night vision scopes...

[Squidders]

I have a little scope (I’m not proud ) and although it does have an IR illuminator and allows me to see in the dark perfectly well. It does have two things I don't like...

The range is dreadful, really not very good at all... I can see clearly up to about 35 foot.

The focusing method is really bad, you have to adjust the zoom at the end and then the focus at the eye piece making it difficult when you're trying to look at something at the same time.

I tried to get a FLIR unit but they're about £10K (!!!!!) minimum and you need to apply for a permit from the government and they don't come easily

Has anyone had any experience with night vision units? I'd be interested in something small, not the silence of the lambs strap to your head ones.

Joe
_____________
Don't worry about things that go bump in the night - it's only me walking into things.

 

[jakunen]

I've got an old Russian Gen.1 sight that I've had for a few years (had to take the scope mount off it though). Range is pretty good and only one ring to adjust (the reticule adjustment may just be to cope with your eye, like you get on microscopes and binoculars.).
I do like mine but don't get much chance to use it.
To get a really small, easy to use one you're better off lookign at the Gen.2 or 3 (think its Gen.4 and above that's restricted?), but the price does start to go up steeply!
The Science Museum was selling some Japanese(?) ones at failry keen prices through one of the gadget catalogues.

 

[Adi007]

The Yukon scopes are, in my mind, excellent. I have a Yukon NVMT2 3x42 and the IR illuminator on that is good to about 150 m I'd say. The picture is clear and the scope will spot rabbits at 100 m in pitch black without the IR and about 150 - 175 with the IR.

Excellent bit of kit.

http://www.woodlandorganics.com/shop/optics/yukon/index.htm

 

[NickBristol]

How about improving the IR illumination by fitting or carrying a separate illuminator?

http://www.camera-shop.co.uk/acatalog/info_1692.html

 

[Squidders]

Adi007:
The Yukon ones look interesting... how long have you had yours? does it eat batteries?

NickBristol:
The IR illuminator on mine isn't the problem, it just won't focus above that range. it's a bit of a downer really...

Cheers

Joe

 

[Adi007]

I've had mine 2 months and it's still on the original set of batts (it takes CR123A camera batts which can be mucho expensive is you get them from the high street - £8 - but cheap if you shop around). I've used it quite a bit but with long summer days, not as much as I will come the darker evenings!

 

[leon-1]

How about improving the IR illumination by fitting or carrying a separate illuminator?

That's not a bad idea, but you do not need to fork out a fortune to add extra illumination for PIR devices if you have a decent torch.

Mag lights have a filter kit that you can get for them (not IR filters), if you use both the red and blue filters with a peice of thin black bin liner in between the visible spectrum of light is filtered out and the wavelengths around the IR band can still pass through.

If you cannot or do not want to use this you may be able to get some plastic sheeting (it's thin like talc sheets) called wratten filter. It appears to be black, but once again it can be used on torches or for masking off flash units on cameras when using IR sensitive film on night photography.

Cheaper than forking out for a new image intensifier in the long run, hope this is of use ):.

 

[Adi007]

SureFire also come with an IR filter ... but it's mucho cash! Problem is by having too strong an IR source the light washes out all the nearby detail.