IR Night vision Bino's

[Georgio]

any experience of this sort of thing....

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/hawke-dig..._D6&utm_content=Product-2&utm_campaign=14P4-3

I was wondering what the range would be?

Seems like a good price but not if the range is very limited.

I'm interested in using afloat although it would be fun for watching the badgers who seem to like digging up my garden.

 

[charles_reed]

Certainly very cheap - comparable to Russian ex-military scopes, but I wonder about quality?

Incidentally a mono-

 

[sarabande]

that looks expensive for what it does.

You have two competing needs. Local wildlife (say 50 metres) and afloat (say up to 500 m).


A cheaper IR monoscope (Bushnell perhaps) WITH a decent IR torch e.g. the NightMaster series) will work best for the garden, but I can tell you from extensive experience that badgers will react to IR light at close-ish quarters.

Image-intensification (e.g. Archer monoscopes) by

http://www.starlightnv.co.uk/

are very good, but at about 800 squids, are not cheap.


The technology is changing very quickly, and IR and II kit I bought 2 years ago is already out of date, though still functional.

 

[nigelmercier]

This is the type with a low-light video chip, not an image intensifier. I bought one of this type a few years ago in the US.

Better buy from Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eZsbEb but on the basis that I have never heard of Hawke, and avoid anything sold by Maplin like the plague, you may like these better: http://amzn.to/PXS2qI

My son has a US military spec scope which had to be shipped from the US in parts, as they are banned from export. When you look through it, it's like the sun came out. Cost about £2000.

 

[Seajet]

Sarabande,

I'm surprised when you say badgers react to IR light; I haven't tried that, but the ones in our garden in Street didn't even mind PIR security lights and a camera flash !

The Hawke thing mentioned will at least go on cameras, that's a major requirement.

However, I had a similar ' Yukon ' job - the results were OK ( I knew not to expect much having tried real Harrier 4th generation NVG's which cost £squillions ) BUT about 1 minute after the guarantee ran out it packed up; and so had the supplier.

These Night Vision jobs are a bit of a toy, but might just come in really handy on a boat sometime.

In the meantime mainly for wildlife photography if not too serious.

 

[Iliade]

Ordinary binoculars improve night vision a modest amount and have no electronics to go wrong...

 

[savageseadog]

A generation 2 or 3 type intensifier is far better than that gen 1 type and far more expensive too. It's very rare than a night sight would be useful on a leisure boat, looking out for smugglers is about it. An ex fire brigade or MOD thermal image scope would be far more useful for MOB work, observing wildlife etc.

 

[bikedaft]

got a £100 monocular NVG prob 1st generation from aldi/lidl

you can see lobster pots at night if its not raining

so its not completely useless

had a shot of more modern NVG binocs from back of sea king recently - a lot better, tho clearly I wasn't looking at a seascape ;-)

doubt you can get them from ebay tho

 

[Highndry]

Hawke Optics have a decent reputation in the shooting world.

 

[nigelmercier]

Better buy from Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eZsbEb

Hawke Optics have a decent reputation in the shooting world.

In that case, just ignore the fact that Maplin sell it

 

[Piers]

Why not investigate Thermal Imaging which has no dependency on light?

 

[Seajet]

For a start, I have not seen any cheap and cheerful civilian thermal imaging gear; image intensifiers seem fine for occasional boat use + wildlife and are freely available.

 

[Piers]

For a start, I have not seen any cheap and cheerful civilian thermal imaging gear; image intensifiers seem fine for occasional boat use + wildlife and are freely available.

You are right that TI is more expensive, and really depends on what you want to use it for. The main use I have for it is night cruising and avoiding pots....

 

[savageseadog]

For a start, I have not seen any cheap and cheerful civilian thermal imaging gear; image intensifiers seem fine for occasional boat use + wildlife and are freely available.

I got an ex FB imager for about £300 off ebay

 

[Seajet]

Piers,

I imagine that's a fixed IR on a motor boat; I for one don't have the space for a FLIR turret on my small sailing boat !

Nice idea though as I detest pots, especially laid as ' traps ' in places boats will obviously go; if I bother replacing my image intensifier it will be for that main use, as the original was, but sadly just the odd hold up to the eye and scan.

I got to play with both fixed IR and Night Vision Goggles during the development of the Night Vision Harrier GR7, having to take photographs of both types of image, but that was virtually money-no-object equipment.

 

[Piers]

Piers,

I got to play with both fixed IR and Night Vision Goggles during the development of the Night Vision Harrier GR7, having to take photographs of both types of image, but that was virtually money-no-object equipment.

Wow - I'd have loved to have with you...!

 

[Seajet]

Hi Piers,

here's a GR7 when new, the upper optic on top of the nose is the fixed IR ( lower optic is the Hughes Angle Rate Bombing Sight), the pilot also had 4th generation Night Vision Goggles for peering about; if the hangars look familiar that's because Dunsfold is now home to Top Gear.

I have a shot of the cockpit with everything working but can't fit both due to file size.

View attachment 40868

 

[Piers]

Magnificent. Given that anhedral you can see why the aircraft is so manoeuvrable. How I'd have loved to have flown it.

 

[Seajet]

Piers,

office view ( minus seat for room ).

Sorry for non-boaty everyone else.

View attachment 40869

Both Multi Function Displays on SMS - Store Management System - sorry forgot this pc is sanitised, no IR view - which would be on right hand MFD.

 

[Piers]

I'm salivating.