# $100 Gen 1 Night Vision



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

$100 night vision? Must be crap right? Not so in some ways. I received this as a gift a while ago. For perimeter watch, bug in security, nocturnal hunting, scanning streets while bounding through areas I think it would work fine. Takes 3 double A's. Havent used it long enough to tell about battery life. Does need protection from the elements so care must be taken. Pretty pleased with the ability to focus, basic 2.1x magnification, and picture quality. Here are some pics.....


----------



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

The bottom pic is of a bush about 75 ft away. Not the best pic but its a camera phone through the optic so give allowances.


----------



## drfacefixer (Mar 8, 2013)

You just have to remember that with active IR it's like shining a flashlight to anyone using night vision as well as some animals that have vision in the near IR spectrum.


----------



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

drfacefixer said:


> You just have to remember that with active IR it's like shining a flashlight to anyone using night vision as well as some animals that have vision in the near IR spectrum.


Certainly something to keep in mind. Thanks for pointing it out for folks that may not have thought about that.


----------



## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

drfacefixer said:


> You just have to remember that with active IR it's like shining a flashlight to anyone using night vision as well as some animals that have vision in the near IR spectrum.


Please elaborate here. If I have a night vision scope with a infrared illuminator, it would be like shining a flashlight at someone with night vision? Did I understand correctly? Any and all info greatly appreciated.


----------



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

tmttactical said:


> Please elaborate here. If I have a night vision scope with a infrared illuminator, it would be like shining a flashlight at someone with night vision? Did I understand correctly? Any and all info greatly appreciated.


That is correct. Infrared shows up bright like a flashlight to others with nightvision. It is a flashlight you need nightvision to see so any nightvision will pick it up clear as day. I havent noticed critters being bothered or alarmed by it though. There probably some that are but coyotes, hogs and deer etc dont seem bothered by it.


----------



## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> That is correct. Infrared shows up bright like a flashlight to others with nightvision. It is a flashlight you need nightvision to see so any nightvision will pick it up clear as day. I havent noticed critters being bothered or alarmed by it though. There probably some that are but coyotes, hogs and deer etc dont seem bothered by it.


CRAP! Now I have to re-evaluate my plans. I did not realize that others could see the illuminator, darn. I guess it is pretty obvious but it never crossed my mind. I was looking at mounting a infrared scope / w illuminator on a 308 AR10. This was to be the golden marauder zombie mid range force multiplier. Not good if it show the zombies where you are exactly.

Thanks for the info. Rather learn this now, before the $700 scope purchase.


----------



## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

tmttactical said:


> CRAP! Now I have to re-evaluate my plans. I did not realize that others could see the illuminator, darn. I guess it is pretty obvious but it never crossed my mind. I was looking at mounting a infrared scope / w illuminator on a 308 AR10. This was to be the golden marauder zombie mid range force multiplier. Not good if it show the zombies where you are exactly. Thanks for the info. Rather learn this now, before the $700 scope purchase.


Your "Research God" is on the job, never fear! Once alerted, I am like a Pitt Bull, locked on to target, dumb as a...oh, never mind that part.....

http://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/night-vision-how-animals-see
Excerpt from article: "How do animals see in the dark? For one, they have big eyes. Nocturnal hunters like owls and cats have pupils that, when open wide, cover the entire front of the eye. So do tree frogs, which have to be able to jump from branch to branch. In owls, eye size approaches the extreme: their eyes occupy over half the volume of their skulls.
There are also physiological differences between the eyes of nocturnal and diurnal animals. Owls' eyes are tubular, rather than spherical, with a very large lens positioned close to the retina. This structure allows a lot of light to register on the retina, but at the expense of flexible focusing. Owls are thought to be somewhat far-sighted. Tubular eyes cannot rotate in their sockets like the spherical eyes you and I have, so owls compensate with incredibly flexible necks that allow them to turn their heads 270 degrees.
Many nocturnal animals have a mirror-like layer, called the tapetum, behind the retina, which helps them make the most of small amounts of light. Light that passes through the retina is reflected off the tapetum, giving the retinal cells a second chance to sense it. This makes some animals' eyes shine in the glare of car headlights. The color you see is the pigment on the inner layer of the retina.
At the heart of all vision is the retina, which contains two types of light-sensing cells: rods and cones. Cones account for color vision but require bright, focused light, whereas rods can sense very dim, scattered light, but don't produce a color image. While each cone has its own brain connection, multiple rods are wired to a single brain connector. This pools the information collected from the rods and creates a stronger signal, but the image is less defined.
As you might expect, the retinas of nocturnal animals are packed with rods and have few cones. However, because their large eyes create a big image that is focused on a big retina, they capture some detail despite the shortage of cones"

