OSOK Posted August 23, 2022 Report Share Posted August 23, 2022 Does anyone have experience with the VCSEL upgrade pill for the Dragonfly as whilst I've never found any IR too match it's range It's not the cleanest light and the ' Radiator ' effect i've named it which is seen somewhere within the screen does bug the hell out of me . Does the upgrade work or does it just get rid of the ' Radiator ' but at a cost to the range ? I've listened to too many people that say they have the best IR ever and i now have more IR's than daft Mick so please only people that have Dragonfly's 👍 OSOK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weejohn Posted August 23, 2022 Report Share Posted August 23, 2022 What NV are you using it with ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSOK Posted August 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2022 Drone 15x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weejohn Posted August 23, 2022 Report Share Posted August 23, 2022 I have no experience of the vscel upgrade but the dragonfly I had was a terribly dirty picture and sold it on . Currently using the 3x wraith from LL which is by far the best IR I have used so far . Closest second was the standard Sirius xtl. Like you I have went through a few IR's and now on my 7th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix Posted August 23, 2022 Report Share Posted August 23, 2022 The original dragonfly uses an old style edge emitting laser that can be focussed to a spot but which, as you say also produces a "dirty" beam If they've done it right the vcsel will be clean beam but potential with a less bright srea in the centre (aka the polo mint effect) BTW, I thought Starlight were no longer in business and that the owner was in legal difficulties https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05557824 According to this the business was dissolved on 4 August this year Given that, maybe you should listen to some of the people who tell you they have the best IR ever 😃 Cheers Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSOK Posted August 24, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2022 Weejohn , The PBiR X is a decent option but it lacks the range of the Dragonfly ... and the L version of the same make was weaker .... There is the DFK unit which again i'm told is the best ever !! cheesy meaning on the initials...Thank you for your thoughts as an ex owner as taking advice off anyone who hasn't owned the item is just worthless Still hoping that someone has fitted the upgrade and can answer the thread question 🙃 OSOK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weejohn Posted August 24, 2022 Report Share Posted August 24, 2022 The only ones I havnt tried are the pbir models . The dfk I had was ok but build quality was not great . Hopefully someone will chip in with the dragonfly upgrade as I havnt heard of it before . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richiew Posted August 24, 2022 Report Share Posted August 24, 2022 Pbir led based illuminator is great with my drone 10 , much better than the night master 800 I used previously. Possibly should have gone big and got his laser version. All ok to 200m withe the drone .cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montey Posted August 26, 2022 Report Share Posted August 26, 2022 If it helps I have the black sun dark engine covert from Clive ward at Night vision Uk it works with all three of my Drones so including my Drone x15 very well out well past 250yards on a clear night I’ve shot two fox’s at just past 300yards (2 separate nights) with this and the Drone x10 on a good clear night and I’m not a fan of shooting much past 200yards at night to be fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSOK Posted August 27, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2022 Hi Montey , Are you using the Dragonfly ? Most IR's are fine to 250 yards but i tend to setup where i can see foxes coming in from distance and this can be 5-600 yards .... It's not about shooting them at this distance but clearly seeing them which my copy of the Dragonfly will do with the 15x . A friend on here did mention about the batteries and i found certain makes will throw the light better . Still hoping that someone has bought the upgrade from Clive Ward and can say what the thought on the difference It made . OSOK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ergid Posted August 28, 2022 Report Share Posted August 28, 2022 Hi a few months back my dragonfly pill died so I looked for another pill and bought one from Clive Ward, in a nutshell the original Dragonfly pill throws further but the VCSEl has a cleaner picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSOK Posted August 29, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2022 ergid , I thought that might be the trade off and you've confirmed it . I'll keep to the dirty light and the in screen radiator 😂 . OSOK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevgun Posted September 4, 2022 Report Share Posted September 4, 2022 On 8/27/2022 at 11:33 AM, OSOK said: Hi Montey , Are you using the Dragonfly ? Most IR's are fine to 250 yards but i tend to setup where i can see foxes coming in from distance and this can be 5-600 yards .... It's not about shooting them at this distance but clearly seeing them which my copy of the Dragonfly will do with the 15x . A friend on here did mention about the batteries and i found certain makes will throw the light better . Still hoping that someone has bought the upgrade from Clive Ward and can say what the thought on the difference It made . OSOK 5-600 yards is easily achievable with a Sirius Xtl I use this torch over all the others on myDrone x15 done extensive testing with the Drone because I’m always making mounts for them. I have a Dragonfly which is a dirty light, but also at least with my Drone is too powerful the Drone camera starts shuttering down because it’s too bright, so of limited benefit, I much prefer the clean light of the Sirius Xtl the diffused model works a treat. For the interest of research, I will replace the laser in the Dragon fly with a VCSEL laser, to see if it’s clearer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSOK Posted October 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2022 I have managed to get a few of the main contenders in the IR range together to do a very basic side by side test on the same night using the same NV unit . I tested at 603 yards to a feeding station and 223 yards at a gateway with all using a Drone pro 15x . I don't want anyone telling me the test was flawed for any reason as it achieved what i wanted to know ..... Well kind of . The IR's from left to right were Dragonfly , Sirius XTL , DFK , Pbir X & T67 LED which i included because I had it to hand . Let me say that all IR's were able to Identify at 603 yards which kind of spoils the test however for those who are interested ..... I will run through my thoughts of what i saw . The Dragonfly gave a powerful beam which has the usual radiator mark with a grey / dirty light but very clear / resolution and was able to use without reducing the beam smaller than the screen . At 223 yards , turning the unit towards the flood setting gave very good resolution with the grey dirty image . Sirius XTL gave a powerful beam which was very clean and had similar resolution to the Dragonfly ... It's power seemed slightly less when viewed at full screen but it was able to reduce down to a smaller size and to a point where it was too powerful . When using this at 223 yards it was a very nice clean , bright image with great resolution . The DFK was probably the most powerful of them all when using the full screen ( I think ) however the image was dirty in a different way to the Dragonfly ..... It seemed like on full power it had a swirling effect going on similar to driving through fog and seeing things in the headlight beam . When turning it down the Image at 223 yards was clear and cleaner with good resolution . The Pbir X was just lacking in power at 603 yards but that said you could still make out everything the others could but with less brightness . This gave the feeling that the resolution wasn't as good at the longer distance . At 223 yards the image was good without being as clean and bright as the XTL . The T67 which was never going to compare at 603 yards BUT was so good at 223 yards its worth a mention , bright , clean with great resolution . The above are just my thoughts on a given night using a certain Drone which may differ with a ATN , C50 , PVS-14 or similar ... I don't know . I didn't find a clear out and out winner in power but it made me think of ' power ' in a different way . I have since purchased an XTL as i feel it fits my needs with the typical distances i need to verify and shoot etc ..... and get rid of the radiator effect ! I do feel that anyone shooting distances out to 300 yards and don't suffer with OCD would be happy with any of the above IR's . A big thank you to Grant Taylor and Glen Jones for the use of their IR's OSOK Ps . Kev ... Let me know your thoughts on the VCSEL laser in the Dragonfly as i will probably end up changing that too . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwood Posted October 6, 2022 Report Share Posted October 6, 2022 Nice test, thank you. Luckily I already have the XTL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weejohn Posted October 6, 2022 Report Share Posted October 6, 2022 Great test . I could have sent you the ludicrous lumens wraith to test alongside the others 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camo304 Posted October 7, 2022 Report Share Posted October 7, 2022 Plenty of info there chap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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