Night vision can be a massive advantage for its users. Whether you’re observing a village in Afghanistan prior to kicking off a raid, or spotting coyotes creeping in on the chicken coop, clearly identifying your target while it thinks it’s covered by the dark of night is an edge that’s hard to beat.
But the wrong moon illumination cycle, clouds, and rain can all conspire to reduce the amount of ambient light available for your NVG’s to amplify. An infrared spectrum illuminator solves this by providing extra light that’s only visible to NVG’s. Enter the B.E. Meyers KIJI K1 IR illuminator.
Let’s take a quick look at the tech specs at the KIJI K1, which is a Class 3R laser device.
Tech Specs:
| Dimensions | 4.25″ L X 1″ W X 1″ H |
|---|---|
| Flood Divergence | Varied |
| ITAR-Controlled | No |
| Laser Type | IR |
| Lumens | N/A |
| Model Number | BEM-KIJI |
| Power Source | 1 CR123 |
| Restriction | EAR |
| Wavelength | 850NM NIR |
| Weight w/ Batteries | 3.1 oz |
| Weight w/o Batteries | 2.5 oz |
The advantage an illuminator like the KIJI K1 has over a weapon mounted IR illuminator is that you don’t have to directly aim your weapon at every single thing you want to light up (with illumination that is). To that end, the KIJI K1 can be used handheld, but is also compatible with Surefire M300 helmet/weapon mounts.
So we’re specifically looking at the K1-3, which has a 3 degree beam and comes with a 10 degree diffuser. The other model available has a 10 degree beam with a 40 degree diffuser. So obviously this model has a much tighter focus, intended to extend the distance at which your additional ‘light’ is visible.
There’s usually a lot more to a review product than on or off, and technically that’s still true with the KIJI K1, but on/off covers 90% of it. Simply put, the three degree IR laser product is strong. Send this beam at full power on anything under 100 yards and you’re going to complete wash it out, like a stage spotlight at ten feet. The three degree beam is plenty powerful at 200 yards, and still provides significant illumination at 300 yards.
Switching to the 10 degree diffuser not only gives you a wider circle of illumination, it also brings down the intensity significantly. This is the beam of choice for me under 100 yards, while still giving some assistance out to 200 yards.
The difference between using an illuminator and not using one depends a lot on ambient light. During a full moon out in an open field, a good set of Gen3 NVG’s will already have the field lit up. Under a forest canopy, during a cloudy night when the moon is out of illumination phase means even the best NVG’s will struggle to keep up. Something like the KIJI K1 bring absolute (nvg) daylight to your eyes.
The KIJI K1 has some advanced settings options, available through a complex string of inputs on the activation button. You’re essentially given a number of options for reducing or increasing the power output, so you can tone down that death beam and increase your battery life. Speaking of, full power/constant-on battery life is rated at 4 hours, 15 minutes.
Clearly the tight beam is meant for illuminating targets in the dark out at significant ranges. The light is easily visible past 200 yards, making this an excellent option for precision shooting at night.
Bottom Line:
At the end of the day the B.E. Meyers KIJI K1 IR illumination device is an incredibly powerful device capable of blasting IR light hundreds of yards downrange. This is absolutely a generational leap from the IR illumination I was using in 2nd Ranger Bn, during GWOT. If you need positive target ID at night, the KIJI K1 is absolutely worth a look. The KIJI K1 runs $849 from B.E. Meyers, and appears to be around that price from other reputable retailers. (Beware of airsoft copies!)
See more of author Jens “Rex Nanorum” Hammer at The Truth About Guns, and Ammoland.