Anything else "Your Lowness" would like to know????:rofl::cheers:


----------



## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Fergot the other link.....there goes that memory thing again....and you nominate ME as the research guy???
https://books.google.com/books?id=s...IVTAL#v=onepage&q=Low light enhancers&f=false
:lalala:


----------



## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

Pessimistic2 said:


> Your "Research God" is on the job, never fear! Once alerted, I am like a Pitt Bull, locked on to target, dumb as a...oh, never mind that part.....
> 
> http://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/night-vision-how-animals-see
> Excerpt from article: "How do animals see in the dark? For one, they have big eyes. Nocturnal hunters like owls and cats have pupils that, when open wide, cover the entire front of the eye. So do tree frogs, which have to be able to jump from branch to branch. In owls, eye size approaches the extreme: their eyes occupy over half the volume of their skulls.
> ...


Yes, Master of knowledge and lacking of wisdom but hey, you got Bo, SO YOU MUST BE ALL RIGHT.

How do I hide an infrared Illuminator from night vision marauding zombies? One of my defense plans just dropped out the window and broke.


----------



## LastOutlaw (Jun 1, 2013)

Pessimistic2 said:


> Fergot the other link.....there goes that memory thing again....and you nominate ME as the research guy???


No, I think you nominated yourself.


----------



## Dixie (Sep 20, 2010)

I second it. All those in favor?


----------



## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

tmttactical said:


> Yes, Master of knowledge and lacking of wisdom but hey, you got Bo, SO YOU MUST BE ALL RIGHT.
> How do I hide an infrared Illuminator from night vision marauding zombies? One of my defense plans just dropped out the window and broke.


No can hidey the IR....get a low-light enhancer, uses starlight, moonlight, light reflected off the clouds...
https://books.google.com/books?id=s1XT728EPVAC&pg=PT154&lpg=PT154&dq=Low+li ght+enhancers&source=bl&ots=JsnoeBJr-g&sig=3YSgr7jk5TZ3-O_pAZpXgKKE58k&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj32ceZkrfTAhU EeCYKHVrWDWsQ6AEIVTAL#v=onepage&q=Low%20light%20en hancers&f=false

Your Research God has spoken...er, typed, go to bed!! It's 11:14...Central Time. Nighty night!!!


----------



## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

LastOutlaw said:


> No, I think you nominated yourself.


Must be that "memory thing" again, I distinctly don't remember that!~:rofl:


----------



## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Dixie said:


> I second it. All those in favor?


Traitor, I say Traitor....and with a name like Dixie, too....:brickwall::scratch: Can't trust NOBODY these days..


----------



## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

See nothing, hear nothing, didn't say nothung lol


----------



## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

TmtTactical....in anticipation of your next question (Research Gods can do that, you know), here are a couple you might want to check out, not too pricey..
https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/prepping-101-cheap-night-vision-riflescopes/

https://www.survivethewild.net/best-affordable-night-vision-equipment/

https://www.nightvision4less.com/

At your service....*TOMORROW*.....It's beddy bye time!!!!!


----------



## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

Pessimistic2 said:


> TmtTactical....in anticipation of your next question (Research Gods can do that, you know), here are a couple you might want to check out, not too pricey..
> https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/prepping-101-cheap-night-vision-riflescopes/
> 
> https://www.survivethewild.net/best-affordable-night-vision-equipment/
> ...


Much thanks Pess, you have been a great sport and absolutely invaluable. Get some sleep and talk at you tomorrow.


