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Anybody got a good suggestion for some reflective tape that will show up nice and bright when a camera is in night mode with the infrared LEDs shining?

I got a camera in my workshop that has a view of the deadbolt. If the lights are on I can barely make out whether the deadbolt is locked or not. If the lights are off there's no way to see that. I was thinking some tape on the handle for the deadbolt would make it fairly easy to see if I can find a reflective tape that will show up bright and shiny in the LEDs IR light.

BiloxiGeek wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 5:19 pm Anybody got a good suggestion for some reflective tape that will show up nice and bright when a camera is in night mode with the infrared LEDs shining?

I got a camera in my workshop that has a view of the deadbolt. If the lights are on I can barely make out whether the deadbolt is locked or not. If the lights are off there's no way to see that. I was thinking some tape on the handle for the deadbolt would make it fairly easy to see if I can find a reflective tape that will show up bright and shiny in the LEDs IR light.

Sounds like a good plan.

I would have thought any "retroreflector" style of tape/covering would work for this -- IR or visible. The sort used on *genuine* high-vis jackets as a silver trim. These are designed to always return light back in the direction it came. Unlike a mirror, which bounces it off at an equal-but-opposite angle!

Investigate your local pound-shop/dollar-store for high-vis dog collars. These are sometimes all I can see of passing pets at the bottom of my drive: Out of range of my IR light for the dog, but the collar shines real good!

Note: There are FAKE "reflective" tapes/clothing that are just grey/silver. These are useless in all ways

I mistakingly got some lens tape in the auto parts section at Walmart. That didn't do a thing, it's made to cover a broken tail light. Good thing it didn't cost much, I wasn't paying attention and thought it was reflective tape.

Gonna look again next time I'm out in the retail world.

Take a bright torch (flashlight) and check it -- look down the axis of the torchlight and see if the light is coming back at you

[Edit: Translation to UK->US ]

Paid attention this time and got proper reflective tape. A strip along the long axis of the handle shows up nicely when the IR LEDs wars lit up. Gonna cut a thinner strip so it'll be even more obvious.

look up "conspicuity tape" on Amazon. My cameras light it up like a flare at night, but its no visible without the IR light.

This is what I got, works extremely well with the camera night vision: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V3W45WL?re ... tails&th=1 Also reflects visible light very well so you can light it up with a flashlight.