How to Buy Night Vision Goggles?
There was a time in our lives, after watching movies and playing video games, when we were all fascinated about the green dainty of night vision goggles. The main character of such movies and video games wear night vision goggles suffused with the green light, roaming everywhere tactically with a constant hum. That whir was fictional, but night vision observing devices are not!
As the name suggests night vision devices help us to see the world at night. Their shopping can be a bit tricky because they are not regular optic specs which you can buy from an optical shop. Do you need to consider a few things like how it will cater to one’s requirements? because NV goggles can be used for both recreational, security, and strategic purposes. Here is a quick guide on what points you should consider before buying night vision goggles!
HOW NIGHT VISION GOGGLES WORK?
When you decide to buy anything little research on it makes a big difference! In the case of the night observing goggles, you should know a bit about how they work?
The basic purpose of night vision specs is to convert the imperceptible light range into the visible light range which does the magic of amplification in the night and you can see things in dim light or at night.
Night vision goggle uses two pipes for imaging which allows us to see the extensive view. Keep in mind that such devices require invisible light to function properly and the source of such lights are heavenly bodies i.e. moon and stars so when you are in an open field with the bright light of heavenly bodies you will able to see more clear images.
CHOOSE THE LATEST GENERATION
This is the most critical step and it should be done wisely. You should know what you need and which generation matches your need.
According to your need or mode of work choosing the right gen in night vision goggles is a critical step. There are a total of four gens, so let’s dive in:
GENERATION 1
Gen 1 is the early version of night vision goggles and invented in the early year of 1960. If you’re on a budget than generation-1 night vision device for short-range will be a nice choice as it’s cheap and short-range that is 75 yards.
Generation-1 goggles have some limitations of course; they are the oldest ones! They show the low quality of the image and have short battery life.
GENERATION 2
It performs far better than generation-1. It has a good range of 200 yards distance and shows images with better resolution. Battery life is also good and night vision goggles of this generation are more durable, so if you have a budget this gadget is worth buying!
GENERATION 3
If you want the real deal go for generation 3. It has the gold standard in current technology and this generation night vision goggles are used by us military and special forces. These goggles are long-ranged which is more than 300 yards. A Generation-3 night vision device in the clear night easily shows you person within the range of 200 yards but features won’t be as clear as 200 yards distance is very far for such goggles. While at a distance of 75 yards you will be able to recognize human’s gender and features also.
Images are clear and bright. Life expectancy is 10 thousand plus hours with this long durability and all the above features generation-3 night vision goggles are worth buying.
GENERATION 4
In tech language, gen 4 is a tricky bite to digest because according to the US military, gen 4 doesn’t meet their high standards of night vision goggles but in the market, some companies use the term to a ploy to their customers. I say simply that, there is no such generation in night vision goggles but a similar technology which is called filmless gen 3, nowadays extensively used by the US military. Many companies using this under the umbrella name of generation-4. If buying a generation-4 device doesn’t break your bank than go-ahead for this gadget.
MOUNTING SYSTEM
The mounting system helps you to mount your goggles comfortably while wearing them. This mounting system should be compatible with your goggles for the best experience. These systems include:
HEAD MOUNT AND HELMET MOUNT
The Head mount is made of bands and woven strips that stabilize goggles on your eyes. The good thing about the head mount is that they are light and easy to wear. They are cost-efficient and breathable which makes you feel cool under the scorching heat.
In comparison with a helmet mount, these are comfortable and don’t hinder during your adventure, so the second thing after generation of night vision goggles, to keep in mind is choosing the right mounting system.
WEIGHT
While buying NV goggles, do consider their weight because if such devices are heavy they can cause neck strain and no one wants such pain! But if your budget is light and you can’t afford light ones then you have to make your neck strong so, buckle up and start neck exercises before buying heavy night vision goggles. It is highly suggested to be under two pounds of weight while buying such devices.
INTEGRATED ILLUMINATION
As the name suggests, an integral illumination is an embedded device in night vision goggles and make this optical device lightweight. This illuminator helps in visualizing images without invisible light that is in complete darkness.
They can also use as SOS because it produces gust of light and produces indicator type flashes. This helps you to give an idea about the position.
Integrated illuminators are handy and detachable, so they can be used as a torch! So before buying any night vision goggles do consider integrated illuminators.
INRA-RED ILLUMINATION
For extremely low conditions, infra-red illuminating devices are best. It emits the invisible infra-red light and reflect it to your night vision goggles and produce better quality images. It extends visibility range and visual acuity.