----------



## LastOutlaw (Jun 1, 2013)

I think that $100 night vision is worth every penny. Anything that helps you see at night when your enemy can not is a good thing. 

I can guarantee that you will not see my gen 3 night vision from another gen3 night vision unit. I own 2 and just tested it. Now if I hit the IR light button on it you will see that or if I'm using a ir laser sight you will see that but you will not see just my night vision from my other unit.

In Iraq... we owned the night.


----------



## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

AdmiralD7S said:


> Let's take a quick sidebar first, and then we'll return to your question.
> 
> So back to your question of how do you prevent someone seeing your infrared illuminator. The answer is the same if you had a flashlight:
> 
> ...


First, thanks for the reply, second thanks for dumbing it down enough for me to understand. Your explanation make sense. I am going to have to give this problem more thought. I may have to shift to NV cameras as the main perimeter locator and only go to the NV scope if beneficial.

I never, ever turn down an offer of free knowledge. Your offer is noted and greatly appreciated. If you can dumb down physics enough for me to understand, you are the person for the job. I will get back to you after I think this over some.


----------



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

If you were looking for others using night vision it would be helpful. I dont think many are going to have nightvision after shtf. Especially after enough time has gone by to create a battery shortage. Those who prepare will own the night. For $100 its a good buy. I keep mine in my little faraday cage. Its also useful to keep populations of nocturnal predators of the 4legged variety away from food stores and livestock. At $100 I consider it a no brainer advantage. Certainly has cons but I dont have 12k for the thermal I really want.


----------



## SewingMachine (Mar 26, 2017)

Curious as to how anyone is using these small, hand held monoscopes to shoot anything. 

Is there a mount included? If so, can we see a pic of the scope installed on a weapon? Are you using them with a webbing head mount? Flip-down? Running open sights or using the monocular as a 2x multiplier through a scope? How does that affect the magnified "pixellation" of the GEN 1 optics? Does the monocular have a dot, or any kind of targeting reference? 

Are you using these simply for location of animals/intruders, then firing to frighten?

How does this work in combination with a weapon, in general?


----------



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

SewingMachine said:


> Curious as to how anyone is using these small, hand held monoscopes to shoot anything.
> 
> Is there a mount included? If so, can we see a pic of the scope installed on a weapon? Are you using them with a webbing head mount? Flip-down? Running open sights or using the monocular as a 2x multiplier through a scope? How does that affect the magnified "pixellation" of the GEN 1 optics? Does the monocular have a dot, or any kind of targeting reference?
> 
> ...


Its mainly for scouting and spotting critters creeping up. Doesnt mount on a weapon.


----------



## SewingMachine (Mar 26, 2017)

AdmiralD7S said:


> Let's take a quick sidebar first, and then we'll return to your question.
> 
> So back to your question of how do you prevent someone seeing your infrared illuminator. The answer is the same if you had a flashlight:
> 
> ...


Interesting, but difficult to relate to actual use. In practice, you will see the "wink" of another distant (depending on the strength of the illuminator ) night vision device, much like someone far away swinging a flashlight, or sunlight scope reflection. Standing next to someone wearing flip-downs in position is like standing next to someone wearing a headlamp, at night, and will blind your night vision for a second the same way, and you need practice to not constantly mess with each other. Solo not a problem, but indoors you will catch reflections making it difficult to use.

You rarely see the "light patch" of someone using NVG's coming toward you, although you may notice it. To use the flashlight analogy, their illuminated area is lost in the "noise" of yours. You will see the output of their illuminator, not the beam. Obviously, as mentioned, if you are not running the illuminator, it is much easier to spot another user.

You can use the monocle, even a cheap one, indoors just like you would a flashlight for room clearing. But, the illuminator will reflect of surfaces just like a flashlight, and it makes it hard to see you your sights, usually just when you you really want to. Hold the monocle to your eye with your weak hand, and look over the sights. Only for pistols. I have done it with a shotgun, I should say tried, and it sucked. For home defense I would immediately choose a flashlight and mount over NVG on a long gun.

