Night Vision scopes and binoculars are electro-optical devices that intensify (or amplify) existing light instead of relying on a light source of their own. The devices are sensitive to a broad spectrum of light, from visible through infrared. An accessory illuminator can increase the light available at the infrared end of the spectrum by casting a beam of light that is not visible to the human eye.

You do not look "through" a Night Vision product, you look at the amplified electronic image on a phosphor screen.

Light enters the Night Vision product through an objective lens and strikes a photo cathode that has a high-energy charge from the power supply. The energy charge accelerates across a vacuum inside the intensifier and strikes a phosphor screen (like a TV screen) where the image is focused. The eyepiece magnifies the image.

2. Why are the projected images always green using night vision technology?

A Night Vision phosphor screen is purposefully colored green because the human eye can differentiate more shades of green than other phosphor colors.

3. What is the main difference between Russian made and US made Night Vision Equipment?

The large majority of Gen. 1 and Gen. 1+ night vision products sold in the US are of Russian origin, packaged and branded locally, usually by large optical manufacturers. The United States produces primarily Gen 2 and Gen 3 night vision technology, which is employed by and large by the military and other governmental organizations, and far out of the reach of most consumers� budget. Russia is the largest producer of Gen 1 and Gen 1+ image intensifiers in the world. Russian made night vision equipment, which also owes its origins to the Defense Industry, has always enjoyed a reputation of being among the best quality in the world.

4. What is the effective viewing range of a Night Vision Device?

It varies anywhere from 30 to 300 meters [900 feet]. The maximum viewing distance depends on the conditions of use. Overcast conditions, fog, rain etc. may reduce the effective distance of a night vision viewer. An Infrared illuminator will increase your viewing range, especially in enclosed spaces like a warehouse, garage or other enclosed parameters.

5. Can I use a Night Vision device in extremely low light, or absolutely no light conditions?

Yes. While it is true that your Night Vision device needs some available light to work, it is still possible to see a bright image in low light or no light conditions with the use of an Infrared Illuminator, which can be either built-in or attached to the device. On most of our products, the Infrared Illuminator is either standard, or available as an option.

6. Which Night Vision  product would you recommend for a first-time leisure user?

Either the Ghost with detachable IR or the Spirit.

7. What type of light source can be harmful to a Night Vision Device?

Your night vision device is designed to be used to assist your viewing in the dark. It may be harmful and will likely damage the device if you use it during the daytime or whenever there is sufficient light to see the object. Also keep in mind that strong direct light, such as projectors, car headlamps, strong flashlights and so on, may be harmful to your night vision unit if you direct you device at the source of these intense lights.

8. Can a Night Vision device and/or Infrared Illuminator be harmful to an individual?

All our Night Vision Optics products comply with FDA and international regulations in terms of safety for an electronic device, similar to other electronic devices such as televisions, and radios. Individuals with sensitive eyes such as those who experience eye fatigue while watching television, may experience the same sort of fatigue if they use their night vision viewer for a prolonged time.

9. Are Night Vision products waterproof?

In general no. Exposure to water and other liquids and even high humidity may damage night vision devices that are not specifically protected against these elements.  All our models are weather resistant, which means they can withstand short exposure to light rain or high humidity conditions.

10. Do you ship internationally?

We ship to a number of international locations, inclusive of Canada, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and other countries.

11. What type of batteries do Night Vision Optics devices use, and how long will they last?

Night Vision  devices use commonly available batteries, such as 1,5V AA type, 9Volt square type, or 3V Lithium type. Generally the device will last up to 20-40 hours of continuous use if the Infrared Illuminator is in OFF position. If used with the IR Illuminator, expect 30-40% less operating time.

12. Does a high magnification device lend itself to better night vision viewing?

Not always. While a high magnification device in a lot of cases will increase the viewing distance, image gain and resolution are key factors to quality viewing. If a night vision binocular has a high magnification, of 7 times for example, but a low resolution and image gain, then the object viewed from a far off distance will be cloudy and dark. It is best to choose a night vision device with a good combination of high image gain, high resolution [23 lin./mm and up] and good magnification [2.0 or better].

13. What is the warranty-coverage on Night Vision products?

Every Night Vision Optics Dot Com device comes with a 12-month warranty on parts and labor. For additional questions, consult your owner's manual.

14. Is it really safe to purchase online using my credit card?

Yes. Our secure server software (SSL) is the industry standard and the best software available today for secure e-commerce transactions. It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet.

How Night Vision Works

People have numerous requirements to be able to see at night, and powerful illumination systems have been available since the first lighthouse went into service at Eddystone Rock, near Plymouth, Devon in November 1698. However, the drawback with all systems, until just prior to the Second World War, was that they were simply methods of illumination, with the obvious, and frequently very dangerous drawback, that everyone could see the source and origin of the light. For this reason it became imperative during World War ll that a solution be found for battlefield use, if a decisive advantage was to be achieved by one side gaining the ability to operate at night.

