James Bond had them!

The military has them!

Heck even the bad guys in the movies have them!

Now it’s your turn!

The technology for nightvision goggles has been around since World War II, but really didn’t start to mature until the Vietnam War. During that time the tech involved made some major advances in clarity.

When you start talking about night vision there are two main approaches. These are image intensifiers and thermal imaging (infrared); both have their pluses and minuses.

• Image intensifiers (The subject here) work by taking any available light and passing it through intensifying tubes, stepping it up and then converting it to a green spectrum.
• Thermal imaging on the other hand used an objects ambient heat and converts it to visible light. The main draw back to this approach is the lack of clarity in the picture produced. In some instances though it can actually be used to see through walls, depending on the thickness of the wall and the temperature variation on the other side.

If you’re on the path to purchasing a pair of NightVision Goggles pay particular attention to what generation of technology you are dealing with. Each generation (and they are all still available) has its benefits and corresponding price increases as you head up the line. Below you will find a breakdown of the generations as they presently exist. 

1st Generation Night Vision	2nd Generation Night Vision	3rd Generation Night Vision
4th Generation Night Vision	Thermal Vision	Binoculars

1. Generation 1 – This is the same tech that has been around since the Vietnam War, although updated significantly. This is also the least expensive of the night vision devices and has an operational life of about 500 – 1000 hours of use.
2. Generation 2 – This is the upgraded version of Generation 1 that took place back in the 1980’s. These units can amplify light 20,000 – 30,000 times making them extremely effective in low light situations. Operational life expectancy is 2,500 – 4,500 hours of continuous use.
3. Generation 3 – Not only do these babies have everything the previous two do, they increase the depth of field, clarity and add many more user controls not seen on the others. Like the other generations before it there has been an increase in life expectancy with it jumping up to 10,000 plus hours of use. These are truly worth a look see if you are seriously considering a purchase; heck they’re worth a look see even if you aren’t.
4. Generation 4 – Now this is truly state of the art and is the latest to come on the market, it is also the most expensive. These little gems combine both the image intensifiers and the thermal imaging to provide some of the clearest and brightest (up to a 90,000 multiplier) imaging to date. They are also very light and easy to operate. Useful life has also been extended again, this time to 15,000 hours. This is also the most expensive way to go.

Lately night vision goggles are being put to use in more places. In areas such as private security, flying at night, nighttime boat navigation and in determining if soil has been disturbed when searching for hidden or stolen objects. This just covers a few of the uses this equipment is finding a home in.So the technology is out there and able to produce results for whatever your planned application may be. All that remains now is to choose which generation of equipment is in your future and then start taking back the night.