The webbing head mounts for NVG's stink. Great if you are just walking around, but you aren't going to run or do much movement. They flop all over and you end up taking off the rig in frustration. Helmet mounts are a bit better, but still really just for looking through, then flipping up to move.You really have to walk smooth and steady. If you are silently "bounding" (which implies a team, and one that is familiar with tactical movement) the procedure is; look through the monocle - see anyone? No? Lower the monocle, advance to next position while being covered by team mates NVG, take position, raise monocle and check area, turn and use illuminator to signal team mate (you should not be so close as to blind them) and scan area as team mate advances to your position. Repeat as desired.

Its hard to hold a monocle to your eye and walk around. You can, but I don't like it. On streets maybe ok, but in the woods forget it.

Night vision is cool, but I wouldn't want to have to actually use it in any sort of threatening or dangerous situation without a good deal of practice. To me it would be more of a hindrance than a help.

Honestly, I am never sure if I should chime in on posts like this, in general, not saying anything to you, Admiral. I mean, do I come across as a tool here? Does anyone really care about this stuff in actual use, aside from spotting coyotes and woodchucks? I don't know. I don't want to come across as a know-it-all, but it would be nice if I could spare someone some frustrations I have felt. Does that make sense?


----------



## LastOutlaw (Jun 1, 2013)

tmttactical said:


> First, thanks for the reply, second thanks for dumbing it down enough for me to understand. Your explanation make sense. I am going to have to give this problem more thought. I may have to shift to NV cameras as the main perimeter locator and only go to the NV scope if beneficial.
> 
> I never, ever turn down an offer of free knowledge. Your offer is noted and greatly appreciated. If you can dumb down physics enough for me to understand, you are the person for the job. I will get back to you after I think this over some.


As I stated above...no one can see your nightvision alone. If you use an ir light with it they can see that...which I don't seem to need unless in total darkness which is rare. (This is gen3...I do not know how this gen1 unit operates.) As for not having it... I would much rather have it than not have it. If I had to travel only at night it would be priceless. Yes I can mount mine on a rifle. Yes I can also mount it on a helmet. I can switch back and forth as needed. Yes I can see through a red dot sight with it but prefer to use it with a laser sight. I will say that it is not a great idea to mount a pvs14 monocle on a rifle. I'm pretty sure it is not designed to take the shock of recoil. The us military mounts them on a helmet and utilizes an ir laser sight. This is a momentary sight with a pressure switch much like a surefire light has. Only on when you need it. As for walking while viewing through it you will need to practice using it. There is a focus on one that allows you to focus out across the range. When walking anything close to your feet is out of focus so yes it would be hard in a wooded situation to walk in it. Generally a monocular will be used with both eyes open and concentrating vision through one eye. There is a real bad night blindness otherwise when you come out of the nightvision. I hunt coyotes and hogs with nightvision. You can buy a good nightvision for around $3000.00 at most large gun shows. You can also buy thermal for around $4000.00 these days. The prices have come down quite a bit these days.

*pvs14 rifle mount: *
http://www.brownells.com/optics-mou...y&utm_campaign=itwine&utm_content=336-000-049
*OR:*
http://www.opticsplanet.com/night-o...dium=PLA&utm_term=&utm_campaign=1100005126230
*Rifle mounted ir laser:*
http://www.opticsplanet.com/insight...dium=PLA&utm_term=&utm_campaign=1100003160113

When using night vision helmet mounted with the ir laser you have no need to look down the sights. In your nightvision you will see the laser hit the target but anyone without night vision will see nothing. You can pretty much shoot from the hip if you wish.

Here is a rifle with the ir laser mounted on it at the end of the barrel:


----------



## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> If you were looking for others using night vision it would be helpful. I dont think many are going to have nightvision after shtf. Especially after enough time has gone by to create a battery shortage. Those who prepare will own the night. For $100 its a good buy. I keep mine in my little faraday cage. Its also useful to keep populations of nocturnal predators of the 4legged variety away from food stores and livestock. At $100 I consider it a no brainer advantage. Certainly has cons but I dont have 12k for the thermal I really want.


