WilliamsRDM START User manual

WilliamsRDM, Inc. Modular Covert IR Flash User Manual
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Modular Covert IR Flash User Manual
Modular Covert IR Flash User Manual
March 30, 2023

WilliamsRDM, Inc. Modular Covert IR Flash User Manual
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1Contents
2 Overview ...............................................................................................................................................3
3 IR Flash Control Box ..............................................................................................................................4
4 Battery Indicator ...................................................................................................................................6
5 Flash Duration Adjustment ...................................................................................................................6
5.1 Spartan Ghost, GoLive and GoLive2 Camera Configuration Mode Flash Duration .........................8
6 Off the Shelf IR Emitter Options ...........................................................................................................8
7 IR Flash Installation .............................................................................................................................11
8 Painting ...............................................................................................................................................14
9 IR Flash Unit Positioning .....................................................................................................................15
10 IR Sensor Positioning and Triggering Range........................................................................................16
11 Alignment test.....................................................................................................................................17
12 Batteries..............................................................................................................................................18
12.1 Solar Charging ................................................................................................................................18
12.2 Non-Solar Charging ........................................................................................................................18
12.3 Battery Replacement .....................................................................................................................18
13 Component Part Numbers..................................................................................................................19
14 Specifications ......................................................................................................................................20

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2Overview
The Covert Infrared (IR) flash (Figure 1) is an IR flash for use with outdoor game cameras with built in IR Flashes.
The WilliamsRDM IR Flash attaches to a tree to provide additional IR lighting to extend the nighttime range of
existing deployed game cameras. The IR flash consists of the IR flash Control Box, IR Emitter, and IR sensor. The
IR Emitter is placed on a tree facing the direction where additional IR lighting is needed. The IR sensor is
connected to the IR flash Control Box and placed in a location where it can detect the flash from the game
camera(s) that will be used to trigger it. The IR Flash Control Box is small and can be hidden somewhere typically
near the base of the tree where it can be easily connected to a covert solar power source. The IR Emitter
incorporates a light sensor so that during the day it enters a low power mode to conserve power and does not
activate until nighttime. During the day the IR flash can be recharged by a WilliamsRDM covert solar device for
uninterrupted remote operation. The IR Flash Illumination duration can be adjusted by an internal adjustment
dial and can rang from 2.5s to 60s to support video capture if desired but the included IR Emitter only supports
durations up to about 5 seconds.
Figure 1: Covert IR Flash System
IR Flash System Component
•IR Flash Control Box
•IR Emitter with 15ft cable
•IR Sensor with 15ft cable
Key Features
•Covert Enclosure designed to blend in with the environment.
•180-degree sensor allows multiple cameras to trigger the IR flash from different angles.
•Covert IR flashes can trigger each other to illuminate larger areas.
•Quickly Installs to a tree using included screws.
•940nm IR Illumination for covert operation
IR Emitter
IR Sensor
IR Flash
Control Box

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•30W IR Emitter included.
•Works with off the shelf 12V, 33W IR and Visible Emitters using an adapter cable.
•Adjustable Flash Duration 2.5s to 60s (5s Maximum with included IR Emitter).
•Approximately 300 flashes per battery charge
•Compatible with WilliamsRDM Covert Solar Devices to provide continuous uninterrupted operation.
•Replaceable Rechargeable 18650 Lithium-Ion Batteries
3IR Flash Control Box
Figure 2 shows the IR Flash Control Box. The unit is powered on by pressing the power button indicated by the
power symbol. The unit is “ON” when the button is depressed and “OFF” when it is not depressed. The Status
indicator is a red LED and is used to indicate the battery status when the unit is powered on as well as to perform
an alignment/walk test at night. To keep the IR flash unit concealed the LED Indicator is only active for the first
10 minutes after the unit is powered on.
Figure 2: IR Flash Control Box
The IR Sensor (SENSOR) and IR Emitter (OUT) Connectors are shown in Figure 3. The SENSOR connector is used
to connect the IR sensor to the Flash Control Box while the OUT connector is used to connect the IR Emitter to
the control box. When the IR sensor and Emitter are not connected, for instance when the IR flash is stored or
being transported, the waterproof cap should be inserted to keep out water and other contaminants.
Battery Status and
Alignment Test Indicator
Power Button

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Figure 3: IR flash Control Box Sensor and Emitter Connectors
Figure 4 shows the Solar Input Connector which is used to connect a WilliamsRDM covert solar panel to the IR
flash unit to recharge the batteries for uninterrupted operation. Alternatively, an 8173-2 AC Wall adapter can
be connected to this input to charge the unit from AC power.
Figure 4: Solar Power Input Connector
IR Emitter
Connector
IR Sensor
Connector
Waterproof
Cap
Solar Input
Connector

