Leaderboard

The Sionyx doesn’t have a built in IR Illuminator. It gets a bit awkward trying to attach one using a camcorder mount or trying to carry one separately. We are experimenting with a new setup. We modified a Magpul MOE rail attachment to go onto the tripod mount at the bottom of the Sionyx. We then mounted a 940nm IR flashlight to the rail. Hopefully, this will be a much handier unit. This will give us further reaching adjustable illumination while being a lot easier to use on the move. We will see how it works out this weekend.

This looks interesting. What do you think?

I went up into the Idaho mountains earlier this afternoon to do a video review of my UTV for my YouTube channel. I was in the area for about 2 hours and did not see another human. I parked at the trailhead, unloaded my UTV, and then proceeded up the trail for my video. I went about half a mile and discovered that the area had been heavily logged and the trail destroyed. So I spent the next hour or so doing different takes, different camera shots, etc. I returned back down to my 4Runner and backed the UTV onto the trailer and shut it off. As soon as I got out of the trailer, I hear a whistle about 15-20 yards away coming from the deep timber right behind the trail sign. This sounded EXACTLY like a human doing a quick whistle to get someone's attention. My initial reaction was embarrassment that I was there for awhile and didn't see or hear someone approaching. I looked in that direction and expected a hunter or hiker to come out of the woods. But there was nobody there. I started strapping down the UTV nervously, with the hair on the back of neck standing up due to the feeling that I was being watched. I kept trying to process what I had just heard. Could it be someone messing with me? No vehicles in the area, and the only trail between my vehicle and the woods beyond was the one I just spent an hour on that was blocked off from the other end. What's the chance that a human would be miles from his vehicle, 10 yards into the brush from a trail sign, just sitting there for hours waiting for someone to stop so he could whistle at them and not reveal himself? What about an animal making the noise? I have heard every single animal and bird noise in these woods and have never heard an animal make a human sounding whistle. In my review video of the UTV, you can hear a very loud bird call in the woods. That is a very common bird call and I believe it is of a certain species of woodpecker. The whistle I heard was NOT a bird, or a fox, or a cougar, or a deer. Here's my video of trying to figure out what it was...

Here is my Sionyx IR Light set up, with Amazon links to the parts. This works well for me. $34 IR Light: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085HN1126/ $7 Mount Adapter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F19K6SN/ $12 Lens Cover: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GU8PYW/ I got the handle thinking this setup would be awkward, but find myself never installing the handle. $12 Handle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MBT68CR/

Definitely a whistle. I was standing next to the trailer and clearly heard it about 20 yds away just in the timber near the front of my 4Runner.

I am going to experiment with different mounts and placement to see what works best. Previously, we were using a bracket attached to the tripod mount that stuck out to the side and used a no name IR illuminator that had a pronounced hot spot. It was bulky, easy to knock out of alignment, and not that powerful. When we used that setup, I really didn’t use it much in the move due to the reasons listed above. With this setup, it is much more versatile and could definitely be used on the move. If you want a ton of illumination, maybe look into a 940nm light designed for predator hunters. Might be a bit better for your intended use and probably cheaper.

Almost 99.9999 % chance it was a bird

I have been thinking about doing this as well. The Sionyx is great, but it does need an illuminator when it is really dark. I've also been eyeballing 940 Nm cube style IR lights that mount on a Jeep. Spendy little buggers though. https://www.bajadesigns.com/products/Military-Infrared-Lighting.asp

Great idea and well thought out. The illuminator is perfectly aligned with the SiOnyx yet out front ever so slightly. That way the flood/spot beam will fully illuminate to above the unit without restriction. It looks like you use your SiOnyx as a handheld. Will you carry the unit in your hand while moving about in the woods at night or is it tucked away and removed when you get to a spot? Interested to see what your videos look like.

Just got out of the woods and stopped at a mountain cafe. I was filming a video for a review of my UTV when I had a strange incident. Will get the video uploaded when I get home. Having dinner at the cafe and found the menu ironic...

Invited by Mark from Lane county Bigfoot,Iam interested in Oregon and the PNW mostly,also interested in orbs and owls,thanks

The Owl Moon Lab was covered at the tail end of this documentary (go to 1 hour 12 min and 15 sec to start the relevant section with Tobe Johnson). Based on this short documentary description of what Tobe experienced at OML, it does not appear to be bigfoot related. Is this another example of the classification problem (within multiple anomalous experiences) where paranormal phenomena is attributed to BF when in reality there is no observable linkage to BF?

The snow followed me off the mountian…

OH, it's YOUR building that Tom is painting? How cool is that! I just saw it on his Facebook page. NICE.

I like to be able to see, and don't want to get tangled up in a tent if stuff happens.