Night Vision Thermal IFF beacon?

[mikefraz]

It seems like there’s a plethora of IR beacons/strobes on the market from a couple bucks to a couple hundred dollars. Doing a quick search for a thermal IFF beacon on the other hand only turned up a couple results and I’m not sure if any were for sale to civilians.

Seeing how identifying friend or foe with thermal is more difficult than under NV, you’d think that IFF beacons would be more popular. Or is it a technology/development cost issue?

 

[W54/XM-388]

Beacons can like worth both ways...

 

[deersniper]

Beacons can like worth both ways...

Might help with avoiding death by female hunter

Shot that killed hog hunter recorded by woman's firearm, investigators say

The Anderson County Coroner Office was called Wednesday night to the scene of a reported hunting accident, the coroner say.

www.wyff4.com

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

In my experience, a $9 firefly and a 9v battery did everything we needed, every time. If we were using thermal, it was correlated with FLIR or optical before it got called in. Hard to beat those little IR firefly strobes.

 

[mikefraz]

Beacons can like worth both ways...

So do IR strobes. What’s your point? Unless you’re saying that IR strobes give off enough heat to be identified by thermal.

 

[W54/XM-388]

So do IR strobes. What’s your point? Unless you’re saying that IR strobes give off enough heat to be identified by thermal.

I didn't realize this was about trying not to get shot by your stupid hunting buddies.

 

[deersniper]

Just take a helium balloon, glue 4 hand warmers to it and tether them to each person

 

[Mban2]

Make a Velcro pouch for a candle

 

[Crews]

When I think about it up front it’s pretty silly since no beacon could possibly shine brighter than an actual human.

However, a beacon would be kinda useful if it flashed and I could pick up the general vicinity of another hunter before I accidentally cover them with my muzzle.

A lot of average hunters just have a thermal mounted weapon sight and that’s it. If you’ve got 3-4 guys shooting at hogs running all over the place it gets wild at times. I trust the guys I hunt with, but we sometimes bring guests.

 

[mikefraz]

When I think about it up front it’s pretty silly since no beacon could possibly shine brighter than an actual human.

However, a beacon would be kinda useful if it flashed and I could pick up the general vicinity of another hunter before I accidentally cover them with my muzzle.

A lot of average hunters just have a thermal mounted weapon sight and that’s it. If you’ve got 3-4 guys shooting at hogs running all over the place it gets wild at times. I trust the guys I hunt with, but we sometimes bring guests.

Yes, it’s not that the beacon is needed to just be seen. It’s needed to make sure that the heat signature over there “is with us”.

 

[Lowdown3]

Ghetto solution might be a handwarmer taped to the outside of a helmet.

 

[Choid]

Fart in a predetermined pattern.

 

[mikefraz]

Ghetto solution might be a handwarmer taped to the outside of a helmet.

That definitely crossed my mind, and I know that people tape them to targets to zero their thermal scopes, but I’m looking for something a little mite “highspeed, low drag” than that, if possible.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Just take a helium balloon, glue 4 hand warmers to it and tether them to each person

This will never work.



My a-hole friends would try to shoot my balloon.

 

[Cheyenne Bodie]

Radios with GPS indicators. Done.

 

[TheHorta]

Google is your friend
View attachment 7406068

Just ordered one!

Will be interesting to check out. Thermal beacon capability is The Nuts!

 

[mikefraz]

Just ordered one!

Will be interesting to check out. Thermal beacon capability is The Nuts!

Like everything I’m interested in, I’ll wait for TheHorta to buy it and review it first.

 

[Choid]

Just ordered one!

Will be interesting to check out. Thermal beacon capability is The Nuts!

Don't you have to have a friend who is looking for you?

 

[mikefraz]

Yeah after our gay orgy I’m gonna spot/ do a photo op of the wild amounts of hot bodily fluid ooozing from/ dripping from horchatas pretty new mouth , (I pitch, he catches) and I’ll make sure his new toy “the booty beacon” works as well through handheld mode with the CRATOS.

