salty
geordie birder
i have owned my night vision scope for a couple of months now, and i still get a surprise when out in the field with it. the fact that you can see clearly in total darkness can be strange to imagine at times, but it is a fantastic experience!
i started off with night vision back in 1996, they were selling them for the first time in the high street electrical stores. i thought, wow! - they sound like something out of a sci-fi movie. so obviously i had to try one out.
that first model i owned was a basic 1st generation model, fine for around the garden or out camping etc, but not a patch on the military spec 2nd and 3rd generation scopes out there now. witch is also why i have upgraded, and gone for one of the top-end night scopes that i now use. for example: my first generation night sight magnified light by around 3,000 times - pretty good you might think? - my new model magnifies it by around 65,000 times :eek!: - think day light at night!
as i mentioned, it is still brand new, so field testing my new 'toy' is under way. with it being a top-end scope, the built in gadgets are pretty impressive:
ABC - automatic brightness control - the scope adjusts it's own power for when light levels change, to provide a constant clear useable image. when there is no natural starlight, the scope will get brighter, and when there is moonlight etc - the scope turns it's power down so as not to be too bright to view through.
laser infra red illuminater: as well as a built in infra red light, for when there is total darkness - ie: in a wood, or indoors, there was the option to get an additional light source to simply 'bolt on'. the laser, gives an intense beam that is invisable to the eye. it sits on top of the scope, and can be adjusted from spot to flood beam. this is an awesome add on, and enables for clear crisp viewing over a huge distance even under the darkest conditions.
out in the field, nothing will prepare you for the first time you look through a night vision device. they turn darkness to day light, but from a eerie green glow. i will update this page when i can with my experiences, and will try and get a few shots on the camera - but dont hold your breath - i only have a 1.3 million pixel camera phone to use.
below is a couple of shots that i tried for the first time, holding my pic phone to the lens of the night vision in the local graveyard, while walking the dog. the conditions were complete darkness, with no starlight/moonlight and no infra red to help. just the scopes own power. in real life - the image is even more clearer and brighter!!!
i started off with night vision back in 1996, they were selling them for the first time in the high street electrical stores. i thought, wow! - they sound like something out of a sci-fi movie. so obviously i had to try one out.
that first model i owned was a basic 1st generation model, fine for around the garden or out camping etc, but not a patch on the military spec 2nd and 3rd generation scopes out there now. witch is also why i have upgraded, and gone for one of the top-end night scopes that i now use. for example: my first generation night sight magnified light by around 3,000 times - pretty good you might think? - my new model magnifies it by around 65,000 times :eek!: - think day light at night!
as i mentioned, it is still brand new, so field testing my new 'toy' is under way. with it being a top-end scope, the built in gadgets are pretty impressive:
ABC - automatic brightness control - the scope adjusts it's own power for when light levels change, to provide a constant clear useable image. when there is no natural starlight, the scope will get brighter, and when there is moonlight etc - the scope turns it's power down so as not to be too bright to view through.
laser infra red illuminater: as well as a built in infra red light, for when there is total darkness - ie: in a wood, or indoors, there was the option to get an additional light source to simply 'bolt on'. the laser, gives an intense beam that is invisable to the eye. it sits on top of the scope, and can be adjusted from spot to flood beam. this is an awesome add on, and enables for clear crisp viewing over a huge distance even under the darkest conditions.
out in the field, nothing will prepare you for the first time you look through a night vision device. they turn darkness to day light, but from a eerie green glow. i will update this page when i can with my experiences, and will try and get a few shots on the camera - but dont hold your breath - i only have a 1.3 million pixel camera phone to use.
below is a couple of shots that i tried for the first time, holding my pic phone to the lens of the night vision in the local graveyard, while walking the dog. the conditions were complete darkness, with no starlight/moonlight and no infra red to help. just the scopes own power. in real life - the image is even more clearer and brighter!!!