This breakthrough came about in 1936, when the first active Infra Red system was developed using a silver photocathode. These systems were very bulky and extremely primitive by today�s standards, but at the time, they represented a major military advantage. Active infrared systems continued in use until the late 1970�s in some countries, but NATO forces were phasing them out by the late 1960�s to be replaced by image intensifiers. The main drawback of Active Infra Red systems was that to operate they required powerful Infra Red Lamps, which meant that the range was restricted by the performance of the lamp. In addition, although Infra Red light is not visible to the naked eye (other than a very dull red glow if you are close to the lamp), a major problem could arise during military use should both sides utilize Active Infra Red systems, in that each side can see the light emitted by the others Infra Red Lamp. Hence, you are back to square one. With the source of the light easily identifiable the system is rendered virtually useless, and probably lethal, as you would only have to shoot at the lamp to take out the person holding it. It was at this point that new technology was urgently required, and Image Intensifiers or Starlight Scopes were developed.

The advantage of these systems was that Infra Red Lamps were no longer required, and for this reason they are referred to as Passive Night Vision devices. The principle of operation, is that they pick up whatever ambient light is available from the moon and stars, and amplify it so that the signal is strong enough to energize a sensitive screen. In the case of the earlier systems known as First Generation, or GEN1 (large numbers of which are still manufactured today), the principle of operation involved a light amplifier consisting of three elements enclosed in a vacuum tube.

The elements are: 1. The Photocathode 2. A Microchannel Plate 3. A Phosphor screen.

The photocathode receives particles of light, known as photons, through the front lens of the device which it then converts into electrons.

The microchannel plate consists of a cluster of Micro Channels. The actual number of microchannels varies, but runs into several millions, and are sometimes referred to as Rods. As the electrons travel through the plate, bouncing several times against the walls of the channel, they are accelerated and more electrons are created. This means that if one electron enters the plate, thousands will exit the channel and hit the phosphor screen, they then exit the screen as photons producing the green image, familiar to all night vision equipment users, which is visible through the eyepiece.

It is this process which brings us to the important subject that divides the good units from the bad, and that is the degree of Gain provided by the tube. Although the following explanation is simplified to avoid baffling you with unnecessary technical details, we hope that it will help you to understand the difficulties encountered by the manufacturers of the tubes. These problems centre not just on the continual need for development to increase the gain, but also on image definition, which, to a great extent depends on the number of channels that can be packed into the Microchannel Plate. It is for this reason that the manufacturers produce several types of microchannel plate, the main two being 18mm & 25mm, with the 25mm plate being capable of carrying considerably more channels. The main difference between Generation II and Generation III systems, (we will cover GEN. II + later) lies in the tubes, and the front end or third element, the Photocathode. It is this component that determines how many of the photons will be converted into electrons. In the systems employing the very latest technology (GEN.III), sodium potassium cesium antimonide (tri-alkali), is replaced by gallium arsenide, which is sensitive to infrared radiation (with wavelengths of up to 9 microns). In addition, it is important to bear in mind that with all night vision systems, each electron impact in the microchannels, generates gas ions which move back to the photocathode and impair its efficiency. However, in the case of GEN. III systems, the gallium arsenide photocathode can sustain the loss resulting from the build up of an ion barrier film. The less advanced GEN. II systems, using sodium potassium cesium antimonide tubes (tri-alkali), cannot deal with this build up and the performance is impaired.

SECOND GENERATION PLUS (GEN. II+).

Second Generation Plus is an enhanced version of the earlier second Generation devices, but capable of operating further into the infrared spectrum than GEN.II. However, as the designation implies, it is less sophisticated than GEN. III, in that it evolved just prior to the change from Tri-alkali tubes to gallium arsenide, which took place with the development of Third Generation technology. GEN.II+ does offer a useful performance increase over GEN. II systems, but is becoming less common since the development of third generation equipment. The reason being, that in terms of price, they are not much cheaper than third generation alternatives, but still suffer with most of the drawbacks of the older technology.

IMAGE INTENSIFIERS AND INFRA RED LAMPS.

We now come to the various types of illuminator which basically consist of two options. Laser Illuminators and Infrared Lamps. Both are highly effective, but our personal recommendation is that you opt wherever possible for a lamp. As a rule, the range is greater, and in addition it will not generally damage the eye if you look directly at it, whereas some lasers can actually cause retina damage if you look straight at them. These lasers are what is simply termed in the industry as non-eye safe. A reputable dealer will generally know what is, and what is not eye safe on the market. For obvious reasons it is an area where certainty is crucial, especially if children are involved, as due to the fact that no pain is suffered, people can be unaware that they have damaged their eyes until it is too late.

THERMAL IMAGERS (TI).

Thermal imaging is the latest type of equipment, and whilst it performs a similar function to an image intensifier, in other ways it has certain very distinct advantages. Firstly, it solves the problem mentioned earlier, that when in zero light situations an image intensifier cannot operate without the help of infra red light Although this is acceptable in civilian circumstances, it poses great difficulties on the battlefield. Infra red lamps are completely out of the question in this area, and thermal imaging wins hands down, not only because it can operate in Zero light conditions, but it can also operate in fog, smoke, snow and even when camouflage nets have been used to conceal men and tanks.

The drawback at the current time of thermal imaging is cost. With a basic system at around �10,000, thermal imaging is expensive, especially when you consider an excellent image intensifier is only a fraction of this cost. It must also be considered, that as with any system, it is only as good as the operator behind it. As range increases people and cars simply become a hot blob. For this reason, we believe it will be some time before thermal imaging takes over from a good image intensifier in civilian applications, but it definitely has its place, especially for tracking fugitives in open country, or finding adults or children lost in remote areas.

THE FUTURE.