*Narrators voice* And everyone was grossed out after reading that...*Narrators voice*

 

[mikefraz]

Google is your friend
View attachment 7406068

I know I asked for higher speed and lower drag, but that thermal beacon costs more than the thermal monocular I’d be using it with. There’s gotta be a middle ground between the Steiner MCID ($5.5k) and a handwarmer taped to my helmet.

 

[deersniper]

 

[deersniper]

Let’s get this train back on rails

 

[WhereNow&How]

Just take the old lady out with you. There will be enough hot air coming out of her mouth about skeeters, jiggers, snakes, I'm tired and sweating my ass off to throw out a thermal signature a mile long that can be picked up and recognized as such from outer space.

On second thoughts that Steiner Horta thingy probably a better idea.

 

[Hollywood 6mm]

In my experience, a $9 firefly and a 9v battery did everything we needed, every time. If we were using thermal, it was correlated with FLIR or optical before it got called in. Hard to beat those little IR firefly strobes.

My only nitpick with them is the lack of switching. I'd love to have a Phoenix type beacon I could hook up to the battery and leave connected, then flip a switch to turn off and on as needed. I've actually used a MS2000M velcro'd to my helmet instead of a Phoenix just so I could switch it off and on as needed without having to dick around with a 9v.

 

[jeffl838]

I've actually handled those steiner iff beacons and i'm 99% sure they are only detectable by MWIR sensors.

If this is for hunting in a group, I don't think a thermal strobe would help. The kind of person that would pull the trigger accidentally on a human silhouette when he's looking for a pig silhouette won't be deterred by a beacon.

If this is for sNiPeR, uniform equipment functions as iff in thermal-land. ie think twice before shooting someone with a helmet and plate carrier on, especially if he's carrying a XXXXX or bearing a YYYYY.

 

[RTH1800]

One of many reasons to night hunt alone.

 

[Choid]

Outside of the Rockies, every time I have hunted in this great country I have assumed some jackass was going to shoot me because he sensed something That might have been a derrrrr.

 

[TheGerman]

In before somone wears a plate warmer on their head.

 

[E-Tool]

Just connect two 9v batteries together and tape them to your helmet. They’ll be hot so long as they don’t explode.

 

[acudaowner]

I know I read that part of the post wrong thermal bacon mmmm that sounds wonderful you shoot it it starts cooking its self just peel and eat . salads were meant for rabbits lol.

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

I've actually handled those steiner iff beacons and i'm 99% sure they are only detectable by MWIR sensors.

If this is for hunting in a group, I don't think a thermal strobe would help. The kind of person that would pull the trigger accidentally on a human silhouette when he's looking for a pig silhouette won't be deterred by a beacon.

If this is for sNiPeR, uniform equipment functions as iff in thermal-land. ie think twice before shooting someone with a helmet and plate carrier on, especially if he's carrying a XXXXX or bearing a YYYYY.

My thoughts exactly. I think the whole effort is addressing the wrong problem.

Don't address the wrong fucking problem.

 

[jeffl838]

My thoughts exactly. I think the whole effort is addressing the wrong problem.

Don't address the wrong fucking problem.

To be fair the Steiner product was designed for ground to air deconfliction

I want to reiterate I’m like 99% sure the Steiner strobe is for Mwir sensors which is basically unobtanium

And IF you’re in the market for an Mwir beacon, that pictured tan one is for helmets and is machined out of metal, which adds to the price.

Steiner makes a plastic one that the Air Force uses that’s much smaller and probably much cheaper. With a non helmet shape, it’s a lot more adaptable to different uses.

 

[TheHorta]

I’m like rubber, you’re like glue. Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.

 

[jeffl838]

I’m like rubber, you’re like glue. Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.

Haha, don't get me wrong, I'm all about strobes, but I think the only way to get a strobe that can be picked up with LWIR is something that actually pulses heat and I'm not interested in carrying heaters - especially in the summer.