CBL, your post is very helpful and for your main purpose, these items are fantastic. My main purpose was the determent of 2 legged varmints. I had not known they could see the illuminator light. Should have been obvious but I can be a bit dense sometimes. This maybe more of procedural thing vs. a equipment thing. Example: Use high quality NV camera to check if varmints are using NVG. --- spot their lights before turning on scope light.

Just one more detail to fidget over -- dog and his bone type of thing.


----------



## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

Several members (Admiral, CBL, and others ) have helped me better understand night vision. So I am going to run another question by our experts.

If a house has numerous infrared flood lights (850mw) with 300' to 400' range, can the illuminator on a infrared video camera be turned off but still allow the camera to function normally?

The concept is to hide the cameras behind glass or plastic and use the flood lights illumination to allow the cameras to detect predators at night. I don't want the cameras to be visible (no target practice) so the bad guys won't know they are being watched.

Night vision or Infrared would not detect the cameras (no heat signature behind glass and dark background to conceal shape / outline of cameras.

The flood lights ( https://www.amazon.com/CMVision-IR130-Outdoor-300-400ft-Illuminator/dp/B004F9LF7E/ref=pd_bxgy_267_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B004F9LF7E&pd_rd_r=THBZXWJCNTKRYT3YAAQ6&pd_rd_w=cep1l&pd_rd_wg=DjeUc&psc=1&refRID=THBZXWJCNTKRYT3YAAQ6 ) are reasonably priced at $69.95 on Amazon and I am sure I could find them with a lower priced if the concept works.

I hope I have not confused everybody with this description, just not sure how to best describe what I want and am trying to accomplish. Any help or suggestions appreciated.


----------



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

tmttactical said:


> Several members (Admiral, CBL, and others ) have helped me better understand night vision. So I am going to run another question by our experts.
> 
> If a house has numerous infrared flood lights (850mw) with 300' to 400' range, can the illuminator on a infrared video camera be turned off but still allow the camera to function normally?
> 
> ...


The flood lights would still be visible to other night vision when they came on (if thats what youre asking-just woke up its early). You would not need to use the illuminator on your nightvision if you had one of the floodlights on.


----------



## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

IR penetrates regular window glass?


----------



## Jeanie (May 4, 2010)

Forgive me if I am using this forum incorrectly. Have you formed any further opinion of this night vision scope? I'm considering one for our own property and possibly giving one as a gift to neighboring sheriff's deputy. He is keeps our long driveway in passable condition (w/tractor & gravel) without reimbursement. This might be a good Christmas gift for him. (?) He responds to night time 911 calls in our county. Seattle suburb.


----------



## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Jeanie said:


> Forgive me if I am using this forum incorrectly. Have you formed any further opinion of this night vision scope? I'm considering one for our own property and possibly giving one as a gift to neighboring sheriff's deputy. He is keeps our long driveway in passable condition (w/tractor & gravel) without reimbursement. This might be a good Christmas gift for him. (?) He responds to night time 911 calls in our county. Seattle suburb.


How much are you looking to spend? The Thread was originally discussing a unit that was just South of $100, but these things come in several types and use different technology...."low light(starlight scope) to IR," or both, and MANY price ranges.....cheap ones under $100 to units costing several thousand.

1. Price range?
2. Tech - - low light, infra-red, or both?

The unit originally discussed ain't bad for IR. :wave:


----------



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Jeanie said:


> Forgive me if I am using this forum incorrectly. Have you formed any further opinion of this night vision scope? I'm considering one for our own property and possibly giving one as a gift to neighboring sheriff's deputy. He is keeps our long driveway in passable condition (w/tractor & gravel) without reimbursement. This might be a good Christmas gift for him. (?) He responds to night time 911 calls in our county. Seattle suburb.


I still like it for the purpose I have in mind which is night time guard duty or critter control or basic scanning an area I would want to move to. There are better ones out there but for a general purpose seems like a good piece of gear for the price.


----------



## Jeanie (May 4, 2010)

Our area has light via sporadic porch lights (not tract housing) and a few distant but very large security lights reflecting across/off of the water all night. Very few are on during power outages. So I am guessing we might appreciate low light ability as well as IR. It can be pitch black in our immediate area if the moon light is blocked by clouds. Lots of northwest forest here. Low tide offers large beach along both of our properties for people and animals to approach our homes. Considering $100 - $200 range.


