustment so it's not super wide or too narrow and that works perfect for every distance you'll realistically be shooting with head mounted night vision. You can widen it out for decent flood and narrow it down if you need more distance.
It gets a bad rap mainly from the tactical crowd because of it's LED illuminator. It's not the coolest kid on the block but it works awesome.
It gets a bad rap mainly from the tactical crowd because of it's LED illuminator. It's not the coolest kid on the block but it works awesome.
I'm kind of curious for someone to lay out the differences between the models of the ELIR. How do we know which ones we have of the at least three variants? What changed besides the diodes?
WN&H.... with your Luna experience, what are the parameters of power v light concentration that would harm wildlife vision while illuminating an area. Many times while scanning an area you have no idea what is there until the eyes light up.
My 10.5 " bbl 556 pistol set up for coyotes..... it's kinda clunky looking, not real ergonomic with the Stiener TOR at 6 o'clock and with the m-lock to picatinny adapter, the Luna won't center on the pointer. The TOR is set with the Sig Romeo rds at 50 yds. I'm going to give it a try next week if POA and POI are in sync.
May swap TOR at 12w/light at 3 Luna at 6?
May swap TOR at 12w/light at 3 Luna at 6?