AUTOGATED NIGHT VISION GOGGLES
Auto gated means your night vision goggle’s power supply automatically turns itself on and off at a rapid rate. This improves image quality in both conditions that are day-night transitions and dynamic light environments. This makes night vision goggles more durable and reliable.
Auto gated devices are far better and save than without auto gated night vision goggles. Sudden change in light conditions can not only damage your night vision gadget but also affect image quality that makes it blurred. Auto gated is an add on and will costs you some more money but it is worth buying!
WEATHER RESISTANCE
Night vision goggles are a mixture of two delicate gears that is glass lenses and electronic systems. Both are weather prone while wearing NV goggles you need a great deal of care which is of course not possible during hiking, fishing, or any other adventurous trip.
While purchasing do remember to consider powerful water and dust resistance in your device because lower-priced devices are not found durable in adventurous ventures.
MANUAL GAIN VS AUTOMATIC GAIN
To get the electronic amplification in night vision goggles, some devices have controlling knobs such gadgets are categorized as a manual gain adjustment that is you have to set knob by hand. These knobs adjust voltage intensity to bright the image whereas, night vision devices without manual gain adjustment are equipped with auto gain adjustments and set the voltage for the image brightness automatically.
For general use, the automatic gain is alright to use but when it comes to customization or as per user’s taste some users find manual gain adjustment better than automatic gain.
DURABILITY
Durability is of course worth of your money. Your night vision goggle selection highly depends upon your use if you are using it as a hobby than cheaper night vision goggles will be good for you but with a drawback of less durability. While if you are a professional user you must consider the build quality. Expensive night vision goggles have metal bodies that are of course stronger than plastic ones as in cheap devices.
Lenses are also similar in this case good quality lenses such as glass lenses will be more durable than low priced and low-quality lenses like plastic lenses.
BATTERY
The power source is an important part of any electronic device. Before buying batteries keep in mind that they should be easily expendable, which will be a good option also check the build of the battery because if it gets seeped your device will be on risk! along with that if you buy an expensive night vision gadget, you would not risk it with a low-cost battery.
PRICE RANGE AND QUALITY
Night vision goggles have varied quality ranges with different price ranges, some are cheap, and others are high priced.
If you are on a budget and you need nonprofessional night vision goggles, you have to pay a few hundreds of monies but if you are a professional using your gadget will cost you thousands of bucks but you will get the high-end product.
SPEND MONEY FOR MULTI-PURPOSE
Before buying you should write down about your needs because buying for only one need will be not worth it. Imagine what you can do other than professional use because not all of us are professionals. You can use night vision goggles for wildlife watching, for night boating or fishing, you can even observe more amazing things like watch heavenly bodies. Night vision goggles allow you to view 10 times better images of stars and galaxies than your experience with naked eyes.
CONCLUSION
Well from the above thorough notion of night vision goggle’s buying guide, it is found that the main thing to keep in mind is the generation of your device higher the generation higher will be the cost.
Cheaper NV goggles will allow you a vision of 75-100 yards and their image quality is not good. There are not durable as their build quality is not strong and lenses are made of plastic. In contrast to it, high generation goggles are far better in every way they show you better image quality with a long-range of distance, sudden change of light don does not disturb their image quality.
If you want to see the world around you without engaging your hands than night vision goggles will be the best choice to opt for! While wearing such goggles you can walk, run or even crawl and navigate obstacles. If you are professional you can climb mountains, ladders and also use weapons with your night vision goggles. Their portability makes them the amazing device.
Clarity is also an important feature to consider that is the ability of night vision goggles to distinguish distance between two closed objects
The comfortability of night vision goggles is called ergonomics. It is classified into three features – the size of goggles, the weight of goggles, and how easy to use it is? You can easily make your mind either buy a night vision goggle or not by analyzing these factors such as if your goggle is not comfortable in wearing you would not go for it. If your device is not easy to use it would not worth your money. Again your choice will be based upon your need if you want to wear it in the static condition you can wear a heavy one but if your work is more mobile heavy device is not for you. Do consider a good mounting system because ill-fitted night vision goggle is a real nightmare! Durability and image clarity are also major factors while buying night vision goggles. Price ranges vary but along with that functions and features also vary. So, ponder over your needs before emptying your wallet and after careful analysis of your requirements, opt for the best one because night vision goggles are always a worth buying thing, and spending some extra bucks will be a great investment to cater both your professional and personal need. Happy night vision with your best choice!