----------



## Jeanie (May 4, 2010)

Thank you for answer CrackerBL.


----------



## Jeanie (May 4, 2010)

OOOPS!!! Crackbottomlouis. Hey I am old... LOL


----------



## Jeanie (May 4, 2010)

Pessimistic2, I'll look into low light option. Hadn't considered that. 
Maybe pick up the $100 unit crackbottomlouis has for self and see how it works in our immediate area. ~Useful to scan the area before letting the dog out at night...


----------



## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Jeanie said:


> OOOPS!!! Crackbottomlouis. Hey I am old... LOL


Yeah, that "old thing" is happening to a lot of us!!! 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...00XZSV6C&linkCode=as2&tag=bestprodtag33074-20 ($177)

This site gives a wide selection, but check each model to see if it is low-light, IR, or both.
https://www.nightvision4less.com/ni...1-night-vision-monoculars.aspx?pagesize=10000

At the other end of the scale, ya got stuff like this! Hey, it's only $7,800 - - order a couple, the're so cheap!! :beercheer::woohoo: Star Wars equipment!, sheesh! :beercheer:
https://www.nightvision4less.com/ni...1-night-vision-monoculars.aspx?pagesize=10000


----------



## Jeanie (May 4, 2010)

Hey Pes2, $7,800? It should ID target, capture & housebreak for that price. <giggle>
As others have said, gotta buy and test. Thanks for low light suggestio


----------



## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Jeanie said:


> Hey Pes2, $7,800? It should ID target, capture & housebreak for that price. <giggle>
> As others have said, gotta buy and test. Thanks for low light suggestio


For $7800 the darn thing should cook & serve breakfast, make the coffee, and clean the frickin' house to boot. Must be some really HIGH tech in that thing!!


----------



## Jeanie (May 4, 2010)

For my next trick I'll look thru this site and find review on user friendly salt water fixer upper. Our area has had a "swarm" earthquakes. Experts say: could be good news or could be bad news as far as The Big One hitting. (Big subduction zone off our coast) 
It's always something!


----------



## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

AdmiralD7S said:


> tmt, can you give me the make and model (and year, if you know it) of your IR camera?


AdmiralD7S,

I have not purchased any thing yet. i wanted to obtain proof of concept, prior to purchase.

I in plain English to cheap to buy unless I was pretty sure it would work. If the concept was viable, then I wold find cameras to match application.

I decided since the cameras would normally be visible to night vision / infrared attachments (scopes, goggles, etc.) I would try to hide them behind massive flood lights.

The goal is to detect intruders / predators but not make the cameras a target. Sort of like hiding a flashlight behind a flood light, floods conceal the light from the flash light.

So, any suggestions on how to hide / conceal the cameras and still watch for the critters.

Special thanks to AdmiralD7S, (loved the technical explanations and humor) 
Sewingmachine, CBL, Lastoutlaw and anybody else I may have missed. I really do appreciate all your contributions to this project.


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Caribou said:


> My question is, if the illuminator on an IR camera works to enhance the video, why would a separate illuminator of equal or greater power, not work just as well.


Yes, in fact I've been wanting to build an IR flashlight using IR LED's in an old large reflector flashlight, I have some IR LED's around, just haven't gotten around to building it. On another note, a lot of IR illuminators that come with night vision scopes are lower frequency IR that can be seen as a dull red glow by a naked eye, there are higher frequency IR illuminators that are invisible, except to another NV device. A bit of moonlight will make a good Gen I scope look like daylight and using a good IR illuminator on that same scope will light up dark shaded areas such as under trees and in deeper forests where the tree tops shade out star and moon light.


----------



## Elinor0987 (May 28, 2010)

SewingMachine said:


> Honestly, I am never sure if I should chime in on posts like this, in general, not saying anything to you, Admiral. I mean, do I come across as a tool here? Does anyone really care about this stuff in actual use, aside from spotting coyotes and woodchucks? I don't know. I don't want to come across as a know-it-all, but it would be nice if I could spare someone some frustrations I have felt. Does that make sense?