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4Battery Indicator
When the IR Flash Control Box is turned on the red status indicator on the front of the unit blinks to indicate the
battery level. With a Full charge the IR flash will generate approximately 300 flashes with a 2.5s duration. If the
IR flash is blinking rapidly this means that the unit will not flash and is in a low power mode waiting to be
recharged. In this state the IR Flash Control Box will reactivate once the battery charges to an acceptable level.
This is useful when the flash is deployed but has stopped working due to an obstructed or damaged solar device.
You can replace or unobstructed the solar device and the flash will resume operation once its batteries are
sufficiently recharged.
Number of Blinks
Battery Charge
5
80% - 100%
4
60% - 80%
3
40% - 60%
2
20% - 40%
1
3% - 20%
Rapidly Blinking
< 3% Battery Needs Charging
1 Long 3 Second Blink
Control Box Fault
None
Batteries Exhausted or Not Installed
5Flash Duration Adjustment
The On Duration of the IR Flash Can be Adjusted from 2.5s to 60s by opening the enclosure and turning an
adjustment dial with a small precision screwdriver. Figure 5 shows the location of the adjustment dial while
Figure 6 shows a close-up view of the dial. As indicated on the circuit board turning the dial clockwise increases
the flash duration while turning the dial counterclockwise reduces the flash duration. The dial only turns ¾ of
the way around so care should be taken not to force the dial beyond its limits. When performing an alignment
test discussed in section 11 the status duration corresponds to the selected flash duration.

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Figure 5: Duration Adjustment Dial
Duration
Adjustment Dial

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Figure 6: Duration Adjustment Close Up
By default, the IR Flash has a default setting of 2.5s which has proven to work well with most cameras including
those form Spartan and Buckeye. The longer 60s duration may be useful when using a camera to collect video
or use the live streaming feature of a camera at night. There is a tradeoff between flash duration and power
consumption. When using the default flash duration of 2.5s the IR Flash unit can support 300 flashes on a fully
charged battery. Increasing the flash duration will reduce the number of flashes. It is recommended to use a
covert solar power source to recharge the batteries during the day for sustained operation.
The IR Emitter included with this kit has an internal timer that shuts it off after about 5 - 10 seconds so increasing
the flash duration beyond this limit will not keep the IR Emitter on longer. For additional IR Flash Emitter options
contact Williams RDM or see section 6 for off the shelf options.
5.1 Spartan Ghost, GoLive and GoLive2 Camera Configuration Mode Flash Duration
From testing with the Spartan Ghost, GoLive and GoLive2 cameras the default flash duration of 2.5s works well
when deployed. If testing the cameras by using the camera configuration menu to take a test picture the flash
duration may be too short. When the camera is in its configuration/test mode the flash comes on a few seconds
before the camera actually takes a picture which means the flash turns off before the picture is taken. We
recommend setting up the camera and waiting for it to exit setup mode then perform a walk test to test the IR
Flash. If the user does wand the IR Flash to work when the camera is in setup mode, the flash duration needs to
be increased to about 5 seconds.
6Off the Shelf IR Emitter Options
In some circumstances the user may want to use the IR Flash with an off-the-shelf IR Emitter or IR Floodlight
instead of the included IR Emitter. This may be because there is not a covert requirement, or the user has existing
off the shelf IR Emitters they wish to use. The IR Flash Control Box can power most off-the-shelf IR Emitters or

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IR Floodlights as well as other floodlights provided the light is powered from 12V and uses a maximum power of
about 33W. Figure 7 depicts some examples of off-the-shelf IR Emitters available from websites such as Amazon.
Figure 7: Off-The-Shelf IR Emitter Examples
Most commercial 12V floodlights use a standard 2.1 mm barren jack as shown in Figure 8. AS along as the
floodlight uses the standard 2.1 mm barrel jack and is powered from 12V and uses less than 33W it can be used
with the IR Flash Control box.

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Figure 8: Standard 2.1mm Barrel Plug Used on many COTS 12V IR Emitters/Floodlights
To connect the off-the-shelf floodlight the WilliamsRDM 8158-1-31 off-the-shelf adapter cable (Figure 9) can be
used. This cable connects with a standard 12V floodlight barrel jack and provides 20ft of cable to connect with
the IR Flash Control Box.
Figure 9: 8158-1-31 Off-The-Shelf IR Flash Adapter Cable