The One Thing I Wish I’d Known About Night Vision Goggles

January 23rd, 2012

The general public has a basic concept of how night vision goggles work. They allow you to see even in darkness. These goggles actually come in two different kinds, which most people are unaware of. Thermal Imaging and Image Enhancement. Image enhancement goggles gather all the surrounding light and use it to brighten your view in conditions where light seems to be absent. Giving you the vision of a bright day even on a cloud-filled night. Thermal Imaging Goggles can be used to distinguish objects through their temperature variations. For example, a small animals such as a rabbit shows up as a warm spot in the cool environment.

The first and most obvious use of night vision goggles is by the military. Since many military operations occur during the night, our soldiers need a way to see through the darkness so they can avoid the enemy and finish their important missions.

The goggle would most likely be used by the police at least some of the time. The image enhancement goggles would allow them to search for missing persons and perpetrators in dark abandoned buildings while the thermal imaging would help them detect if something living was hiding in an abandoned building by looking through windows without ever having to set foot inside.

Night vision goggles are also used by rescue personal especially in situations where rescue operations are conducted through the night or in areas where light is at a premium. Even neighborhood watch volunteers are using these goggles to patrol their streets and neighborhoods.

Night vision goggles, when used for these purposes, save lives and allow these professionals and volunteers to do a difficult job more safely than otherwise possible. The goggles are used by a plethora of people, not only army, police and rescue workers. They are becoming increasingly popular with the general public for a number of reasons.

Wildlife enthusiasts find these goggles very useful, because they allow people to view the animals during the night when they can do so without being seen by the animals themselves. Fishermen find they are great for night fishing as they can see a larger area than with a lantern or a flashlight.

Gamers are using these handy goggles for new games that make gaming experiences more fun and realistic than ever. If these goggles were a little less expensive, there would probably be at least one pair in every household. For outdoorsmen or those traveling in unfamiliar locations at night, these goggles are perfect.

It seems that night vision goggles not only save lives but they are now being used increasingly for enjoyment as well. While they may not be the most necessary item you will ever possess they just may be one of the most interesting.

A Tale: Night Vision Goggles

October 28th, 2011

Night vision equipment and applications offer a large range of uses, whether serving in the military, doing surveillance or law enforcement work; detective, entertainment or security work; or just hunting and taking in all the great outdoors and wildlife.

The three types of night vision equipment and applications are scopes/monocles, goggles/binoculars, and cameras. These pieces of equipment require at least one of the two different technologies, thermal imaging and image enhancement to work. These are both part of the infrared light spectrum but occupy different points along it.

Thermal imaging uses the upper portion of the infrared light spectrum, infrared light is emitted by an object’s heat rather than just being reflected as light. The hotter the object, the more light that is emitted. Warmer bodies or objects such as humans and animals emit more of this particular light than the colder objects such as trees, rocks and buildings. Thermal Imaging works with the use of a special lens which focuses the infrared light which is being emitted by all of the objects within view. The focused light is scanned by infrared-detector elements and creates a detailed temperature pattern called a thermogram. The thermogram is then translated into electric impulses which are then sent to a signal-processing unit. This signal-processing unit then sends the collected information to the display. The image is created by the combination of all of the impulses from all of the elements. Un-cooled and cryogenically cooled are the two categories of thermal imaging devices. Un-cooled is the most common, while cryogenically cooled is more precise but much more costly and susceptible to damage.

In Image Enhancement, very small amounts of light, even those at the lower end of the infrared spectrum which cannot be detected by the naked eye, are collected. It is then amplified so that the image is then easily viewed. NVD’s, or night vision devices, require a special tube called an image-intensifier. The purpose of using the cylinder is to gather and collect light waves and then increase the amplification of infrared light waves and visible light waves. A tool called an objective lens will capture certain types of light waves such as ambient light and near-infrared light waves. This collected light is then sent into an image-intensifier tube. The output voltage to the image-tube components from this tube is 5,000 volts. The component of the photocathode is the image-tube. The job of the photocathode is to convert the photons of light energy into electrons. One of the devices used in image enhancement technology, also frequently known as night vision, is an ocular lens which allows the image to be viewed and focused as well as magnified. the images can be pass through the eyepiece to be expanded and fixed the shadow on a mirror or on an electrical display The ocular lens has the capacity to directly display images.

With the use of the proper equipment, users of night vision goggles and equipment, will be able to see a person standing 200 yards away, including the ability to see that person through such conditions as moonless and/or cloudy nights, fog and pitch blackness.

More Thoughts on Night Vision Binoculars

September 16th, 2011

Night vision goggles have been around for quite some time now. No longer just at the dispense of the military and spies, the general public are now able to make use of it. They can be used for a variety of activities such as low caliber hunting, hiking in the dark, by detectives or police for surveillance work, navigation, wildlife observation, hidden object detection and can also be used for entertainment.

How do night vision equipment applications work, such as night-vision goggles and binoculars? The most important consideration is whether image enhancement or thermal imagining is used because the way they will work is determined by that and their methods of operation will therefore be quite a bit different depending on the type of technology employed.

The image enhancement technology works by collecting very minute amounts of light, which also includes parts of light from the lower spectrum of the infrared light spectrum. These bits of light are not able to be seen by the naked eye, however with the aid of the image enhancement and infrared light, the combination makes images very easy to observe and see. NVDs (night vision devices) depend on a special tube called the image-intensifier tube. The tube collects the light and then amplifies both the infrared and visible light. An object lens captures ambient light and some near-infrared light. This collected light is then sent into the image-intensifier tube, which outputs about 5,000 volts to the image-tube components. The photocathode is inside the tube and converts the photons of light energy to electrons. Using this technical process, users are able to view magnified images in several different ways;on a monitor, other electronic displays or directly through the ocular lens.

Thermal imagining, however, works with the upper portion of the infrared light spectrum. Heat that is emitted by object and bodies creates the upper portion of the infrared light spectrum,which in turn emit more of the upper spectrum than buildings,trees and other inanimate objects. This imaging process is dependent on using infrared light that is given off by an object and focused by a special lens. One of the two different types of devices used for thermal imaging is called uncooled, and is the most common, used at room temperature, it is almost silent, and is operated by a built-in battery which allows it to go into action without delay. The other one is chilled in a cryogenic system. This type is much more expensive and can be more easily damaged in rugged use. As a result of this particular system’s cooling elements, it has been given the advantage of having an incredibly high resolution and sensitivity. This sensitivity allows users to see whether someone is holding a weapon from more than 1,000 feet away, a very large benefit in dangerous situations.

These systems are both quite effective and have several extremely compelling upsides. Furthermore, the most widely used advancement is the imagery enhancement technology. A concern has been raised as to whether or not visual aids such as goggles or binoculars that are made specifically for night-time use actually work. Yes, they work extremely well and when the proper equipment is being used, users will be able to see a person standing 200 yards away. This includes being able to see that person through a variety of conditions such as moonless or cloudy nights, fog, and even pitch darkness.

If you’ve enjoyed all the exciting information you read here about night vision binoculars, you’ll love everything else you find at Night Vision Expert.