A lot of it depends on your circumstances. One of the reasons why I bought a night vision monocular was because there are wild foods such as carrots, grains, etc., that grow in abundance here but some of the places are near populated areas. It would be difficult to forage during the day when people would be out more, but at night it would be easier to do that and not be seen with a night vision monocular.


----------



## bkt (Oct 10, 2008)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> $100 night vision? Must be crap right? Not so in some ways. I received this as a gift a while ago. For perimeter watch, bug in security, nocturnal hunting, scanning streets while bounding through areas I think it would work fine. Takes 3 double A's. Havent used it long enough to tell about battery life. Does need protection from the elements so care must be taken. Pretty pleased with the ability to focus, basic 2.1x magnification, and picture quality. Here are some pics.....


Looks very useful. Does it have a passive mode where you can turn off the IR lamp and just pick up latent IR? That way, you're not a beacon....


----------



## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

bkt said:


> Looks very useful. Does it have a passive mode where you can turn off the IR lamp and just pick up latent IR? That way, you're not a beacon....


Yes it does.


----------



## fteter (May 23, 2014)

Ya know, here's the thing: you have to work with what you got.

As for me, I ain't got thousands in my budget to spend on night vision. But I do have $100. So, yeah, I purchased a Gen 1 scope recently. Will I rule the night? Not likely. Will I get smoked in a firefight by some tacticool mercenary with the latest and greatest? Without question. But, frankly, I don't need to rule the night and it's highly unlikely I'll ever wind up in a firefight with a mercenary.

I just needed to see a little better at night. To see anomalies or approaching threats...or maybe just enjoy watching the nocturnal wildlife or just looking at the stars (look up with one of these things from a moderately dark location and you'll be amazed by what you see). Gen 1 lets me do those things within the budget I've got. That's a win.


----------



## capt. (Dec 15, 2017)

Read the post, I know it has been on here for awhile. But to point out something learned the hard way , forgive if I missed it. The ocular or the end you look in, shines a bright greenish or whatever color the newer ones have (light) , ON YOUR FACE like a big target for bad guys to shoot at. Get a rubber eyepiece on that end to press and close the light leak.


----------



## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Here is my write-up on a similar subject:
https://www.preparedsociety.com/threads/armasight-spark-core-the-poor-mans-pvs14.30482/


----------



## ssonb (Oct 24, 2017)

Hey BZ you know Lowdown, good fer you. I have been lookin into the Sightmark night vision scopes they are made to be mounted on a rifle and seem to have some pretty good performance. Like others I am just lookin for a way to be able to see and shoot "swine" out to around 100 yrds. Have you tested any of those yet?


----------



## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Army-Navy Surplus had Armasight WWZ scopes for $424.95, with detachable long range IR illuminator, Weaver/ Picatinny mounting. Uses CR 123 batteries, one for the scope and one for the IR illuminator, this is a heavy scope but it has a very good field of vision and optics are all glass.


----------



## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

ssonb said:


> Hey BZ you know Lowdown, good fer you. I have been lookin into the Sightmark night vision scopes they are made to be mounted on a rifle and seem to have some pretty good performance. Like others I am just lookin for a way to be able to see and shoot "swine" out to around 100 yrds. Have you tested any of those yet?


No Sir I have not.
My goal was to attempt a nightfighing kit. Not just nightshooting/nighthunting.
(even though nighthunting is probably great trianing for night fighting)
there is of course a difference and the ability to carry your ocular flipped over your (usually non dominant) eye has been shown to be key for night _fighting, _rather thna just nightvision.
Inexpensiveness scopes (who are almost all weapon mounted) have their place but IMO mostly as a substitute to have something which is better than nothing.

the biggest issue with them is cueing..
But they are much better than nothing. I do believe this particular kit I put together , for the sole purpose of showing the prepper community is lightyears above a weapon mounted scope in fighting ability.


----------



## ssonb (Oct 24, 2017)

Sorry , I did not mean personally, I have met JRH once in person and quite a few times on line, He is very knowledgeable and professional in this "world" He does only sell products that he has used and approved.


----------

